Spektrum Iran

Abstract In one of the first stories of Arabian Nights, “The Fisherman and Jinni”, there
is an obscure expression in which the Arabic word ʻahd( عهد ) should mean
magic as plot of the story necessitates. In Arabic, ʻahd means oath, will,
testament and so on, but never means magic. Whereas in the old Persian
verse and prose, one can find the Persian word band( بند ) meaning both oath
and magic. Therefore, this Arabic expression and possibly the whole story
could have an original Pahlavi or Persian version, translated into Arabic,
and the Persian band mistranslated intoʻahd -instead of siḥr (magic).
Accordingly, the story of “The Fisherman and Jinni” could be one of the
originally Persian stories of Arabian Nights, or at least the above mentioned
expression may be counted as a rhetoric story-telling technique in the
Iranian magic stories that its mistranslation has become prevalent in
Arabian narrations once, and finally established in Arabian Nights.

Abstract In this short contribution the author investigates a hitherto unnoticed aspect
of Iranian material religion, namely memorial structures for the dead,
especially young male martyrs. These illuminated pavilion-shaped structures
are called ḥeğleh, a term which refers to the ḥeğleh-ye ‘arūsī, the beautifully
decorated bridal chamber, and evokes the commemoration of the young
martyr Qāsem ibn al-Ḥasan, who could not consummate his marriage during
the battle of Karbala. The devotional practice of setting up a ḥeğleh for a
specific period of time (three, seven or even forty days) either on the street in
front of the home of the deceased or in front of the shop where he had
worked apparently evolved throughout the 20th centuryor even earlier. This
memorial structure, which is made by a specialised carpenter, shows formal
resemblances to a pavilion as well as to a crown and is often embellished with
mirror work and even with a portrait of the deceased. In addition to round
structures, one finds rectangular ones with six columns. In the context of Shiʻi
piety, such richly decorated ḥeğlehs become a materialisation of the
commemoration of the dead.

Abstract The idea of global literature is one of the main pillars of Goethe's literary
and artistic life. The formation and development of this concept is the result
of the considerable devotion that he addresses to foreign literature and the
need of reflecting the world literature in his own culture, by the
acknowledgment of the capacities and abilities of other cultures. This idea,
from a cultural and literary perspective, is in opposition to the extreme
nationalist insights by its socio-political, and cosmopolitan dimensions. This
argument, especially today, with the re-emergence of the new nationalism,
in many countries around the world, has become more important. The
following article, relying on the idea of Goethe's universal literature,
compares his views with nationalist beliefs and concluded that Goethe
emphasizes on "opening the gates of national literature to the literature of
other nations, by desiring a mutual influence and inviting the world's
thinkers and authors to participate in intellectual exchange, cultural
dialogue and international connection". Goethe’s ideas include some transnational,
trans-ethnical, and trans-regional dimensions.

Abstract Ḥāǧ Bektāš WalīḪurāsānī was one of the Sufī Sheikhs, who left his
homeland Ḫurāsān after the Mongol invasion to Iran, and finally settled
down in Anatolia. The written sources of his time considered him as a
mystic(ʻārif)and one of the wāṣilāns ofḪurāsān. Despite Ḥāǧ Bektāš’
relationship with the leaders of the sociopolitical uprising of Bābā’is, and
the murder of his brother in that movement, he stayed away from them and
focused on training and teaching his followers, who were called Abdāls.
With the rise of the Ottomans, the Bektāšī order was organized and
dominated in Anatolia. The anti-Seljuk nature of the Bābā’is uprising, leads
the Seljuks historians tounderestimate them. The historians have not tried to
find the causes of Bābā’is uprising or address their thoughts. The Bektāšī
order stablished after Ḥāǧ Bektaš’ death, and he was at the center of
attention and interest of Bektāšīs; therefore, many miracles and
unbelievable stories have been created about him, so that his true character
could hardly be recognized. This article deals with the historical sources in
which the formation of Bektāšis are mentioned, as well as mystical sources
related to the Sufī Sheikhs in Anatolia, and compares them to the mystical
sources of Alevi-Bektāšīs, to shed light on the historical character of Ḥāǧ
Bektāši Walī.

Abstract This paper tries to analyze prophet Muhammad's moral actions according
to existential ethics. Adopting this approach, we rely on the unity of
consciousness and virtue, and try to focus on the close relationship between
the prophet's existential knowledge and his ethical actions. Therefore, many
historical mistakes based on non-existential approaches could be corrected.
Concepts such as his lebenswelt and erlebnis express a world tied with prescientific
facts and lived experiences, and opposed to the view built on the
centrality of subjectivity, in which only theoretical and scientific concerns
are imperative. In other words, according to this approach, the prophet’s
cultural life is the central concept, which gives us a way to analyze his
moral actions, especially when historical evidence is not available. Another
result of this approach is that without falling prey to historicism, analyzing
his lifestyle is achievable, and it grounds a history which can be considered
in later historical stages, in Imam Ali and his progeny's thought, as the
mystical Shiite thought, which according to Tabatabaei is the “source of
mysticism”.

Abstract In Medina, the Imams of Ahl ul-bayt disseminated their knowledge through
gatherings with their followers, known as the Shi’a. During these sessions,
the companions of the Imams either recorded or memorized the sayings
and teachings of their teachers. These recorded sayings were later known as
aḫbār – traditions or reports – and since many of them were isolated reports
they were later recognized as aḫbār āḥād (plural for ḫabar al-wāhid). The
legitimacy and authority of ḫabar al-wāhid has been disputed since the
formative period of Shii jurisprudence, some arguing for while others
arguing against. Several contemporary Shiʻi scholars have also called for the
rejection of ḫabar al-wāhid, inviting jurists to form a Shiʻi Fiqh free of ḫabar
al-wāhid. But how realistic is this idea? How practical is forming a complete
system of Fiqh without incorporating the thousands of aḫbār āḥād?
Contemporary jurists have suggested that other legal tools can replace ḫabar
al-wāhid, such as the general laws of the Quran, numerous reports (tawātur),
reason, and consensus. Will this not lead to the development of an entirely
new system of Fiqh? This is what this paper will examine, which is part of
an ongoing research on the role of ḫabar al-wāhid in Shiʻi jurisprudence.

Abstract This article reviews Sayyid Ali Moujani’s book “The Roots of the Revival of the Islamic Caliphate and its Geopolitical Implications”. Moujani presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the ideological and social foundations behind the rise of takfiri movements such as ISIS. The author investigates both external political factors and internal social crises—such as identity conflicts, poverty, and ideological disenchantment—as key elements in the resurgence of caliphal narratives. Drawing from fieldwork, interviews, and fluency in regional languages, the book offers an insightful and grounded perspective. A critical point is the limited discussion on the influence of movements like the Muslim Brotherhood and Wahhabism. Overall, the work provides a significant scholarly contribution to understanding the evolving geopolitics of West Asia