فصلنامه شیعه شناسی
پیاپی 80 (زمستان 1401)

Ashura incident is one of the most important events in the Islamic world, especially in the Shiite sphere, which has left many effects. No event has such a widespread realm in the mental geography of Muslims, especially the Shiites. Despite its broad realm, Ashura incident has been reduced to 10th day of Muharram and less attention has been paid to its backgrounds, causes for origination and consequences. Therefore, paying attention to the various aspects of Ashura incident is important. Although many thinkers have studied and analyzed Ashura, the scientific studies deal with the pathology of the event with an ‘external critique’ approach, less analyzing it with an ‘internal critique’ approach from Imam Hussein’s viewpoint. Therefore, here, the writer – inspired by the analytical model of ‘internal critique’ of Frankfort school – has investigated the desired situation, the existing situation, the reasons for degradation, and the ways for promotion from Imam Hussein’s viewpoint, and has explored the key words based on ‘collocation analysis’ to compare the four political, economic, social and cultural spheres. The results of the study show that Imam Hussein believes in ‘centrality’ of political system. With the change of rule-governed prophetic government into Umayyad despotic government, due to laxity of the religious elites, there came about changes in other spheres as well. The concept of “kind father” as opposed to “spiteful tyrant”, “public treasury” opposed to “rulers’ privileges”, “people’s equality” opposed to “people’s slavery”, and “Book-centrality” opposed to “rulers’ desires” show the transformation of the prophetic government into Umayyad government in the four political, economic, social and cultural sub-systems. The way to growth and guidance was granting blood by the elites such as Imam Hussein.

Humanities are the sciences of concepts. Ambiguous and minor concepts are in themselves veils of truth more than being our assistants in accessing the truth. The concept of ‘approximity of Islamic denominations’ can be considered as one of the ambiguous and inefficient concepts for which no operational, comprehensive and agreed upon definition exists. Thus, some basic questions can be posed in this regard: “What is the relationship between the concept of ‘approximity of Islamic denominations’ and the concepts such as ‘convergence’, ‘unity’, ‘solidarity’, and ‘Islamic unity’?” “What conceptual and structural critiques can be posted on the existing perceptions of the idea of ‘approximity’?” And finally, “What is ‘approximity’ and what is it not?” In answering these questions, this article is going to offer, through a descriptive-analytical method, a new and efficient definition capable of fulfilling the theoretical and practical needs in the sphere of the convergence of Islamic societies. In this redefinition, which rejects the separation between thought and practice, ‘approximity’ is defined in two general and specific senses. In its general sense, ‘approximation’ is making ‘oneself’ close to ‘someone else’ through one of the ways of ta‘āruf, ta‘āluf, ta‘āyush and ta‘āwun. In its specific sense in the literature of Islamic convergence, ‘approximity’ means intentional effort of any Muslim for ‘growth’ and turning the world into a more divine world through approaching his ‘other Muslim’.

Among the ceremonies held in some great cities of Iran during Muharram is a ceremony called pūsh-kashī (pūsh = cover; kashī= extension). In Isfahan, in the past, the courtyards of hussainiyyas and tikyas were covered with painted fabrics, and this ceremony is still held in some of those sites including the hussainiyya of Hārūn Vilāyat. Since Qajar period, a fabric ornamented with verbal and visual texts and images were extended over the courtyard in Tasu‘a and Ashura days (9th and 10th days of Muharram). Because this ceremony has been held and those motifs have been used for some centuries in this site on a certain day, the present study aims at finding the semantic relation of those motifs and ceremonies with this site and with one another. Thus, the research question is as follows: “What is the effect of engraved covers of Hārūniyya hussainiyya on mourning ceremonies and on the site, and what meanings does it contain?” The data of the study were gathered through field study and documentation, and the research method was descriptive-analytical. The findings of the study show that the association of the verbal and visual signs consider the ‘Karbala rising’ and ‘being under Imam Hussein’s flag’ as ways to have a journey in the heavens, and studying these motifs reveals the mystical and epistemic origins of the ceremony.

Investigating the way the governments were formed throughout history show that the support from influential dynasties was an effective factor in the establishment, continuation or fall of governments. Gurkani dynasty of India was no exception, and the sultans of that dynasty made use of powerful dynasties to strengthen their rule. The political and religious positions of those influential dynasties had also definite effects in elimination or continuation of governments or in their strength and weakness. One of these [influential] dynasties was Sadat Bahara (or Bara) who entered the political arena of India before Mongol invasion. They could find a special position in Gurkani government. With their special talent, Sadat Bahara gradually achieved a military position that, finally, led to their acquisition of political power. The subject of this study is introduction of that dynasty, investigating the process of their coming to power in that era, and considering their political-military role in Gurkani period, with an emphasis on the position of brothers Bahara, Sayyid Abdullah and Sayyid Hussein Ali, especially in the events that occurred in the years 1118 to 1132 AH. This study was conducted through a historical approach and using a descriptive-analytical method.

Ghalib Dehlavi (1212-1285 AH) was a subtle Shiite poet of 13th century AH in Indian peninsula. He had a new look at the social and philosophical issues. Due to his status in Persian and Urdu poetry and his special style as well as his religious look and his interest in the Shiite Imams, especially Imam Ali, it is worth to investigate his ritual poems. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer the following questions: “What are the features of Ghalib Dehlavi’s thought and poetical style?” and “How have the issues of imamate and the Shiite Imams been reflected in his poems?” To explain the status of the Shiite poetry in the Indian peninsula and Ghalib Dehlavi’s poems, this study was conducted in a descriptive-analytical method and the following results were obtained: Ghalib Dehlavi was a stylistic poet who covered a new path with his innovations in words and meanings. He is considered as the pioneer of the new style and the founder of new Urdu literature. He was the first one who entered philosophical doctrines in Urdu poetry. In his odes, he admired the Prophet (PBUH) and his Ahl al-Bayt, especially Imam Ali, Hussein bin Ali, and Imam Mahdi. In this way, he showed his respect for them. He also composed some poems regarding the events of Karbala and the martyrs there, like Hazrat Abal-Fazl, Ali Akbar, Ali Asghar, and Qasim bin Hassan. He had a broad mind in religious beliefs and respected all religions.

Understanding the value of the historical heritage of hadith scholars and its effect on the addressee’s mind regarding the issues of Ahl al-Bayt and the Shiites of the Umayyad period, and with the aim to discover the existing thematic network in those texts and achieving a model for explaining their general logic and structure, the present study attempts to answer the following question: “What themes do the hadith scholars present to their addressees in registering the news of Ahl al-Bayt and the Shiites?” To find the answer, we first investigated the historical heritage of the hadith scholars in this regard and, then, selected the following sources: Tārīkh Khalīfa bin Khayyāṭ (Ibn Khayyat, 240 AH); the extant parts of al-Ma‘rifa wal-Tārīkh (Fasavi, 277 AH); Tārīkh al-Umam wal-Mulūk (Tabari, 310 AH); al-Muntaẓam fī Tārīkh al-Umam wal-Mulūk (Ibn Jowzi, 597 AH). Then, the data related to the news of Ahl al-Bayt and the Shiites were extracted, and using the method of thematic analysis and its stages, the data were analyzed and the themes hidden in various sources were discovered. We found four overarching themes as follows: “Shiism: a political-religious movement”, “the Shiites’ perpetual threats for governments”, “efforts to suppress the Shiites based on religion”, and “suppression of the Shiites along with undergoing damages”. Considering the approach of the hadith scholars to caliphate, these themes are for legitimizing the behaviors of Umayyad rulers in suppressing Ahl al-Bayt and the Shiites.