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Safar-i Shahadat
AuthorImam Musa al-Sadr
LanguagePersian
SeriesIn the Realm of Imam Musa al-Sadr's Thoughts
SubjectEvent of Karbala
Published2012
PublisherImam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute


Safar-i Shahadat (Persian: سفر شهادت, literally: The Journey of Martyrdom) is a compilation of speeches and messages delivered by Imam Musa al-Sadr regarding the Event of Karbala between 1969 and 1977. These discourses were articulated within the sociopolitical context of the Lebanese Civil War and the Palestinian issue, presenting Ashura as a paradigm for the struggle against oppression, colonialism, and particularly Zionism.

Al-Sadr adopts a human-centric approach, identifying the primary objective of Imam al-Husayn (a) as the reformation of the Islamic Ummah. He critiques the reduction of Ashura to its purely emotional dimensions, instead emphasizing the integral roles of various ethnicities, religions, and women in the Event of Karbala. Furthermore, he connects the narrative of Ashura to national solidarity and interdenominational rapprochement in Lebanon.

The work was first published in Persian translation in Tehran in 2012. Editions in Arabic and Azerbaijani Turkish have also been released.

Al-Sadr’s Analysis of Ashura

The book Safar-i Shahadat offers a socio-political analysis of the Event of Karbala. Its primary objectives include proposing solutions for reforming the domestic situation in Lebanon during the 1960s and 1970s[1] and addressing the Palestinian issue.[2] The work reflects the discourse of Imam Musa al-Sadr as a Shi'a reformist. Throughout the text, he presents Imam al-Husayn (a) as a model for resistance against tyranny, colonialism, and Zionism.[3]

Author

Main article: Imam Musa al-Sadr

The author of Safar-i Shahadat is Sayyid Musa al-Sadr (1928 – disappeared 1978), widely known as Imam Musa al-Sadr. A prominent Shi'a cleric and intellectual, he was the founder of the Supreme Islamic Shi'a Council of Lebanon and the Amal Movement. He assumed leadership of the Shi'a community in Lebanon in 1959.[4]

Musa al-Sadr pursued studies in Fiqh, Usul, and Islamic philosophy in Qom and Najaf, concurrently earning a bachelor's degree in Economic Law from the University of Tehran.[5] His collected articles and speeches, titled In the Realm of Imam Musa al-Sadr's Thoughts, have been published in 15 volumes. Notable titles in this series include Religions in the Service of Mankind, Religion in Today’s World, and Israel: The Absolute Evil.[6]

Content

Safar-i Shahadat comprises speeches and messages by Imam Musa al-Sadr concerning the Event of Karbala, delivered between 1969 and 1977. The volume is organized into seventeen sections, featuring sermons delivered during Muharram ceremonies as well as public addresses to the Lebanese people on occasions when Ashura coincided with the birth of Prophet Jesus (a).[7] The original Arabic speeches were translated into Persian by Mahdi Farrokhiyan and Ahmad Nazim.[8]

The book posits that Imam al-Husayn's principal aim was the reformation of human and Islamic society. Al-Sadr argues that the Umayyad dynasty had driven Muslim society to the verge of losing its Islamic identity. Perceiving peaceful methods as ineffective for awakening society, Imam al-Husayn (a) chose a unique sacrifice to instill self-awareness in an Ummah paralyzed by greed and fear.[9]

Al-Sadr critiques the reduction of Ashura to mere weeping and lamentation, viewing mourning instead as a means to revive indignation against the enemies of humanity. By highlighting the participation of diverse races and genders in Karbala, he emphasizes sectarian rapprochement and the pivotal role of women in preserving the message of Ashura.[10]

I do not know a Husayn who does not concern himself with the suffering. I do not believe in a Husayn called the "Martyr of Tears." I do not believe in weeping and wailing merely to lighten the heart or release excitement and sadness. My conviction is that it is impossible for Imam al-Husayn to have been killed for anything other than the realization of truth... I cannot comprehend mourning for Imam al-Husayn unless it cultivates heroes; unless it trains those who stand against the oppressor and speak the truth to the tyrant. This is the meaning of Husayn and the essence of mourning for Imam al-Husayn.[11]

The text remains attentive to contemporary events in Lebanon and Palestine. During this era, Lebanon was embroiled in a civil war in which Israel was a major foreign actor. Al-Sadr designates Israel as the "Yazid of the time" and, drawing inspiration from Ashura, advocates for the formation of military resistance groups. Conversely, he condemns "Yazidi Islam," a distortion of the faith where Jihad is reduced to ignorant adventurism and human liberties are disregarded.[12]

Review and Critique

Some researchers note that Safar-i Shahadat is primarily a compilation of speeches and writings, lacking extensive scholarly apparatus such as source citations or the reconciliation of historical narrative conflicts. Furthermore, the absence of specific dates and locations for certain speeches may make it difficult for readers unfamiliar with Lebanese history to fully grasp the context of al-Sadr's thought. However, the Persian translation is described as fluid and accessible.[13]

Scholars observe that al-Sadr's interpretation of Ashura is human-centered rather than exclusively Shi'a-centric. According to Mahdi Mehrizi, a Shi'a researcher, al-Sadr’s perspective on Karbala is characterized by a rejection of gender discrimination, an emphasis on dialogue, and an acceptance of human plurality. Some attribute this outlook to the diverse religious, sectarian, and cultural fabric of Lebanon.[14]

The Arabic version of the book Safar-i Shahadat.[15]

Publication

Safar-i Shahadat was first published as the seventh volume of the series In the Realm of Imam Musa al-Sadr's Thoughts in 2012 in Tehran by the Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute. It was reissued in 2015 with the subtitle "Speeches about the Event of Karbala" (264 pages), reaching its eleventh edition by 2024.[16]

Other Languages

The Arabic version of the book, titled Sāʾirūn fī mawkib al-Ḥusayn (Walking in the Procession of al-Husayn), was published by the Imam Musa al-Sadr Center for Research and Studies in Beirut. Ten articles from this volume were translated into Azerbaijani Turkish as Peyğəmbərlərin varisi Hüseyn (Husayn, the Inheritor of the Prophets) by Rashad Hasanov, and four others were published in Baku under the title Kərbəlanı Yenidən Yaşamaq (Living Karbala Again) by Parlaq İmzalar Publications.[17]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Naqd wa barrasī-yi kitāb-i Safar-i Shahādat az āthār-i 'Āshūrā'ī-yi Imām Mūsā Ṣadr," Fahim Cultural Institute Website.
  2. ↑ Sangarī, "Imām Mūsā Ṣadr Karbalā rā zīstih ast," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  3. ↑ "Naqd wa barrasī-yi kitāb-i Safar-i Shahādat az āthār-i 'Āshūrā'ī-yi Imām Mūsā Ṣadr," Fahim Cultural Institute Website.
  4. ↑ Khusrawshāhī, Imām Mūsā Ṣadr muṣliḥ-i buzurg-i ijtimā'ī, 1393 Sh, pp. 30, 48, 58, 63.
  5. ↑ Khusrawshāhī, Imām Mūsā Ṣadr muṣliḥ-i buzurg-i ijtimā'ī, 1393 Sh, p. 49.
  6. ↑ "Mu'arrifī-yi dar qalamraw-i andīshih-yi Imām Mūsā Ṣadr," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  7. ↑ Raḍawī Faqīh, "Zabānī kih Imām Ṣadr barā-yi bayān-i ab'ād-i qiyām-i 'Āshūrā barmī- گزīnid," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  8. ↑ Muḥammadī, "'Azā-yi Ḥusayn (a) dar taqāṭu'-i Ṣadr-Tihrān-Bayrūt," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  9. ↑ Ismā'īlī, "Murūr-i dāstān-i 'Āshūrā tanhā barā-yi girīstan nīst," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  10. ↑ Lak-zāyī, "Waẓāyif-i Ḥaḍrat-i Zaynab wa zanān pas az 'Āshūrā," IQNA News Agency.
  11. ↑ Imām Mūsā Ṣadr, Safar-i Shahādat, 1397 Sh, pp. 107-110.
  12. ↑ Farrokhiyān, "Islām-i Nabawī wa Islām-i Umawī," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  13. ↑ "Naqd wa barrasī-yi kitāb-i Safar-i Shahādat az āthār-i 'Āshūrā'ī-yi Imām Mūsā Ṣadr," Fahim Cultural Institute Website.
  14. ↑ Mihrīzī, "Nigāh-i insān-muḥwar bih wāqi'ih-yi 'Āshūrā," Imam Musa Sadr Cultural-Research Institute Website.
  15. ↑ "Sāʾirūn fī mawkib al-Ḥusayn," Imam Musa Sadr Center for Research and Studies Website.
  16. ↑ "Shināsnāmih-yi kitāb-i Safar-i Shahādat," National Library and Archives of I.R. Iran.
  17. ↑ "Kərbəlanı Yenidən Yaşamaq," kitabal website.

References

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