Rawdat al-shuhada

Rowzeh al-Shuhada
Author	Mulla Husayn Wa'iz Kashifi
Language	Persian

In the beginning years of the tenth AH century Vaez Kashefi (820-910 AH) wrote the book Rowzeh al-Shuhada in Persian which was a creativity in written text and also a new look at the battle of Karbala; this look became dominant in the mourning ceremonies held for Imam Husayn for several reasons in later centuries.

About the book

Rowzeh al-Shuhada is one of the most famous texts of lamentation and mourning for Imam Husayn in the last centuries. The exact year of its creation is in 907 AH, in the final years of Vaezi Kashefi’s life which was at the same time of the Safivid dynasty’s establishment in west of Iran.^[1] Rowzeh al-Shuhada penetrated the Iranians’ society in an unbelievable pace. This was so fast that just two decades after its writing time Husayn Nedaee rewrote it as a poem entitled “Sayf al-Nobovah ya Mashhad al-Shuhada”.^[2]

The popularity of the book Rowzeh al-Shuhada kept rising in a way that in the last four centuries the whole book or selected parts^[3] of it have been republished repeatedly in handwritten or new forms inside and outside Iran in Persian, Indian, Dakhini and Turkish.^[4] Moreover Rowzeh al-Shuhada has been corrected many times by different people like Abul Hasan Sharani^[5] and Muhammad Roshan.^[6]

The references and accuracy of the chain of narrations used by Kashefi in Rowzeh al-Shuhada have been questioned by many. Due to many fake ravaya (narrations and quotes)^[7] present in the book, many scholars like Mirza Abd Allah Afandi, Noori and Murteza Mutahhari have criticized Rowzeh al-Shuhada and Vaez Kashefi.^[8] Many thorough reviews and critiques have been written on the book^[9] and the book is mentioned to be “among the books which created distortion about Ashura and with a much bigger effect in comparison to other books”^[10]. Additionally it is noteworthy that the effect of Sufi learnings on the process of writing the book cannot be ignored since Kashefi was attracted to Tasavof and Sufis for periods of his life or at least he pretended this way.^[11]

One of the features of Rowzeh al-Shuhada is the author's familiarity with artistic and literary secrets and structures. In this regard, many researchers believe that the narrating techniques and artistic traits are so strong in Rowzeh al-Shuhada; Vaez Kashefi benefiting from his strong writing skills has written a text which has created a great and deep change in the process of historiography of the event of Karbala and especially the process of Maqtal writing for Imam Husayn.^[12] Additionally being familiar with the works of the eulogists Vaez Kashefi has categorized them based on their works.^[13] Based on this work it can be believed that he has written Rowzeh al-Shuhada smartly and he has used many artistic and literary features in the content of his book.

About the author

Kamal al-Din Husayn Vaez Kashefi (820-910 AH) introduces himself as "Husayn ibn Ali al-Beihaghi al-Vaez al-Madov Belkashefi".^[14] Regarding his religion there are different narrations, some call him Sunni Hanafi, other Sufi and some others Shia.^[15] Davani believed that Vaez Kashefi kept his religion from others.^[16]

Not only was Vaez Kashefi good at literature, he also knew politics and governing well and he has had many positions in the government; he has also presented many important points of view (for instance Akhlaghe Mohseni (Mohseni ethics)) in this regard.^[17]

He was an active author and more than thirty-five of his works are known nowadays among which these ones can be named: "Akhlagh Mohseni Dar Hekmat Amali va Akhlagh, Asrar Ghasemi dar Oloum Gharibeh, Anvare Soheili dar Baznevisi Dastanhaye Kalileh Va Demneh,^[18] Badayeh al-Afkar fi Sanaye al-Ashjar about literary devices, Jame al-Tasin which is the interpretation of Yousef Surah, Javaher al-Tafsir is offered to Amir Alishir Navaee, Resaleh al-Elliyyeh Fil al-Ahadis al-Nabaviyyah which is the description of forty Hadith by the Prophet; Fotovat Nameh Soltani Dar Adab Fotovat, Lab Labab Masnavi which is a summary of Masnavi Ma'navi and finally Mavaheb Alayhe Ke Tafsir"^[19]

Among the books mentioned these ones are published: Ghodrat Nameh Soltani,^[20] Badi ol-Afkar Fi Sanaye al-Asha'ar,^[21] Anvar Soheili ya Kelilieh o Demneh Kashefi,^[22] Adab al-Ashab,^[23] Akhalaghe Mohseni.^[24]

Abstract of book

آشوب بلای تو، عطای دل ما		ای شربت درد تو، دوای دل ما
وز نام حبیب تو، صفای دل ما		از نامه ی حمد تو، شفای دل ما

“O thy pain's syrup is our remedy, the chaos of your calamity is our heart's reward

The praising letter for you is our heart's remedy and the name of your friend is the calm of our heart^[24]

The text of Rowzeh al-Shuhada begins with the poem above after which the history of the prophets is stated. It is totally clear that Vaez Kashefi's purpose behind such historiography is to relate it to Imam Husayn and the calamity of Ashura.

The second to the sixth Bab (chapters) are about the events that took place during the time of the prophet, lady Fatimah, Hadrat Ali and Imam Hasan.^[25] The seventh Bab onwards is dedicated to Imam Husayn. After mentioning some of the features of Imam Husayn, his birth and some of the events after his brother's death (seventh Bab or chapter),^[26] two parts of the book (the eighth and ninth Babs) are dedicated to the events in Karbala to the end of Ashura.^[27] It is clear that the most significant and biggest part of the book which is the ninth Bab (chapter) is about Imam Husayn arriving at Karbala, his fight with the enemies, his martyrdom along with his children, friends and close ones and other martyrs. The events after Ashura, what happened to the captives and to the murderers of Imam Husayn and Mukhtar’s uprising are mentioned in the tenth Bab (chapter) of Rowzeh al-Shuhada.^[28] The final part of the book describes the children of the Imams peace be upon them.^[29]

The value and significance of the book

Since Vaezi Kashefi had declared that he had written his book in accordance with the “minds of the people of the time”^[30] so that it can be used by the preachers in ceremonies and Ashura event, Rowzeh al-Shuhada cannot and must not be considered as a scientific book. This is the reason why some Shia historical researchers do not consider this book to be among the reliable Maqtals. Apart from the scientific value of the book, Rowzeh al-Shuhada caused an amazing revolution in lamenting and mourning of Ashura and Karbala. It can be said that a short while after Rowzeh al-Shuhada was written, reading Rowzeh (a kind of mourning ceremony) became popular among Shias and specially among Iranians and after some centuries it was added to the mourning of Ashura and Imam Husayn.[33]