Analysis of the personality of Imam Ali (AS) in the poetry of the Safavid period based on the theory of Philip Hamoun

During the Safavid period, ritual poetry became very popular, especially with the subject of Imam Ali (AS).Philip Hamoun, a contemporary French theorist and semiotician, is one of the most influential figures in the field of personality semiotics. In his theory, characters are processed based on four principles in terms of types of signifiers and meanings, and descriptive levels of character. According to Hamoun’s semiotic model, the personality of Imam Ali (AS) is one of the religious reference personalities. In the axis of Imam Ali (AS) as a signifier, poetries in the Safavid era, have mentioned his name, his ancestry and the characteristics of his birth in the Kaaba. In the axis of the meaning of Imam’s personality, some of the moral features of the Imam such as his courage, science and knowledge, generosity, religiosity, eloquence and justice have been discussed.In the axis of levels of analysis of the Imam’s personality, some Shiite beliefs such as: intercession, Imamate and guardianship, Tula and Tabra, attention to verses and hadiths and glorification of pilgrims and their holy shrine have been among the main features that poets of this period have taken into consideration.The analysis of the personality of Imam Ali (AS) in the poetry of the Safavid era portrays the prominent position of Imam Ali (AS) in Islam and the manifestation of his attributes and virtues can be a motive to prove his true legitimacy in the Imamate and succession to the Prophet.Also the poems introduce the Imam as a religious truth and an example of a perfect human being.Based on the theories of Philip Hamoun, this article, in a descriptive-analytical manner, has analyzed the image and biography of Imam Ali (AS) in the Alawite praises during the Safavid period.