Persian Works by Imamis from the 7th till 10th Centuries

Persian Works by Imamis from the 7th till 10th Centuries
Few Persian works written by the Imama Shi‘ites during the 7th-10th centuries AH have survived today. However, whatever extant literature of this type is available it is worth full consideration. The invaluable work entitled Naqz by ‘Abd al-Jalal Qazvana Raza is a kalama-historical book written in defence of Shi‘ites as a refutation of a work written against the Shi‘ites. This important work includes exclusive information from the sixth century AH especially on the Shi‘ites, their cultural situation and the political cir*****stances of the time. In this book the author also mentions that he has written a book on hadath ifk[15] in defence of ‘Ayishah. He mentions this work in order to say that the Shi‘ites do not insult the wives of Prophet Muhammad (S) as alleged.
Three works have been compiled by a very active Shi‘ite writer of the late 7th century AH which are all of kalama-historical nature. ‘Imad al-Dan Tabara the author of Kamil Baha’a, Manaqib al-Tahiran and Tuhfat al-Abrar takes a kalama-historical look at important Sha‘ah issues and occasionally gives information on the times they were written. The voluminous book Ahsan al-Kibar fa Ma‘rifat al-A’immah al-Abrar by Sayyid Muhammad bin Aba Zayd bin ‘Arabshah Waramana on the lives of the Imams was written in the year 740 AH. Several copies of this work are found including the manuscript in the Ayatullah Mar‘asha Library. The summary of this book by ‘Ala bin Hasan Zawareh’a titled Lawami‘ al-Anwar is also available.
The book Ramesh Afza-ye Al-i Muhammad by Muhammad bin Husayn Muhtasib is a ten-volume work on the history of the Prophets and Imams (‘a). Muntajab al-Dan Ibn Babawayh had seen the book and studied part of it under the author.[16] Two quotations from it are also mentioned in the Manaqib of Ibn Shahr Ashub, one of which concerns the life of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (‘a) and the other on the knowledge of Imam Sadiq (‘a).[17] Muntajab al-Dan has mentioned this book in al-Fihrist but no trace has been found of it after the 8th century. Mabahij al-Muhaj fa Manahij al-Hujaj is the work of Qutb al-Dan Kayzara the outstanding Shi‘ite writer who most probably lived in the sixth century AH. This book which is in Arabic was translated into Persian by Hasan bin Husayn Sha‘a Sabziwara in the eighth century under the tllte Bahjat al-Mabahij. He presented this translation to Khwajah Nizam al-Dan Yahya bin Shams al-Dan who ruled in Khurasan as one of the commanders of the Sarbedaran movement from 753-759 AH. Bahjat al-Mabahij was rendered into rhyme during the 10th century AH by the poet Hayrata Tuna of Kashan. Hasan Sha‘a Sabziwara is also the author of Rahat al-Arwah wa Munis al-Ashbah, a book which devotes itself to the life of Prophet Muhammad (S) and his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). Copies of this work are available.[18]
There is a work titled Tarakh-i Muhammada, or Tarakh-i Rashada as it is also known. This book has also been mentioned by two other names: Tarakh-i Dawazdah Imam or Fihrist-i A’immah. The description of this book in the library catalogue says: “On the dates of the birth of the Prophet and the Imams as well as their places of birth, their agnomen, titles, geneology and resting place.” The manuscript of this work is in the Tabraz National Library, number 3626 and dated 20th of Dha al-Qa‘dah 819 AH.[19] The author of this book is Mulla Hasan Kasha, who was close to Sultan Muhammad Khoda-Bandah and played an important role in the Tashayyu‘ of that era. He wrote this book in Hillah and Baghdad in the year 708 AH when he was sixty years old.[20] A book under the title Tarakh-i ‘Itrat was also compiled in the year 803 in Aleppo, Syria, and has recently been published by the late Daneshpazhuh.[21]
Among the most detailed works on the early history of Islam by Persian-speaking Shi‘ites is Nuzhat al-Kiram wa Bustan al –‘Awam, written by Jamal al-Dan Murtaza Muhammad bin Husayn bin Hasan al-Raza who lived in the late sixth and early seventh century AH. This two-volume work has recently been researched and published by Muhammad Sharwana. The book contains narrations on the characteristics and biography of Prophet Muhammad (S) until the twenty-first chapter. After that until the 30th chapter of the first volume, the author writes about Aba Bakr and other topics. The second volume of the book till the sixtieth chapter focuses on the miracles of the 14 Infallibles till Imam Mahda (may Allah hasten his reappearance). This work along with the book Ahsan al-Kibar should be considered the most comprehensive Shi‘ite work in Persian written in the medieval period of Iranian history since the advent of Islam. It is worth noting that this book despite being in Persian, drew the attention of Ibn Tawus who asked it to be translated into Arabic in view of its importance. In one case he has quoted some topics of this book in his own work Faraj al-Mahmum.[22] A maqtal written in Persian verse by Abu al-Mafakhir al-Raza in the 6th century, was used as a source for Rawzah al-Shuhada’ by Mulla Husayn Kashifa.
Notes:
[1] This book has been researched by Sayyid Muhammad Husayna Jalala and published under the title Tarakh Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) by the Mu’assasah Al al-Bayt li Ihya’ al-Turath, Qum. The introduction discusses in detail the name of the book, the name of its author and other issues related to the book.
[2] Kohlberg, Etan, A Medieval Muslim Scholar at Work - Ibn Tawus and his Library, p. 386.
[3] Muntajab al-Dan, al-Fihrist, p. 47.
[4] Ibid, p. 76.
[5] Mu‘jam al-Udaba, vol. 18, p. 31 al-Wafa bi al-Wafayat, vol. 2, p. 244; al-Dhara‘ah, vol. 24, p. 82.
[6] Tarakh Qum, p. 56.
[7] Refer to al-Dhara‘ah, vol. 3, pp. 145 under the letter Shan 497.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Rijal al-Najasha, p. 355.
[10] Al-Dhara‘ah, vol. 3, p. 254.
[11] Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, p. 306. It seems that nothing has remained from the book Ma‘alim, although parts of it have been mentioned by Irbila; refer to Kashf al-Ghummah, p. 121.
[12] Tarakh-e Guzadah, p. 207.
[13] This book was published with the efforts of the writer of this article (Rasul Ja‘fariyan) by the Ayatullah Mar‘asha Library, Qum. The new edition of this book, after due research on the basis of a newly discovered manuscript, has been published by Ansariyan Publishers, Qum.
[14] Refer to the Persian quarterly, Nashr-e Danesh, 14th year of publication (1376 SH, month of Esfand (Feb.-March, 1998), p. 58.
[15] Kitab al-Naqz, pp. 115, 295.
[16] Muntajab al-Dan, al-Fihrist, p. 108.
[17] Refer to Ta‘laqat al-Fihrist, Muntajab al-Dan, published by Urmawa, pp. 435, the letter Shan, p. 394.
[18] Ibid, p. 785.
[19] Munzawa, ‘Ala Naqa, List of Persian Manuscripts, p. 2704
[20] Storey, Persian Literature, p. 899.
[21] Refer to the Introduction in Bustan al-Kiram, p. 15, where the late Daneshpazhuh has given a account of Arabic and Persian on the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) written by both the Sunnis and the Shi‘ites. Unfortunately this information is not so complete.
[22] Kohlberg, Etan, A Medieval Muslim Scholar at Work - Ibn Tawus & His Library, p. 306.