نشریه آینه پژوهش
سال سی و پنجم شماره 1 (پیاپی 205، فروردین و اردیبهشت 1403)

Text editing, in whatever manner it may be, is based on the manuscript or manuscripts, and the editor's departure from the basic recorded manuscripts is only permissible and acceptable when the editor's choice corrects a clear error in the text, is confirmed by evidence from the text, and is consistent with the language and subject matter of the text. However, sometimes reliance on consistent recordings of manuscripts, the deception of incorrect recordings, and consequently the acceptance of distorted and altered forms have led to the researcher's precise view and point of understanding deviating from the original, resulting in a phrase or verse with the same erroneous form being inserted into the text. In this article, the author provides several examples of errors that have occurred due to tampering and alteration in manuscripts and have been overlooked by the editors; examples from "Kalīla wa-Dimna," the "Divan of Ẓahīr Fāriyābī," Kulliyāt (Complete Works) of Sa'dī," and "Tārīkh-e Jahāngushā" by Juveinī.

In this article, the author, while providing a preliminary overview of the history of Qajar-era libraries, introduces Dār al-Funūn Library as the first Iranian university and government library of that period. The article attempts to elucidate the formation, management, and administrative structure of this institution by examining available documents and records.

ʿImād al-Dīn Abū Muhammad Yaḥyā b. Hibatullāh al-Ḥusaynī was a renowned Shia scholar and a well-respected, well-to-do member of the Sādāt who lived in the fifth and sixth centuries AH. He was a prominent figure in the Bayhaq region, holding the position of leadership among Shia. Ancient sources praised him as a brilliant scholar and poet in both Persian and Arabic languages, earning him the title “Ṣāḥib al-Qurʾān” due to his deep attachment to the Holy Qurʾan. Yet, a thorough search of the Āstān Quds Library’s endowment records reveals that Yaḥyā ibn Hibatullāh al-Ḥusaynī and his grandson, Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā b. Hibatullāh al-Ḥusaynī, endowed two significant Qurʾānic manuscripts to the Shrine of Imām al-Riḍā in the sixth century, which has hitherto remained unknown and unreported.The Qurʾān of Yaḥyā b. Hibatullāh Ḥusaynī is a masterpiece of Qurʾānic writing in Iran during the sixth century AH, beautifully crafted by a Shia scholar from the Ḥusaynī Sādāt in Bayhaq and dedicated to the Shrine of Imām al-Riḍā in 535 AH/ 1140 AD. In fact, the scribe originally meant to create a work of art for dedication to the Shrine, and lavished it with exquisite decorative and illuminative elements throughout its entirety. The manuscript’s textual features, including its reading variants (which does not conform to a specific reading tradition), adherence to analogical orthography in writing Qurʾānic words, use of the Basra system of verse counting, and similar characteristics, are consistent with Sunni Qurʾānic writing in central Iran and Greater Khorasan during this period. Two distinctive features of this manuscript stand out: the scribe’s explicit intention to dedicate the work to the Shrine of Imām al-Riḍā, marked by beautiful calligraphy at the beginning and end of each part, and the use of striking decorative and illuminative elements throughout the manuscript.

Sheikh Abdul Razzāq Khāif Qomī (d. 1329 AH) was not only a reciter of elegies at the shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh but also a powerful poet who, despite his strength, exhibited irony. He composed poetry in various literary forms, from ode and Ghazal to fragment and quatrain, praising the infallibles and Karbala. His Divan was published briefly before the Constitutional Revolution, but the original version remains in the library of Ayatollah al-Uzma Marashi, which is several times longer than the printed text. In this review, I have attempted to explore what he has written about the social and political issues of Iran, especially Qom, and also present a sample of his poetry about the custodianship lineage of the Holy Shrine to understand the culture of this city better. Khāif Qomī was close to the custodianship and spent years reciting elegies at the shrine. However, he also taught at Baqiriya School, one of the new schools in the city.

In the sixth issue of the "Writings" series, first, the verb "sagalidan" and its drivitives are discussed, and then the remnants of the noun brāh/brāz in ancient Persian writings are addressed; in the final section, part of an article (from Shubin, 2023) has been translated into Persian, the subject of which is a phonetic transformation in Balkhi and Gandari languages.

A relatively short article in German by Louis Massignon, a French orientalist, about Hazrat Fatemeh (SA) and Muslims' understanding of her has been translated here. Ali Shariati introduced this research to Iranians for the first time, but unlike many other works of Massignon, it has not yet been translated into Persian. In the introduction, I will explain what the objectives, methods, and perspectives of Massignon's introduction of Hazrat Fatemeh (SA) have been.

The intermingling of poets' compositions with each other may have a long history in literary tradition. Among them, the quatrain, which is the smallest poetic form, has been subject to wandering for several reasons more than other forms. In this article, we have conducted an inquiry into a quatrain that is attributed between the realm of the sage Omar Khayyam and Sadīd al-Dīn A’war (a poet and writer of the 7th century AH), and with the presentation of reasons and evidence, we have concluded that this quatrain most likely belongs to Sadīd al-Dīn A’war.

In this article, several other Geographical Names from the Shahnameh have been translated into Persian from Davood Munshizadeh's book on the geography of the Shahnameh. The discussed place names in this article include: Mount Sepand, Kalat, Charam, Lādan/Lāyn, Mayam, and Bizhan. The author also examines information from Pahlavi and Avestan books, as well as Persian and Arabic geographical and historical writings, to determine the precise or approximate locations of these places based on the insights provided in the Shahnameh.

Numerous archaeological explorations conducted in the Arabian Peninsula have unearthed abundant evidence that reshapes our understanding of pre-Islamic Arabia. The prevalent depiction of this period as "Jahiliyyah" (the Age of Ignorance) is characterized by two significant aspects: first, the absence of a central government in Arabia, with tribal chaos prevailing until the advent of Islam; second, the widespread worship of multiple idols until the emergence of Islam. However, epigraphic texts provide ample evidence that offer a clearer picture of the political situation and religious tendencies in pre-Islamic Arabia. This paper begins by briefly reviewing the political situation in Arabia during the late antiquity following the gradual domination of the Himyarite kingdom over the entire peninsula. Subsequently, by examining various examples of abundant material evidence from three centuries before Islam, the pre-Islamic belief in a single god is revisited, and the name of the single god among Jewish and Christian Arabs is explored. The result of this examination reveals that from about two centuries before Islam, not only is there no evidence of the worship of multiple gods in the inscriptions found in various regions of the peninsula, but also abundant evidence of Judaism and Christianity is found, in which only the one God is mentioned with different names and interpretations.

From the beginning of the 21st century, and especially in the past decade, historians' attention to the importance of archaeological studies for recognizing and representing a more accurate image of the history of political, cultural, social, and religious developments in Arabia in the late ancient periods, which ultimately led to the emergence of Islam, has been attracted more than ever. The results of recent research, which are still increasing, have a significant impact on our deeper understanding of the origins and historical context of the Quran's revelation and dramatically enhance our understanding of the fundamental transformations that Islam brought about in this historical period. However, the diversity of topics, the multitude of studies conducted, and the different and sometimes conflicting perspectives of participants in this field are so abundant that evaluating the new achievements for less familiar audiences is not so straightforward. The present article is a critical review of one of the latest contributions to this field that entered the scientific publishing market last year. Valentina Grasso, in her monograph titled " PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA: POLITICS, CULTS AND IDENTITIES DURING LATE ANTIQUITY," based on epigraphic, archaeological, and literary sources, provides a comprehensive picture of pre-Islamic Arabia from the third to the seventh centuries AD. Ahmad Al-Jallad, a young and prolific researcher in this field, has endeavored to meticulously and critically examine the contents of the book based on his extensive knowledge and during the presentation of a short summary of the book's chapters, he reveals the methodological shortcomings in this research, reminds the author of ignorance or oversights in referring to primary sources and relevant literature, and corrects simplifications or misunderstandings. Al-Jallad's final evaluation of Grasso's book is as follows: This book could have been a readable introduction for audiences unfamiliar with complex and evolving studies in the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and the dawn of Islam if it were more firmly grounded in primary sources and benefited from a more extensive and ethical reference to the relevant literature. However, readers are still inevitably required to refer to previous books and articles to be informed of the latest developments, theories, and perspectives of researchers in this field.

The book "Ādāb al-Ḥarb wa al-Shajā'a," written by Moḥammad ibn Mansūr ibn Saīd (known as Mubarak Shah and famously known as Fakhr Mudabir), is one of the important works of the seventh century AH, which, apart from its linguistic value, has a special place in terms of historical and social aspects. The contents of the book, as its name suggests, mostly relate to battle tactics, army organization and training, descriptions and uses of weapons, presentation and order of the army, allocation of battlefield, royal ceremony, sending messengers and sending gifts, and similar issues. The author has also given advice to the king, army commander, and the people. The knowledge that "Ādāb al-Ḥarb wa al-Shajā'a " provides about the color and shape, defects and causes of horses, and the treatments of their diseases is valuable, and through it, new entries can be added to the vocabularies of the Persian language or complements to existing definitions. Nearly sixty years ago, Ahmad Soheili Khansari made an effort to edit this work, and he published his work in 1346 SH. In this article, we have reviewed some terms from this book.

Contemporary orientalist research on Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī has experienced various periods with diverse approaches. However, analyzing the trend and outcome of this discourse in the recognition of Shia hadith is indicative of the fact that this trend is still in its early stages in understanding and evaluating Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī, and there is still a long way to go before reaching outstanding and excellent research in analyzing and criticizing this Shia hadith book. Therefore, a comprehensive, outstanding, and superior monograph on Al-Kāfī studies by orientalists has not yet been presented, and the number of orientalists who have engaged in research on Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī is not abundant. This is itself the result of various factors, including the belated attention of the West to a proper and deep understanding of Shia Islam, which has affected the abundance and quality of their research content in Shia studies, particularly research on Shia hadith communities such as Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī. Contemporary orientalist research on Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī can be distinguished into three distinct historical periods: the period of poverty and the shortage of knowledge, the period of reflecting in selected topics, and the period of transformation in approach and issue. Orientalist research on Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī is divided into two discernible approaches: critical and skeptical approach, and neutral and purely scholarly approach. Figures such as Wilferd Madelung, Andrew J. Newman, Robert Gleave, Tamima Bayhom-Daou, etc., are among the most important orientalists who have published research on Al-Kāfī by Kulaynī in the form of encyclopedia entries, independent articles, and essays from books. Analyzing the main themes of these research works is the main issue of the present research.

The present article is, in fact, a continuation of previous notes with the same title; however, in this issue, the evidence is mainly studied focusing on the translation of Mr. Pirouz Sayyar and is presented in four axes, which are: 1. The importance of footnotes; 2. The gap of Jewish interpretations in the abundance of footnotes; 3. Selecting the best choice in translation; 4. Some considerations. Thus, the second axis is introduced here for the first time.

Nuzhat al-Majālis by Jamāl Khalīl Shirvānī is one of the important sources of Persian quatrain history, containing 4139 quatrains by 300 poets from the fifth century to the early seventh century AH. The only manuscript of the book, written by Ismāil ibn Esfandiar Abhari in 731 AH, is preserved under the number 1667 in Ali Amiri Jarollah's collection in Istanbul. Dr. Mohammad Amin Riyahi edited the book based on this manuscript and published it in 1366 AH. Editing Nuzhat al-Majālis was one of the unique scholarly achievements of this great researcher. The introduction, indexes of the book, comments, and explanations of the quatrains are very useful and comprehensive. Unfortunately, the single manuscript of Nuzhat al-Majālis has some flaws, which have been transmitted to the printed text whether intentionally or unintentionally. With the discovery of two important manuscripts related to Nuzhat al-Majālis, a new opportunity for criticism, examination, and re-editing of Nuzhat al-Majālis has emerged: the first is Khulāṣa al-Ash'ār fi al-Rubā'iyāt by Abu al-Majd Tabrīzī, compiled and written in 721 AH, and the second is Safīneh Rubā'iyāt (the collection of quatrains) of the Istanbul University Library, considered an incomplete version of Nuzhat al-Majālis. These two sources are instrumental in correcting scribal errors and reconciling the titles of poets in Nuzhat al-Majālis. In this article, suggestions for correcting Nuzhat al-Majālis based on these two sources and other evidence and clues are presented.

In Iran, it is generally believed among researchers that the book "Jahāngushāy-e Khāghān" is a primary source about the life of Shah Ismail, written during the reign of his successor and son, Shah Tahmasb. However, the reality is that this book, based on recent research, is a late text and a story about a character named Bijan, which was written during the reign of Shah Solyiman Safavi. This article first introduces one of the two new editions and prints of this book and then examines research that shows this text lacks the credibility that is generally attributed to it in Iran.

The Book Offer is a new section in the "Ayeneh Pazhuhesh" journal where we introduce new books in the fields of Islamic studies, religious studies, history, culture, and art of Muslim societies. Our priority is to introduce books that have not been translated into Persian and have been published by reputable publishers.
The three books introduced in this issue are:
A Social History of Late Ottoman Women, New Perspective
The Abbasid Caliphate: A History
Constructions of Gender in Late Antique Manichaean Cosmological Narrative

In issue 199 of the Journal "Ayeneh Pazhuhesh," an article by Mr. Ali Zahedpour on the critique of Professor Kousha's translation of the Quran was published. Following the publication of his article, a critique of his article was published in issue 201 of the "Ayeneh Pazhuhesh" journal, and in issue 203 of the same journal, a paper by the Quranic scholar, Dr. Nader Ali Ashouri Talouki, titled "Reflections on the Review and Critique of Mohammad Ali Kousha's Translation of the Quran," was published, which contained many important points regarding the etiquette and style of critique in the field of Quran translation. However, after the publication of these two critiques, in issue 204 of the journal, an article titled "A Fresh Look at Mohammad Ali Kousha's Quran Translation and Its Two Defenses" by Mr. Ali Zahedpour was published, in which he attempted to respond to the two critiques written on his previous article and also addressed other aspects of Professor Kousha's Quran translation in another part of his article. This current article is a response to the critique and the second article by Mr. Ali Zahedpour.

Due to the fallen pages at the beginning and the end of the manuscript, only the transmissions of the manuscript in the last century are known. This manuscript was taken out of Iran in 1301 by Mirza Mahmoud Khansari, the bookseller, and returned to Iran in 1324 by Qazvini. In this section, the relationship between Ghazvini and Mirza Mahmoud and the National Library of Iran is examined based on available documents. A detailed report of the process of exporting handwritten books and valuable objects from Iran after they were stolen from the Qajar royal library is presented, and numerous examples of manuscripts that have been exported from Iran in this way are shown. 2.Writing Date: The Ghazvini manuscript is the oldest and most complete manuscript of Masnavi in Iranian libraries. On this occasion, the history of writing other remaining manuscripts of Masnavi belonging to the mid-seventh century and the first half of the eighth century AH in Iranian libraries, as well as the history of the appearance and presence of Masnavi in Iran, are examined. 3. Decorations, which were done in three different periods and at intervals of three centuries: simultaneously with the writing of the manuscript, in the second half of the ninth century or perhaps the end of it in Herat or perhaps Shiraz, the eleventh century. 4. Evaluation: Comparing the recordings of this manuscript with two other manuscripts, such as the Konya Museum, Sh. 1193, with different dates of recording, has listed examples of differences and disagreements in the recordings for each: a) Revisions and amendments by Molana himself; b) Scribes' corrections to smooth the Masnavi; c) Writing errors. Also, in this section, based on this manuscript and other manuscripts written until half a century after the composition of Masnavi, it is determined that the introduction to the fifth volume of Masnavi is supplementary and not original. At the end of the article, the characteristics of manuscriptology of this manuscript, such as corrections, signs, fallen pages, calligraphy, cross-references, scribes, and sizes, are mentioned. This manuscript was registered as one of the handwritten manuscripts of Molana's works in the UNESCO World Memory Program in 2023.