Muqbil Kashani
 The tomb attributed to Muqbil Kashani in Kashan | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aqa Muhammad Shaykha |
| Epithet | Muqbil Kashani • Muqbil Isfahani |
| Religious Affiliation | Shi'a |
| Place of Birth | Isfahan |
| Residence | India |
| Death | 1157/1744 |
| Burial Place | Karbala or Kashan |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Works | Diwan-i Muqbil • Wahy bar Tufan |
| Scholarly Activities | Founder of the event-based narrative style |
Āqā Muḥammad Shaykhā (Persian: آقامحمد شیخا), widely known by the pen names Muqbil Kashani or Muqbil Isfahani (d. 1157/1744), was a prominent Shi'a poet of the Safavid era. He is celebrated as the progenitor of the "event-based narrative" (waqi'a-sarayi) style in elegiac poetry, a tradition that exerted a profound influence on literary circles in Iran and India. Rather than formal written literature, Muqbil's compositions are frequently esteemed as vital components of the oral heritage of religious mourning.
Following the Afghan invasion of Iran in 1722, Muqbil emigrated to India, where he eventually passed away in Gujarat. His final resting place remains a subject of historical debate, situating his tomb in either Kashan or Karbala. According to a renowned hagiographic account, Muqbil once entered a visionary mourning assembly presided over by the Prophet Muhammad (s) on the Eve of 'Ashura; there, his recitation so moved the assembly that he was bestowed a spiritual robe of honor by Imam al-Husayn (a).
Position and Significance
Aqa Muhammad Shaykha, known as Muqbil Kashani or Muqbil Isfahani (d. 1157/1744), was a Shi'a poet of the Safavid era[1] distinguished by his profound devotional commitment and the theological depth of his verse.[2] He pioneered the event-based narrative style[3] within the elegiac tradition—a method that subsequently became a cornerstone for later poets.[4] His stylistic innovations resonated throughout Iran and the Indian Subcontinent.[5]
Muqbil primarily performed his Waqi'a poems during communal mourning ceremonies. Consequently, his corpus is often analyzed through the lens of oral tradition and performance rather than as static written text.[6] His most enduring work is a Mathnawi featuring the iconic hemistich: "Buland-martaba shahi zi sadr-i zin uftad" (A King of lofty station fell from the heights of the saddle).[7]
Biography
While precise biographical details remain sparse, Muqbil is traditionally associated with the city of Isfahan.[8] Amidst the upheaval following the Afghan invasion (1135/1722-23) and the eventual decline of the Safavid dynasty, he sought refuge in India. There, he earned the patronage and respect of scholars and provincial rulers in regions such as Thatta, the Deccan, and Gujarat.[9] He died in Gujarat during the reign of Nadir Shah.[10] Historical accounts regarding his burial are divided: while some suggest his son repatriated his remains to Karbala, a tomb bearing his name is also honored in Kashan, located in the northern Isfahan province of Iran.[11] Certain traditions maintain that he was never transferred and remains interred in Kashan.[12]
Muqbil's Dream
As recorded by Sabziwari in 'Adad al-sana, Muqbil Kashani harbored a lifelong desire to visit Karbala, though poverty long prevented the journey. When a benefactor finally funded his pilgrimage, his caravan was plundered by bandits in Golpayegan, forcing him to remain there to earn his passage. On the Eve of 'Ashura, exhausted by grief and prayer during the Muharram ceremonies, he dreamt he had reached Karbala. In the dream, he entered a celestial assembly attended by the Prophet Muhammad (s) and Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a), where Muhtasham Kashani was reciting his famed Tarkibband of Muhtasham. After Muhtasham received a robe of honor, Lady Fatima (a) requested that Muqbil be permitted to recite as well.
Muqbil recounts that as he hoped for a similar honor, he beheld Imam al-Husayn (a)—appearing with the wounds of his martyrdom—who consoled him, saying: "Muqbil, do not be heartbroken; your robe of honor is with me."[13]
An alternative tradition claims Muqbil once disparaged a poorly written elegy on the Day of 'Ashura and was subsequently afflicted with leprosy. The following year, having composed his own penitent verses, he experienced the same vision. In this version, the Prophet (s) bestowed upon him the title "Muqbil" (The Fortunate), declaring: "Whoever composes poetry for my Husayn is 'Muqbil'." Upon waking, he was miraculously cured and thereafter dedicated his life to the Ahl al-Bayt (a).[14]
Poetic Style
Muqbil is credited as the innovator of the "event-based narrative style," a specialized branch of Elegy.[15] His oeuvre consists almost entirely of Mathnawis focusing on the tragedy of 'Ashura; with the exception of two ghazals, his work is exclusively dedicated to the praise and lamentation of the Imams.[16] According to Amir Hossein Modarres, the editor of Muqbil’s collected works, the poet prioritized emotional resonance and vivid scene-setting over epic characterization, utilizing evocative imagery to transport the listener.[17]
Works
Muqbil's poetry has been preserved in the collection Waqi'at-i Karbala (a lithograph published in Lucknow)[18] and the Diwan Waqi'at al-Taff.[19] Modern compilations include the edition by Asad Allah Raghib.[20]
The comprehensive volume Wahy bar Tufan (published by Soreh Mehr), edited by Amir Hossein Modarres, represents a significant scholarly effort to preserve his legacy. Modarres collated fifteen distinct manuscripts sourced from Iran, Kashmir, and New Delhi to produce this definitive edition.[21]
Notes
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Waqi'a is a genre of elegy (Marthiya) typically composed in the Mathnawi format. In this style, Maqtals (martyrdom narratives) are versified specifically for recitation within mourning assemblies.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ "Jilva-yi ḥamāsa-yi Ḥusaynī dar adabiyyāt-i Fārsī", IBNA.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Rāghib, Muqaddima-yi Dīvān-i Muqbil, 1371 Sh, p. 10.
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Sabziwārī, 'Adad al-sana, 1353 Sh, pp. 166-169.
- ↑ Rāghib, Muqaddima-yi Dīvān-i Muqbil, 1371 Sh, pp. 9-11; "Dāstān-i Muqbil; shaʾn wa jāygāh-i shi'r wa shā'irī, dhākir wa dhākirī", Pāygāh-i Iṭṭilā' Rasanī-yi Ḥawzah.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ "Jilva-yi ḥamāsa-yi Ḥusaynī dar adabiyyāt-i Fārsī", IBNA.
- ↑ Mīrbāqirī Fard, "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī".
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
- ↑ Rāghib, Muqaddima-yi Dīvān-i Muqbil, 1371 Sh, p. 2.
- ↑ Āqāyī, "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā", IQNA.
References
- Āqāyī, Zahrā. "Muqbil Iṣfahānī; shā'ir-i vāqi'a-sarā-yi 'Āshūrā". IQNA. Date of publication: 6 Shahrīvar 1401 Sh. Accessed: 12 Ābān 1404 Sh.
- "Dāstān-i Muqbil; shaʾn wa jāygāh-i shi'r wa shā'irī, dhākir wa dhākirī". Pāygāh-i Iṭṭilā' Rasanī-yi Ḥawzah. Date of publication: 8 Ābān 1390 Sh. Accessed: 12 Ābān 1404 Sh.
- "Jilva-yi ḥamāsa-yi Ḥusaynī dar adabiyyāt-i Fārsī". IBNA. Date of publication: 9 Mordād 1401 Sh. Accessed: 12 Ābān 1404 Sh.
- Mīrbāqirī Fard, Sayyid ʿAlī Aṣghar & Aḥmad Āṣif. "Vāqi'a wa Muqbil Iṣfahānī". Matn-pazhūhī-yi Adabī, no. 62, Esfand 1393 Sh.
- Rāghib, Asad Allāh. Dīvān-i Muqbil. Qom, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, 1371 Sh.
- Rāghib, Asad Allāh. Muqaddima-yi Dīvān-i Muqbil. Qom, Saʿīd b. Jubayr, 1371 Sh.
- Sabziwārī, Ismāʿīl. 'Adad al-sana (Yikṣad wa shaṣt majlis dar waʿẓ wa khaṭāba). Tehran, Islāmiyya, 1353 Sh.