An inquiry of critical-instructive tenors in contemporary religious (Case study: poems in the Virtues of the Infallible Imams)

One of the characteristics of religious poetry in contemporary literature is containing critical-instructive tenors conforming to the political and social evolutions, viewed from Constitutionalism era up to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in this article, Manqabati poems written by poets describing the Imams of the Infallibles have been studied with the aim of examining critical educational concepts.

The method for data collection was using library and index cards and data analysis was descriptive and analytic. The content of analysis was selected from the eulogies of the poets from Constitutionalism era up to the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Findings of the study revealed that the poets used the religious poems as a basis for demonstrating critical-instructive concepts in order to reform the society and instruct and moralize the readers and audiences. Criticizing the disorders of society, recommending the correction of the affairs relying on the religious instructions, criticizing the demeaning of religion in the society, Gnosticism, recommending the resistance and being faithful against absolutism and colonialism, devotion to Immams, seeking help from Immams to solve personal and social problems, freedom to Qods and Palestine, and awakening the Islamic World are the concerns of panegyric poets.

Contemporary panegyric poets do not see eulogies as just praising and lamentation of Innocent Immams. They made this type of poem for criticizing people"s morals, the rulers" imprudence, correcting the affairs of nation, resistance and being faithful against absolutism and colonialism, inviting to campaign and hopefulness of relief of problems.