Antwan Bara
 | |
| Full Name | Antwan Bara |
|---|---|
| Religious Affiliation | Christianity |
| Birth | 1943 |
| Place of Birth | Yabrud • Syria |
| Works | Al-Husayn fi al-fikr al-masihi • Zaynab ṣarkhat akmalat masīra |
| Activities | Writer and Journalist |
Anṭwān Bārā (Arabic: آنْتُوان بارا; b. 1943) is a Syrian Christian writer, researcher, and journalist who has dedicated a portion of his research to the study of the life and movement of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the Event of Karbala. His most important and famous work is the book al-Husayn fi l-fikr al-masihi. The book Zaynab (a) sarkhat akmalat masira is another of his works, which addresses the role of Lady Zaynab (a) in the continuation of the Ashura movement and the communication of the message of the Event of Karbala.
Bara has written 25 books, most of which are in the fields of literature, fiction, and novels. He is also active in print media and Arabic radio stations.
Beliefs and Books Regarding Imam al-Husayn (a)
Antwan Bara is a Christian writer who has written works about the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and has described them.
Bara considers the character of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as a trans-religious and global heritage, and views their moral, spiritual, and revolutionary teachings as inspiring for the free people and truth-seekers of the world.[1] He has repeatedly emphasized that if Husayn (a) belonged to Christianity, his name, memory, and flag of freedom seeking would be raised in every city and land.[2] Bara describes Husayn (a) as the "eternal jewel of religions"[3] and believes that if Westerners knew his personality, they would be fascinated by him.[4] In his view, the lessons and messages of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) have the capacity to transform the conscience of humanity and the future path of human societies.[5]
According to 'Abbas Khamayar, the former Iranian cultural attaché in Kuwait, Lebanon, and Qatar, Bara identifies himself as a Christian by religion but a lover of the Shi'a.[6]
Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr, a Shi'a Marja' in Iraq (d. 1999), introduced Bara as a fair writer who spoke in eulogy of Imam al-Husayn (a) and also used Bara's material in his own book titled Adwa' 'ala thawrat al-Husayn.[7]
Writing Al-Husayn fi l-fikr al-masihi
Antwan Bara authored his first book, al-Husayn fi l-fikr al-masihi, in 1987 upon the recommendation of Sayyid Muhammad Husayni Shirazi, a Shi'a Marja' (d. 2001).[8] This work has been translated into 17 languages.[9] Sayyid Muhammad Husayni Shirazi, in his introduction to the book al-Husayn fi al-fikr al-masihi, described Bara as being among those given life by Imam al-Husayn (a) for his service to him.[10]
Writing Zaynab (a) sarkhat akmalat masira
After 25 years of research, Bara examined the prominent role of Lady Zaynab (a) in the continuation and communication of the Ashura movement in the book Zaynab (a) ṣarkhat akmalat masīra, considering it the key to conveying the message of the Event of Karbala to the world.[11]
He considers his two works on Imam al-Husayn (a) and Lady Zaynab (a) to be his most important works.[12]
Biography
Antwan Bara was born in 1943 in the city of Yabrud, Syria.[13] During middle school, Antoine and his brother Habib transferred to a government school that was exclusively for Muslim students. Encouraged by their father, they attended Islamic religious instruction classes to become familiar with Islamic culture.[14] He resides in Kuwait.[15]
Antwan Bara, holding a higher education in Arabic literature, began his press activity in high school and is active in Kuwait in journalism and media related to the Shi'a community.[16]
Bara holds a Master's degree in Arabic Literature and a Doctorate in Human Creativity.[17]
Works
Throughout more than five decades of activity in the fields of literature and media, and membership in the Arab Writers Union, Antwan Bara has authored 25 volumes of books in areas such as travelogues, novels, poetry, and stories.[18] He has faced legal accusations for publishing some of his works, such as insulting the Third Caliph.[19] He has stated that he intends to write a book about Imam Ali (a) in the future.[20]
Notes
- ↑ Riwāyat-i Anṭwān Bārā-yi Masīḥī az pīyādarawī-yi Arbaʿīn tā niwishtan-i kitāb barāy-i Imām Ḥusayn (a) wa Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab (s).
- ↑ Riwāyat-i Anṭwān Bārā-yi Masīḥī az pīyādarawī-yi Arbaʿīn tā niwishtan-i kitāb barāy-i Imām Ḥusayn (a) wa Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab (s).
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, p. 32.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, p. 34.
- ↑ Riwāyat-i Anṭwān Bārā-yi Masīḥī az pīyādarawī-yi Arbaʿīn tā niwishtan-i kitāb barāy-i Imām Ḥusayn (a) wa Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab (s).
- ↑ Khāmayār, ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak Masīḥī.
- ↑ Ṣadr, Aḍwāʾ ʿalā thawrat al-Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām, pp. 229-231.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, pp. 30-31.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, p. 30; Nuwīsanda-yi kitāb-i Ḥusayn dar andīsha-yi Masīḥī.
- ↑ Bārā, al-Ḥusayn fī al-fikr al-masīḥī, p. 7.
- ↑ Āntūn Bārā, Tārīkh-i basharīyat khwāharī hamchūn Zaynab surāgh nadārad.
- ↑ Khāmayār, ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak Masīḥī.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, p. 30.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, pp. 30-31.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, p. 30.
- ↑ Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān, pp. 30-31.
- ↑ Khāmayār, ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak Masīḥī.
- ↑ Khāmayār, ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak Masīḥī.
- ↑ Bārā, al-Ḥusayn fī al-fikr al-masīḥī, pp. 407-408.
- ↑ Āntūn Bārā: Nahj al-balāgha falsafī-tarīn kitāb-i ʿālam ast/ Kitāb-i baʿdī-yi man dar bāra-yi Imām ʿAlī (a) ast.
References
- Bārā, Anṭwān. Al-Ḥusayn fī al-fikr al-masīḥī. Beirut, Dār al-ʿUlūm, 2009.
- Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām gawhar-i jāwidāna wa hamīshigī-yi adyān; dar nigāh-i andīshmand-i Masīḥī Anṭwān Bārā. Andīsha-hā-yi Qurʾānī-yi Mutafakkirān-i Muʿāṣir, No. 30, Isfand 1385/February-March 2007.
- Ṣadr, Muḥammad al-. Aḍwāʾ ʿalā thawrat al-Ḥusayn ʿalayhi al-salām. Najaf: Hayʾat Turāth al-Sayyid al-Shahīd al-Ṣadr, 1430 AH.
- Āntūn Bārā: Nahj al-balāgha falsafī-tarīn kitāb-i ʿālam ast/ Kitāb-i baʿdī-yi man dar bāra-yi Imām ʿAlī (a) ast. Khabarguzārī-yi Ībnā, Posted: September 3, 2014. Accessed: April 19, 2025.
- ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak andīshmand-i Masīḥī. Khabarguzārī-yi Īknā. Posted: August 18, 2021, Accessed: April 12, 2025.
- Khāmayār, ʿAbbās. ʿĀshūrā wa Anṭwān Bārā; Imām Ḥusayn (a) dar andīsha-yi yak Masīḥī. Khabarguzārī-yi Jumhūrī-yi Islāmī, Posted: August 18, 2021, Accessed: December 27, 2025.
- Nuwīsanda-yi kitāb-i Ḥusayn dar andīsha-yi Masīḥī dar namāishgāh-i kitāb, Khabarguzārī-yi Īsnā, Posted: May 5, 2010, Accessed: April 19, 2025.
- Riwāyat-i Anṭwān Bārā-yi Masīḥī az pīyādarawī-yi Arbaʿīn tā niwishtan-i kitāb barāy-i Imām Ḥusayn (a) wa Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab (s). Khabarguzārī-yi Tasnīm, Posted: December 10, 2014, Accessed: April 19, 2025.