Investigating the possibility of Hafez's presence in Shah Shuja's ten letters of Ruh al-Ashqin

The Ten Epistles for the Spirits of Lovers, published by Dr. Mehri Baghery in 1388 in Tehran, is, to some extent, a neglected work despite its unique insights about "Shah Shoja". Shah Shoja, all over the ten letters, addresses his correspondence with a beloved in Shiraz during the time of his enforced exile from Shiraz due to Mahmud's rebel (his brother) against him, and his two-year long sojourn in Kerman. According to the text of this verse, during this period, ten letters are transmitted between Shah Shoja and his beloved friend. Shah Shoja’s concern for correspondence with a beloved friend in Shiraz at a time when he was expected to concentrate on restoring his lost throne indicates the spiritual significance and value of that beloved his heart.It is stated that long before Shah Shoja’s sovereignty, there was a friendship between him and Hafez. Based on these friendly ties, Hafez often has referred to Shah Shoja as his beloved in his poems, and as a regard to Shah Shoja’s sociopolitical position, he sometimes declared his love to him in the provided implications, and even sometimes explicitly. During Shah Shoja’s sojourn in Kerman, the two friends had poetic correspondences with one another. The dominant mood of Hafez’s sonnets was the despondency from being separated from Shah and encouraging him to restore his lost political position in Shiraz. Could it be not imagined that in response to Hafez’s encouraging letters, the Shah, who himself enjoyed poetic gifts, wouldn't send him back some poetic messages?Since Hafez cautiously avoids calling Shah Shoja by his name, as the city of Shiraz was in the hands of Shah’s opponents, it is expected that Shah Shoja wouldn’t mention Hafez’s name in his letters, as well. Evidences can be found of such relationship in the style and contents of these Ten Letters of the Lovers' Spirit. If such evidences found in this article are true, we can have some idea of the hidden relation between Hafez and Shah Shoja through this verse book. Moreover, some couplets of this verse book can be utilized for the further modifications and editions of Hafez’s sonnets.