پژوهش نامه تاریخ اسلام
سال سیزدهم شماره 51 (پاییز 1402)

“Muḥammad” is the name of God’s Messenger and Seal of the Prophets. It is said that this name was unique until then; that it means, this name was not given to any person before him. But the annunciation of his coming to the divine religions has caused the owners of these religions to recognize this blessed child not only by his attributes, but even by his name. The surviving narratives in this regard, based on historical and biographical sources, indicate the interest of a number of Arabs who are familiar with the discussion of the message of the Prophet’s mission (Besat) to use this name for their children in the era before the mission, and the number of Arabs with the name “Muḥammad” before the mission are mentioned as 3, 4, 6 or 7 people. The oldest sources in this regard are related to the third century AH; therefore, these sources cannot be trusted much. The remaining tablet attributed to the ship of Prophet Noah (a.s.), the tablet attributed to Prophet Solomon (a.s.), the written references left in the Bible, as well as the inscription discovered in Yemen by Orientalists are among the documents that have mentioned his name with interpretations such as MeʼadMeʼad, Ḥamdah, Aḥmad and Muḥammad before Prophet’s birth. Examining these documents shows that the tablet attributed to Noah’s Ark and the tablet attributed to Solomon (a.s.) are fake and they were presented for the first time in the book of ʿAlī va Piyāmbarān [ʿAlī and the Prophets] written by Sialkotī. However, the references of the Bible can be interpreted as the name of Muḥammad (PBUH) with the interpretation of people like ʽAbd al-Aḥad Dawūd, and at the same time, the Yemeni inscription known as “Šaraḥ-ʾIl Yaqbul Ḏūyazʾan” describing the siege of Nagrān (Najrān) is a solid but little-known document. In general, it was found that among the interpretations that are mentioned in the existing documents and texts to the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) before his birth, MeʼadMeʼad is unacceptable, and Ḥamdah, Aḥmad and especially Muḥammad (MḤMD) are acceptable.

The Umayyad and Abbasid came to power and ruled at different times and under different conditions. Despite this, their political systems have many similarities. This article seeks to answer the question of why, despite these differences, the Umayyad and Abbasid have many similarities in terms of authority and political performance? This is important as it shows how the source of authority of two seemingly different caliphates can influence their political process and performance. The research method used is comparative using the theoretical framework of systemic analysis and threefold authority. The findings of the research show that the origin of the authority of the Umayyad and Abbasid governments was mainly due to the four common factors of traditional authority, which are: the traditional authority of Quraysh aristocracy and tribal supremacy, the use of personality cult, the divine nature of the government, and the emphasis on the status of the Caliph of God (Khalifat Allah).

The scientific efforts of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) have received relatively little attention. This study seeks to identify the strategic goals of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) through his scientific legacy and to clarify its key points. This paper aims to address this question through a descriptive and analytical approach, utilizing primary sources such as Ḥadīth, history, Rijāl, Fiqh, Tafsir, and others from up to the end of the 4th century Hijri: What objectives did Imam Sajjad (a.s.), peace be upon him, pursue in his scientific interactions despite the specific limitations of his time? The research findings revealed that, despite the challenges, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) pursued distinct objectives aimed at guiding, clarifying religion, and safeguarding it within the scientific framework of his society at the time. The strategic objectives of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) can be analyzed in five key areas: reviving the prophetic way and tradition, highlighting the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), especially Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) while combating extremism, distinguishing between right and wrong with an emphasis on piety (taqwā), focus on asceticism and thinking about the Hereafter while opposing materialism, and finally, clarifying and elucidating core religious concepts.

The order (ṭarīqa) of Nurbakhshia emerged in the Timurid era and was one of the most important Ṣūfi order in Iran on the eve of the establishing the Safavid government. Therefore, the relationship between the Safavid government and this order was one of the important matters in the first decades of the Safavid period. Having used historical-analytical method, the paper is going to answer the question, how was the interaction and confrontation between the Safavid government and the Nurbakhshia order? The findings of this research show that the Shīʿism of Nurbakhshia and their being Siyāda the way for the convergence of Nurbakhshia and Safavid. But Sayyid Muhammad Nurbakhsh's claim of Mahdism, the wearing of Nurbakhshia in black and their economic and social position caused confrontation between them. This confrontation led to the murder of Shah Qavam al-Din and the isolation of his children. Since the period of Shah Abbas I, under the influence of the anti-Ṣūfi milieu that continued until the collapse of the Safavid, Nurbakhshia as other Sufi orders were isolated and gradually disappeared from the scene of history.

Celebrations as rituals during the peak of the Gūrkāniyān in India from the time of Akbar to the period of Aurangzeb were of great significance. The ceremonies accompanied by music and joy added a lot of excitement to the celebrations, to the extent that the fame of these magnificent celebrations crossed the borders of the Empire and attracted foreign observers to Agra. The efforts the kings of Gūrkāni to hold these elaborate and costly celebrations, the multiplicity and diversity of the celebrations, and the emphasis on non-religious celebrations and specific local celebrations raise the question of what the functions of these celebrations, both religious and non-religious were and what did motivate the kings of Gūrkāni to organize these celebrations? This research aims to examine and analyze this topic, considering the function of rituals in cultural anthropology and using a descriptive-analytical method based on library resources and artifacts available in museums. The findings indicate that the celebrations of this period, as rituals, played an important role in identity formation and social cohesion around the ruling power, were perceived as symbols of power, glory, and wealth, and contributed to the legitimacy of the kings of Gūrkāni.

The constitutional (Mashrūtiyyat) revolution was an expression of the disillusionment of the intellectual current about the nature and political and social functions of the authoritarian government and the lack of community participation in the decisions. In that situation, Iranian Armenians were among the intellectuals who presented their views. The main factor of Armenians' desire to make demands was their sense of patriotism and their attachment to the land and water in which they were born and growed. In this research, with an analytical view based on the documents available in the Armenian archives in Iran and Armenia, the influencing factors on the coexistence and role of Armenians in Iran's constitutional revolution have been examined. The findings of the research show that the Armenians of Iran on the threshold of the constitutional revolution were intellectual and influential classes due to their economic functions and the acquisition of political and social positions. They were looking for codified law and equality of rights so that through it they could live in an equal environment. With its legal approaches, the constitution increased people's tolerance towards other religions and caused the presence and participation of Armenians in the prosperity and development of the country.