Examining the Story of Alexander and Dara in the Two Accounts Given by Ibn-i Moghaffa and Ferdowsi

Nihāyatu’l- irab fi akhbare’l -fors va’l- arab is the name of a book whose author (s) and the authoring time are uncertain. In compiling this book، authors such as ’Amer Sha’bi، Ayyoub ibn-i Gherriyah، Abdullah ibn-i Moghafa’، Asma’i and Ab ol-bakhtary have contributed. There are three different speculations concerning the time of authorship: 1) 75 A. H. 2) before the year 142 A. H. 3) around 170-193 A. H. However، this book– especially the parts narrated by ibn-i Moghafa’—are the most important sources in our understanding Siyar ol-molouk and subsequently the Khodāy-nāme in the Sassanid period. Since Ferdowsi’s Shāh-nāme is also connected to the Khodāy-nāme through the Abu-Mansouri Shāh-nāme، the story of Dara and Alexander have been chosen from Nihāyatu’l- irab and the Shāh-name in order to determine the main source of the two narratives. The comparative study of the structure of the story of Alexander and Dara in these two books reveals that Ferdowsi’s account is exactly like ibn-i Moghafa’s but Ferdowsi has eliminated some details and has added some more to serve his storytelling purposes.