Maqtal al-Hussain: Difference between revisions

Being among the most precedent Maqtals,<ref>[http://opac.nlai.ir/opac-prod/search/bibliographicAdvancedSearchProcess.do;jsessionid=C37D4A255B97B0DBA5F34E53D0E867E9 Qeravi, The first documented report of Battle of Karbala, p 13]</ref> the Maqtal of Abi Makhnaf was written by Abi Makhnaf Lut ibn Yahya in about the year 130 A.H.<ref>[http://opac.nlai.ir/opac-prod/search/bibliographicAdvancedSearchProcess.do;jsessionid=C37D4A255B97B0DBA5F34E53D0E867E9 Qeravi, The first documented report of Battle of Karbala, p 12]</ref> The fact that the book was written in an era close to the battle and also the writer’s thorough familiarity with many of the people present during the battle and in the events after that, makes this Maqtal one of the most reliable sources in the history of Shiism. The book was available to the fourth century, and [[Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari|Tabari]] has mentioned it in his history (the book he wrote). Still, it disappeared like this author's other books, and no edition of it is available now.<ref name=":0">[http://opac.nlai.ir/opac-prod/search/briefListSearch.do?command=FULL_VIEW&id=8459944&pageStatus=1&sortKeyValue1=sortkey_title&sortKeyValue2=sortkey_author Esfandiari, Imam Husayn’s bibliography, p 43]</ref> Some handwritten editions of this book are reported to be present in Berlin, Linden, Saint Peters Burg, and Milan.<ref>[http://opac.nlai.ir/opac-prod/search/briefListSearch.do?command=FULL_VIEW&id=1237945&pageStatus=1&sortKeyValue1=sortkey_title&sortKeyValue2=sortkey_author Ranjbar, A survey in writing Maqtal and Ashura historiography from the beginning to the present time, p 74]</ref> The book, which is present under the name of "Maqtal al-Husayn" and is famous with Maqtal of Abu Makhnaf, is fake and unreliable to most scholars.<ref>[http://opac.nlai.ir/opac-prod/search/briefListSearch.do?command=FULL_VIEW&id=1237945&pageStatus=1&sortKeyValue1=sortkey_title&sortKeyValue2=sortkey_author Ranjbar, A survey in writing Maqtal and Ashura historiography from the beginning to the present time, p 42-44]</ref>

Allamah Tastari knows Maqtal Abi Makhnaf to be the rightest one. In his book "''Lu'lu' wa Marjan''," Nouri refers to Abu Makhnaf as a great Mohaddes (narrator of [[hadith]]) and a reliable narrator of history. He continues: “alas his original and intact Maqtal is not available, and the one they attribute to him includes some content against the principles of the religion which some ignorant people have entered it to serve their bad intentions. As a result, the book is not reliable and trustworthy anymore." Shaykh Abbas Qomi knows this Maqtal to be of high reliability. Still, he believes that the original format has been destroyed, and what is received is not written by Abu Makhnaf.<ref name=":0" />