Maqtal al-Husayn (by al-Khwarizmi): Difference between revisions

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'''''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn ʿalayh al-salām''''' (Arabic:{{iarabic| مَقتَلُ الحُسَین علیه‌السّلام}}), known as '''Maqtal al-Khwārazmī''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|مقتل الخوارزمی}}) is a book written by [[Muwaffaq b. Ahmad al-Khwarazmi]] (d. [[568]]/1172-73), a [[Sunni]] scholar. Although the book is called "[[maqtal]]" (which refers to books concerned with how [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] was killed), a considerable part of it as well as its epilogue are concerned with Imam al-Husayn (a)'s Uprising and the [[Event of Karbala]]. The book is [[hadith]]-centered and chains of narrations of hadiths are also mentioned. Although the author is a Sunni scholar, his accounts are considered by many Shiite scholars.

Al-Muwaffaq b. Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Maliki al-Khwarazmi, known as Akhtab Khwarazm (484-567 AH/ 1091-1172), was a scholar of [[fiqh]] and [[hadith]], an orator, a man of literature, a poet, and an expert of history and biography. He wrote works such as ''Manaqib al-Imam Abi Hanifa'', ''Radd al-shams li Amir al-Mu'minin'', ''Qadaya Amir al-Mu'minin'', ''Maqtal Amir al-Mu'minin'', ''Maqtal al-Imam al-Sibt al-Shahid'', ''al-Masanid 'Ali al-Najjari'', collection of poems, and ''Fada'il Amir al-Mu'minin'' known as ''Manaqib''.

The book is based on citing hadiths. He also mentions chains of narrations of these hadiths. Some hadiths are short and some are long. The major part of his account of Imam al-Husayn (a)'s travel to [[Karbala]] is cited from [[Ibn A'tham]], but the events of the day of [[Ashura]] are cited from [[Abi Mikhnaf]] and other historians.

Although the book is called a "maqtal", the bulk of it is concerned with other issues. The first third of the book is an elaboration of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]'s virtues, the second third is about the Event of Karbala, and the last third is about [[al-Mukhtar's Uprising]]. The book consists of 15 chapters as follows:

* The virtues of [[the Prophet (s)]]

* The virtues of [[Khadija (a)]]

* The virtues of [[Fatima bt. Asad]], [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]'s mother

* The virtues of [[Fatima al-Zahra (a)]]

* [[Hadiths]] from the Prophet (s) concerning Imam al-Husayn (a)'s [[martyrdom]]

* [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]]'s death and the rejection of pledging allegiance to him by the Imam (a)

* Imam al-Husayn (a)'s leaving Mecca until his martyrdom

* The fate of Imam al-Husayn (a)'s killers

* His non-Shiite position. Although the author is not Shiite, his book was highly regarded of by Shiites, and Imami authors cited his hadiths in their books.

* A manuscript in the library of the household of Thiqat al-Islam Tabrizi in [[Tabriz]] with the handwriting of Muhammad b. Husayn 'Amidi Najafi.

* A manuscript in the national library of Tabriz.

* A manuscript written by Shaykh Muhammad Samawi in [[Muharram]] 15, 1361 AH (February 2, 1942).

Maqtal al-Khwarazmi was published three times with the preface of Shaykh Muhammad Samawi: the first was in [[Najaf]] in 1367 AH (1947) in Matba'a al-Zahra, the second was by Maktabat al-Mufid in 1399 AH (1978), and the last was by Dar Anwar al-Huda in 1418 AH (1997).