Dr Jalal Badakhchani and Professor Hermann Landolt were special guests at a book launch programme held in Tehran聽towards the end of 2011, dedicated to the 13th century Diwan-i Qa鈥檌miyyat (Poems of the Resurrection) by Hasan Mahmud Katib. The launch was held at the Centre for Research of the Written Heritage (Markaz Nashr-i Miras-i Maktoob).
Dr Badakhchani, the editor of the volume, discussed how the publication of Qa鈥檌miyyat has to be considered an 鈥榚vent鈥 in the history of Persian poetry. Compiled in AlamutFortress of the Nizari Ismailis in northern Iran, which fell to the Mongols in 654 AH/1256 CE. during the reign of the Nizari Ismaili Imam, 鈥楢la al-Din聽Muhammad聽(1221-1255 CE), it is rich in the vocabulary of the Nizari Ismaili literature and tradition. Dr Badakhchani described the fascinating journey the original manuscript had seen over the centuries. Some 400 years ago, the owner of the Qa鈥檌miyyat, fearing that enemies may destroy the book, concealed it in a crack of a wall and sealed it with plaster. The oldest manuscript of Wajh-i Din聽by Nasir Khusraw was also hidden in the same crack. He discussed his interest and involvement with the text, which spans decades.
In his address, Prof Landolt emphasised that the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor., especially after the proclamation of the doctrine of resurrection (qiyamat), focused their attention on the production of poetic works, primarily in Persian. As an example, he cited Hujwiri鈥檚 Kashf al-Mahjub, not to be mistaken with the Kashf al-Mahjub of Sijistani. The reason for preferring Persian to Arabic, explained Professor Landolt, was that they wanted to be in close contact with the people and this was better achieved by using Persian poetry. According to Prof Landolt, a poet needs to communicate with the soul and this is possible through poetry. According to him, when Hujwiri speaks of shari鈥榓聽he means material relations and when he speaks of haqiqah he is referring to spiritual relations. Prof Landolt also talked of the Ismaili belief that one of the meanings of resurrection is haqiqah, a concept mentioned on many occasions in the Diwan-i Qa鈥檌miyyat.
In his closing remarks, following a question and answer session, Dr Badakhchani expressed his gratitude to Prof Kadkani, Dr Farhad Daftary, Dr Irani, Mr Baher and the family of Mr Safi鈥 Rezaei and Mulla聽Mortaza Barzgar.