Maqtal Writing in the Qajar Period: The Reflection of Sufi Teachings in Ritual Literature and Islamic Culture

The event of Ashura, within the Shiʿi tradition, transcends its historical dimension and has become a platform for the representation of religious, emotional, and cultural meanings. Among the various modes of narrating Ashura, maqtal writing stands as one of the most significant narrative genres. During the Qajar period, this genre underwent notable transformations under the influence of the era’s socio-cultural conditions, particularly Sufi teachings. The central question of this study is how, and through which mechanisms, Sufi doctrines influenced the style and content of Qajar-era maqtal writing, and what consequences these influences had for the representation of the Ashura narrative. Employing a historical–analytical approach and utilizing qualitative content analysis, this research examines prominent maqātil associated with this period, including Muḥriq al-Qulūb by Narāqī, Iksīr al-ʿIbādāt by Mullā Āqā Darbandī, ʿUnwān al-Kalām by Fashārakī, and Tadhkirat al-Shuhadāʾ by Sharīf Kāshānī. The findings indicate that the penetration of concepts such as divine love, contentment and submission (riḍā and taslīm), futuwwa, valorization of spiritual charisma, and mystical storytelling led Qajar-era maqātil away from purely historical narration toward a ritualistic, emotive, and symbolic discourse. Overall, the study demonstrates that Sufism played a fundamental role in redefining the language, content, and function of maqtal writing during the Qajar period

کلیدواژه ها:

Ashura ، Qajar-era Maqātil ، Sufi Teachings ، Mystical Storytelling ، Emotional& ndash ، Affective Interpretation