The Impact of Sufism on Ashura Play

Of all the ritualistic forms of drama in Iran, Shabih-khani is the most sophisticated one. It sums up in many ways the entire dramatic forms and ancient Iranian rituals. It consists of some dimensions of other art forms, such as painting and architecture, and, most significantly, includes aspects of music and poetry. On the other hand, there is little doubt that the most overarching historical trend in Iran pivots around Sufi philosophy and literature. Sufi themes and moods as well as its mystical philosophies have largely characterized the most notable works of poetry and prose in Persian literature. The predominance of Sufi philosophy in literary works notwithstanding, Sufism can be traced in many of the existing art forms in Iran, not to mention in its quotidian culture. In this article, it is aimed to demonstrate some of the impacts of the Sufi and mystical philosophies on Shabih-khani. Our research illustrates that in Shabih-khani, we face much less a representation of historical reality than a popular interpretation of history intertwined with such discourses as Sufism. Having focused on the play which dramatizes Imam Hossein’s martyrdom, we have attempted to lay bare the most important forms of these interpretations.