The Role of Sufis in Spread of Naqqāli and Rawzahkhāni

The present study attempts to investigate the role of Sufism in development of story-telling, naqqāli (narrating of important old Iranian stories) and Rawzahkhāni (telling story of mourning for Imams) arranged in three sections. The first part of the article is intended to inspect story-telling as a social practice of Sufism. It also expresses the reasons behind Safavid Scholars’ opposition with storytelling. Then, the content of stories, their connection to the event of Karbalā, the evolution of maqtal khāni in Kāshefi’s Rawzat al- Shohadā (The Garden of the Martyrs), and different reactions of Shi‘a scholars to this event is analyzed. Next section of present study seeks to introduce Naqqali and its’ subcategories such as Pardeh khāni. Besides, Sufis’ story-telling in the Safavid era as reflected in reports and records of western travelers is explored. Naqqali appears as one of the main activities exercised by dervishes of Khāksār especially in the sect of ajam. In the third section, the main role of Sufi Naqqals in the development of rawzakhāni in Safavid and Qajāri periods are revealed. Further analysis indicates that people’s tendency toward religious Naqqali and description of ‘Ashourā event presumed to be a Sufism concept. Although firstly opposed by extremists, these traditions have been mostly welcomed by public and nobles so that both of them emerged to be the most important traditions of mourning.