Al-Sayyid Muhsin b. Abd al-Karīm al-Amīn al-Āmilī  son of 'Abd al-Karim al-'Amili was born to a well-known sayyid family in Jabal Amel,Lebanon. His lineage goes back to al-Husayn Dhi l-Dam'a a son of Zayd al-Shahid.

After elementary education in his hometown, he immigrated to Najaf and completed his studies in fiqh (jurisprudence) and usul al-fiqhand reached the level of ijtihad. There, he taught some students as well. He was also a good poet, a literary critic and was knowledgeable in Arabic literature as well.

A'yan al-Shi'a is his most important work, which is a vast encyclopedia containing biographies of Shi'a great figures. The book was compiled to show the cultural identity and remind the role of Twelver Shi'a in the progress of the Islamic civilization. To get access to some sources for writing this book, he traveled to different places like Syria,Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Iran.

Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin passed away in1347/1928. in Damascus and was buried in front of the main entrance of the Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab (a).