Al-Boka Lel-Husayn

The book Al-Boka Lel-Husayn (Arabic: ال‍ب‍ک‍اء لل‍ح‍س‍ی‍ن‌ ع‍ل‍ی‍ه‌‌ال‍س‍لام‌) on the rewards of crying and mourning for Hadrat Sayyid al-Shuhada and the duties of Ta'zieh, is written by Sayid Muhammad Hasan Tabatabaee Mir Jahani Esfahani.

Al-Boka Lel-Husayn

Author	Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hasan Mir Jahani Tabatabaee
Original title	کامل الزیارات
Translator	Hussain Ansarian
Language	Arabic, Farsi
Subject	Ziarat

About the book

The writing process of the book Boka Lel-Husayn finished in Ramadan 1400 AH/ 1358 SH. The book has been repeatedly published by different publications in the last years.

In the first part of the introduction of Al-Boka Lel-Husyan, Mirjahani describes his intention for writing the book like this: "Oh God! Except for recourse to Sayyid al-Shuhada abi Abd Allah al-Husayn Nothing crossed my mind to cure my internal pains and to seek a saving path."

The general structure and the content of Boka Lel-Husayn is made of three parts below:

• The first section of the book has two parts, the nineteenth and the twentieth (Babs), (on the mourners' duties, in eulogies and the feelings of the author). This was among the previous writings of Mirjahani and at least the nineteenth part was published before.

• The way the content is presented in some parts of the book (like the first, fourth and fifth parts) is based on Hadith. In this method, the evidence and content and finally the translation of the hadith are written and the reference is given in the footnote. Moreover in some cases the author states his own opinions.

• But the content of some other parts of the book (like the second, third, thirteenth and fifteenth) are written based on the author's ideas and discussions using the resources.

On the other hand, the volume of the parts (Babs) of the book vary and are not the same. For example, the first Bab has 29 pages, the third Bab has 37 pages and finally the longest part of the book is the seventh Bab in 146 pages; whereas the eleventh Bab is 10 pages and the thirteenth Bab is 4 pages.

The resources used by the author for writing Boka Lel-Husayn include Quran, Hadith books, Isalmic history, Maqatel and other books as such whose information are presented in two ways, case-based (with footnote for each reference) and general (at the end of the book). Additionally the author has used Sunni references to write the book as well.

In a part of the fourth introduction of the book (under the title of: Ayahs (verses) about crying) Mirjahani presents an important discussion about "Welaya". In his opinion, " relief from the punishment both in this world and in the Resurrection, is only possible with the Welaya of Muhammad's family; since God has put their love equal to his love, and the reward of the Prophet's duty is loving his family, and the sign of their love is accepting their Welayah , obeying them, celebrating their happiness and mourning for their sorrows which is the most valuable prayer (Ebadat).

Regarding the "reason of Imam Husayn's uprising and move" MirJahani writes: “when it was Muawiyah's turn the effect of his hostility was so big that Islam was changed and he set the basis of Kufr and Ilhad (heresy); he presented the Truth as the wrong and vice a versa. He deceived people to an extent that it was impossible to destroy the basis of this corruption unless with martyrdom and undergoing great calamities and sorrowful events.

Boka Lel-Husayn is one of the most thorough books written with the subject of "crying and making people cry-Boka" in the Ashura uprising.

About the author

Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Mirjahani Tabatabaee (1319-1413 AH/ 1328-1371 SH) was born in a village called MuhammadAbad Jarghuyeh Sofla around Isfahan in Iran where he died at the age of 91. He studied in Howzeh in Isfahan and Najaf and he also lived in Mashhad and Tehran when he was alive.

Mirjahani has written many books among which " Akhbar Nojoom va Kavakeb va Falakiat, Divan Heiran, Zakhireh al-Ma'ad, Sa'adat Abadi, Shahab Thagheb, Mesbah al-Belagheh and Velayat Kolieh" can be named. In addition to the mentioned books, Mirjahani has said some poems specifically, for instance the Ghadirieh ballade.

Regarding Mirjahani's biography two books under the title of " A'llameh Ayat Allah Mirjahani Tabatabaee dar Ayneh Asnad va Mokatebat" covering the letters and writings of the scholars and Shia Maraji about Mirjahani and Naghde Javdan ( Nazari be Zendegi A'llameh Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Mirjahani Tabatabaee) are published.

َAbstract of the book

The book begins with a short introduction by Mirjahani's grandson, Saeed Jazari. He informs us of the publication of many of Mirjahani's works with Tahriri writing ( a type of writing style) as well as his own handwriting. The first prologues of the book which can be seen after the introduction of the corrector and the researcher of the book, focus on crying, different forms of cry, the truth of cry, Ayahs (Quran verses) about crying and the causes of different cries. In Mirjahani’s view: “crying happens due to sorrow and sad feelings thus  it is not an optional activity.” The author believes: “crying for God as prayers leads to closeness to God and it will be rewarded by him. If crying is for the world and its illegitimate desires and sins and disobeying God, the result will be reverse.”

The main content of the book begins with some Hadith on “the rewards of crying and making people cry for the calamities Hadrat Abi Abd Allah al-Husayn went through (first Bab). The Arabic text as well as the Persian translation of twenty eight hadiths is presented for this subject. Moreover the author mentions the “story of the pious from Bani Israel, the necessity of reward and punishment and an explanation about the rewards of crying”. Then a more expanded narration of those subjects by the author creates the content of the second Bab or chapter. The third Bab is about some important things regarding crying, the four chapters of the fourth Bab are about the prophets’ crying for that Hadrat and the God informing them of his martyrdom (consisted of twenty seven Hadiths), the fifth Bab is “about the skies and the earth and their inhabitants’ cry for Husayn (consisted of forty Hadiths), the sixth Bab is “on the Hadiths about crying and the sorrow of all inhabitants of the skies” (consisting of eleven Hadiths). The major part of the seventh Bab is dedicated to the author’s opinion about different issues of mourning and crying for Ashura.

The content of the other parts of Boka Lel-Husayn is dedicated to other issues regarding crying for Imam Husyan. “Stating lamentation and mourning of the believer Jins for that Imam” (ninth Bab) are among the other subjects that Mirjahani mentions.  

The nineteenth Bab with the title of “On Mourners’ Responsibilities” was published separately in 1378 A.H (1337 SH) and it was later added to Boka Lel-Husayn. The twentieth Bab is on “presenting the lamentations and the author’s feelings” which according to Mirjahani: “there are a few lamentations which I have penned to mourn Sayyid al-Shuhada’s calamities.”

In the end of the book, a thorough list of the references and books the author has used to write the book, is presented.

Sources

• Esfandiari, Muhammad, Ketabshenasi Tarikhi Imam Husayn (the historical bibliography of Imam Husayn), second edition. Isfahan: Arma, 1400

• Tabatabaee MirJahani Esfahani, Sayyid Muhammad Hasan, Al Boka Lel-Husayn (PBUH) Dar Thawab Geristan va Azadari Bar Hadrat Sayyid al-Shuhada va Vazayef Ta’zieh Dari, research by Hamed Fadavi Lorestani. Qom: Nasim Kowthar, 1385

• Lotfi, Alireza, Negareshi No be Ghasayed Ghorani, Kowthar periodical, number 3, 1380