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Herat
Coordinate24°30′13″N 39°36′43″E / 24.50361°N 39.61194°E / 24.50361; 39.61194
CountryAfghanistan
ProvinceHerat
ReligionIslam
Historical Information
Shi'a background36/656
Historical placesGreat Mosque of Herat
Places
ShrinesShahzadagan Shrine
SeminarySadiqiyya Seminary
MosquesGoharshad Mosque


Herāt (Persian: هرات) is a city in western Afghanistan and the capital of Herat Province. It is known for its historical role in the expansion of Shi'ism and its people's devotion to the Shi'a Imams. The journey of Imam al-Rida (a) to Merv, the presence of Alid Sayyids in Greater Khorasan and northern Afghanistan, the activities of Shi'a families such as the Bayya' al-Harawi in promoting the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), and the presence of influential scholars and women like Bibi Ansari and Mihr al-Nisa Mihri have all contributed to the historical background of Shi'ism in Herat.

The historical mosques and schools of Herat, featuring authentic Islamic-Shi'a architecture, along with shrines such as the tomb of Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya and Qasim b. Ja'far, have added to the religious importance of this region. Furthermore, the Mahdaviyat Center of Herat was established in 2011-12 with the aim of promoting Mahdist teachings.

During the Timurid period, especially during the reign of Shahrukh Mirza in the 9th/15th century, Herat served as the capital of the dynasty and became one of the important centers of Islamic science, culture, and civilization.

Historical and Cultural Status

Herat is one of the cities in Afghanistan that has had the potential to accept Shi'ism since the beginning of Islam due to the interest of its people in the Shi'a Imams.[1] Some researchers believe that in 36 AH/656-7, Ja'da b. Hubayra, as the governor of Greater Khorasan, played a role in spreading Shi'ism in Herat.[2] Also, with Imam al-Rida's (a) move to Merv, the inclination of the people of Herat toward Shi'ism increased.[3] Another factor in the influence of Shi'ism in Herat was the city's geographical location as a transit point for Alid Sayyids to northern Afghanistan and Central Asia; many Sayyids would stay in Herat for a while on their way to Balkh, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Jowzjan.[4]

In a historical report by Ibn al-Athir in the book Al-Kamil fi l-Tarikh, the entry of Islam into Herat is described as follows: in 18/639 or 22/643, Ahnaf b. Qays, the Muslim commander, entered Herat after the conquest of Khorasan and brought the city under Muslim control. After the conquest, he appointed a person named Suhar b. Fulan al-Abdi as the governor of Herat to handle the city's affairs.[5]

According to Rasul Ja'fariyan, a history researcher, after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and the return of Afghan Shi'a refugees from Iran, the Shi'a population in Herat increased. Today, Shi'as constitute about 50% of the city's population.[6]

During the Timurid period, particularly during the reign of Shahrukh Mirza in the 9th/15th century, Herat, the capital of the dynasty, became a center of Shi'a science, culture, and civilization.[7] For this reason, many Shi'a and Sunni scholars, as well as historians, calligraphers, painters, and musicians, flocked to this city.[8]

The Timurids established numerous scientific centers in Herat, including the school of Baysunghur Mirza[9] and more than 350 libraries. Notable among these are the library of Baysunghur Mirza, the library of Ghiyathiyya School, the library of Sultan Husayn Bayqara, and the library of Amir Ali-Shir Nava'i.[10]

Herat City is the center of Herat Province.[11]

Factors in the Expansion of Shi'ism in Herat

Factors contributing to the expansion of Shi'ism in Herat include:

The Role of Imam al-Rida (a) and His Companions

According to researchers, the presence of Imam al-Rida (a) in Greater Khorasan and Merv increased the inclination toward Shi'ism in Herat, leading a significant number of people to follow the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).[12] One of the prominent figures in this regard was Abasalt al-Harawi, a close companion of Imam al-Rida (a) and his assistant during his successorship.[13]

Other influential figures include Ahmad b. Abd Allah al-Harawi al-Shaybani[14], Muhammad b. Qasim al-Pushangi[15], and Rayyan b. al-Salt al-Harawi.[16]

Some historians believe that after the martyrdom of Imam al-Rida (a), Abasalt al-Harawi trained students in the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (a). These students included more than twenty Sunni scholars, such as Ibrahim b. Ishaq al-Sarraj and Ibn Khuthayma.[17]

The Role of the Bayya' al-Harawi Family

Reports indicate that families with a Shi'a culture lived in Herat and maintained regular contact with the Shi'a Imams during various periods. This connection helped preserve and spread Shi'ism in the eastern Islamic world.[18] Notable among these is the al-Bayya' al-Harawi Family.[19] Most members of this family were narrators of hadith and students of Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a).[20]

Key figures from this family include:

  • Samit al-Bayya' al-Harawi,[21] the first Shi'a from Herat whose name is recorded among the companions of the Imams He was a companion of Imam al-Baqir (a).[22]
  • Udaym and Ayyub al-Bayya' al-Harawi, both brothers and companions of Imam al-Sadiq (a).[23]
  • Hasan, Husayn, and Sayf al-Bayya' al-Harawi, companions of Imam al-Sadiq (a).[24]
  • Abu Ghanim al-'Asami al-Harawi (5th/11th century), a student of al-Sharif al-Murtada and a contemporary of al-Shaykh al-Tusi.[25]
  • Husayn b. Yusuf and Jamal al-Din al-Wa'iz al-Harawi.[26]
  • Muhammad Taqi al-Harawi (1217-1299 AH); Agha Buzurg al-Tihrani introduced about thirty of his works in al-Dhari'a.
  • Sayyid Mahdi al-Harawi, a student of Sahib al-Jawahir in the 13th/19th century.[27]

Role of Scholars in Preserving Shi'a in Herat

Sayyid Abu Talib Yahya al-Husayni al-Harawi was a 4th/10th-century scholar and author of Amali ahl Herat.[28] Sayyid Ibn Tawus quoted part of the reports of this work in Iqbāl al-aʿmāl.[29]

Qurban Ali Muhaqqiq Kabuli (1928 – 2019) took steps toward unity between Shi'a and Sunni by building the Khatam al-Anbiya Mosque in Herat. According to Baba-Ahmadi, a representative of Afghan students, on Fridays and religious occasions such as Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, both Sunnis and Shi'as attend this mosque in large numbers, reaching 10,000 to 12,000 worshippers.[30] He also stated that several Shi'a scholars in Herat have been assassinated by Takfiri groups such as ISIS.[31]

Role of Shi'a Women in Herat

Some influential women of Herat in the field of Islamic sciences include:

  • Bibi Ansari al-Harawi, a Shi'a orator and poet of the 9th/15th century active during the Timurid era.[32]
  • Mihr al-Nisa Mihri al-Harawi, a poet and servant of Goharshad and wife of Shahrukh Timurid. She played a role in promoting Islamic culture through her religious poetry.[33]
  • Maryam Kanizak, a 14th/20th-century poet whose poems in praise of the Shi'a Imams helped strengthen religious beliefs.[34]

The Uprising of March 15 (24 Hut), 1979

Main article: Uprising of 24 Hut (Herat)

In late winter 1979, following a ruling by religious authorities, the people of Herat rose up against the communist government on 24 Esfand (Hut). The popular movement began with the cry of Takbir and the crowd marched toward the city center. After government offices were closed and centers seized, the city was cleared of communist forces within 48 hours. During this uprising, more than 25,000 people lost their lives.[35]

Mosques and Cultural Buildings

The Great Mosque of Herat built by the order of Goharshad.

According to reports, mosques in Herat are not only places of worship but also serve as centers for gathering, social bonding, religious education, and showcases of Islamic architecture and decoration.[36] Some of these mosques and schools include:

  • Great Mosque of Herat
  • Pay-i Hisar Mosque
  • Khirqa Sharif Great Mosque
  • Baba Ali Mast Great Mosque
  • Sa'di Mosque
  • Goharshad Mosque and School
  • Chehel Sotoun Mosque
  • Sadiqiyya Seminary (est.1966)
  • Ja'fariyya Seminary (est.1970)
  • Imam al-Hadi (a) Seminary[37]

= Shrines and Cultural Centers

Tombs of Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya and Qasim b. Ja'far in Herat, known as the Shahzadagan Shrine

Among the shrines in Herat are the shrine of Prince Qasim b. Ja'far al-Sadiq and the shrine of Prince Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya, known as the Shrine of the Princes.[38] Notable cultural centers include the "Mahdaviyat Center of Herat," founded in 2011 by Sayyid Javad Wahidi to spread Mahdist teachings.[39]

Rituals and Religious Ceremonies

Ashura ceremony in Herat

Every year on Nowruz, a ceremony called "Janda Sakhī" is held, during which a symbolic flag of Imam Ali (a) is raised at religious sites such as the General Takiyya of Abbas (a) and the Jibra'il Martyrs' Cemetery.[40] Local officials, including the governor and military commanders, attend this event.[41]

On the anniversary of Eid al-Ghadir, the people of Herat commemorate the occasion with large gatherings and slogans emphasizing unity.[42]

According to Rasul Pouyan, an Afghan researcher, during the days of Muharram, both Shi'as and Sunnis in Herat participate in rituals such as Ta'ziya, Noha recitation, poetry, and Qur'an Recitation.[43]

Notes

  1. ↑ Muḥaqqiq Arzugānī, Barrasī-yi rīshah-hā-yi tārīkhī-yi Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān, p. 184.
  2. ↑ Muḥaqqiq Arzugānī, Barrasī-yi rīshah-hā-yi tārīkhī-yi Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān, p. 184.
  3. ↑ Muḥaqqiq Arzugānī, Barrasī-yi rīshah-hā-yi tārīkhī-yi Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān, p. 185.
  4. ↑ Muḥaqqiq Arzugānī, Barrasī-yi rīshah-hā-yi tārīkhī-yi Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān, p. 186.
  5. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 3, p. 33.
  6. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Aṭlas-i Shīʿa, p. 614.
  7. ↑ Aḥmadiyān Dalāvīz, "Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Khurāsān...", p. 74; Ḍiyāʾī, Tārīkh-i ḥawzah-hā-yi ʿilmī-yi Shīʿa dar Afghānistān, p. 321.
  8. ↑ Ḍiyāʾī, Tārīkh-i ḥawzah-hā-yi ʿilmī-yi Shīʿa dar Afghānistān, pp. 303, 322.
  9. ↑ Aḥmadiyān Dalāvīz, "Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Khurāsān...", p. 74.
  10. ↑ Ḍiyāʾī, Tārīkh-i ḥawzah-hā-yi ʿilmī-yi Shīʿa dar Afghānistān, p. 323.
  11. ↑ Dawlat Ābādī, Shināsnāma-yi Afghānistān, p. 460.
  12. ↑ Nūrī, Jughrāfiyā-yi insānī-yi Shīʿiyān-i Afghānistān..., p. 177.
  13. ↑ Muḥaqqiq Arzugānī, Barrasī-yi rīshah-hā-yi tārīkhī-yi Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān, p. 185.
  14. ↑ Ṭūsī, Rijāl al-Ṭūsī, p. 369.
  15. ↑ Ṭūsī, Rijāl al-Ṭūsī, vol. 1, p. 564.
  16. ↑ Nūrī, "Naqsh-i shāgirdān-i Aʾimma (a) dar gustarish-i Tashayyuʿ dar Afghānistān", p. 18.
  17. ↑ Mizzī, Tahdhīb al-kamāl, vol. 18, p. 75.
  18. ↑ Nūrī, Jughrāfiyā-yi insānī-yi Shīʿiyān-i Afghānistān..., p. 92.
  19. ↑ Nūrī, Jughrāfiyā-yi insānī-yi Shīʿiyān-i Afghānistān..., p. 92.
  20. ↑ Nūrī, Jughrāfiyā-yi insānī-yi Shīʿiyān-i Afghānistān..., p. 92.
  21. ↑ Ṭūsī, Rijāl al-Ṭūsī, p. 138.
  22. ↑ Ḥusaynī, Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Afghānistān dar ʿulūm-i Islāmī, p. 98.
  23. ↑ Subḥānī, Mawsūʿat ṭabaqāt al-fuqahāʾ, vol. 2, pp. 54, 324.
  24. ↑ Ḥusaynī, Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Afghānistān dar ʿulūm-i Islāmī, p. 100.
  25. ↑ Ḥusaynī, Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Afghānistān dar ʿulūm-i Islāmī, p. 116.
  26. ↑ Ḥusaynī, Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Afghānistān dar ʿulūm-i Islāmī, p. 118.
  27. ↑ Ḥusaynī, Naqsh-i ʿulamā-yi Shīʿa-yi Afghānistān dar ʿulūm-i Islāmī, pp. 120-121.
  28. ↑ Afandī, Riyāḍ al-ʿulamāʾ, vol. 5, pp. 332-333.
  29. ↑ Ṭihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, vol. 2, p. 316.
  30. ↑ Bābā-Aḥmadī, "Nigāhī bi chālish-hā wa furṣat-hā-yi ḥawzah-hā-yi ʿilmī-yi Shīʿa dar Afghānistān".
  31. ↑ Bābā-Aḥmadī, "Nigāhī bi chālish-hā wa furṣat-hā-yi ḥawzah-hā-yi ʿilmī-yi Shīʿa dar Afghānistān".
  32. ↑ Jamʿī az nivīsandagān, Naqsh-i aṣḥāb-i Aʾimma wa dānishmandān-i Shīʿa..., p. 245.
  33. ↑ Jamʿī az nivīsandagān, Naqsh-i aṣḥāb-i Aʾimma wa dānishmandān-i Shīʿa..., p. 218.
  34. ↑ ʿĪsāfar, Zanān-i nāmdār-i Shīʿa, p. 296.
  35. ↑ "Yād wa khāṭira-yi shuhadā-yi qiyām-i 24 Ḥūt-i Herāt girāmī bād".
  36. ↑ "Jughrāfiyā-yi ʿumūmī-yi Herāt".
  37. ↑ "Madrasa-yi ʿIlmī-yi Imām Hādī (a)".
  38. ↑ Bakhtiyārī, Shīʿiyān-i Afghānistān, p. 380.
  39. ↑ Jamʿī az nivīsandagān, Naqsh-i aṣḥāb-i Aʾimma wa dānishmandān-i Shīʿa..., p. 217.
  40. ↑ "Āʾīn-hā-yi Nowrūzī dar Herāt".
  41. ↑ "Āʾīn-hā-yi Nowrūzī dar Herāt".
  42. ↑ "Jashn-i buzurg-i Ghadīr dar Herāt".
  43. ↑ "Murūrī bar tārīkh-i ʿazādārī-yi ayyām-i Muḥarram dar Herāt Afghānistān".

References

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