Kashf al-Asrar
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| Author | Ruhollah Khomeini |
|---|---|
| Media type | Book |
Kashf al-Asrar (Arabic: کشف الاسرار ) (The Unveiling of Secrets) is a 1943 book written by Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was not the first book by him but the first book that expresses Khomeini's political views. He authored the book to address the criticisms published in a book titled, "Thousand-Year Secrets" by Ali-Akbar Hakamizada, an ex-cleric.[1]
Background
Ruhollah Khomeini authored Kashf al-Asrar to eliminate widespread doubts and questions about the credibility of Islamic and Shia beliefs that originated from a pamphlet named Thousand-Year Secrets authored by an ex-cleric Ali-Akbar Hakamizada. Hakamizada had abandoned clerical studies at Qum seminary. In the mid-1930, he published a modernist journal titled Humayun which advocated "reformation" in Islam, criticized Islamic "rigid-mindedness, superstition and traditionalism" with a condescending and aggressive language. Finally, in 1943, Hakimzada authored a pamphlet titled Thousand-Year Secrets attacking Shia scholars and challenging them to account for the "superstitious beliefs" that he alleged they "fostered among the believers in order to perpetuate their own power." Among these beliefs, were the practice of seeking Intercession of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam, and The Twelve Shia Imams, as well as the mourning ceremonies held on anniversaries of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom in Muharram, pilgrimage to the tombs of the Imams, and recitation of their supplications, etc.[2][3][4]
The pamphlet was published by the publishing house of Ahmad Kasravi who advocated "rationalist purification of religion." The publication gave rise to a strong wave of polemical literature from Iranian religious scholars. In this period, Khomeini was holding philosophy courses in Qum seminaries.[3] Khomeini believed that the views of Hakamizada and Kasravi arose from anti-religious policies of Reza Shah.[2]
On the particular event that motivated Ruhollah Khomeini to author the book, his son Ahmad has stated that one day when his father was going to Feyziyeh School, he encountered a group of seminary students discussing this pamphlet. This made Khomeini worrying that while scholars were occupied with ethical lessons in the seminaries, the views of the anti-Islamic pamphlet had even infiltrated into the seminaries. Upon this thought, he immediately returned home and cancelled all of his classes, and wrote what became Kashf al-Asrar in a course of almost 40 days.[5]
Context
Kashf al-Asrar of Ruhollah Khomeini was the first book indicated political view of him which consist of 6 chapters:[6]
At first chapter, Tawhid, Ruhollah Khomeini answered to criticisms that Bahá'í Faith bring up about Shia Islam and discussed about subjects like. The Imamah chapter contains Hadith of Position, Hadith of the two weighty things and proving of the concept of Imamah by verses of Quran.[6]
Three chapter of the book included discussion of government in the contemporary age, chapter three, chapter four and chapter five.[2] At the end of the pamphlet, Ali-Akbar Hakamizada ask some challengeable question from scholar ant wanted to answer.[3] At the beginning of the chapter third, the clergy, Ruhollah Khomeini stated I response to five question of nine question that Hakamizada collected at the end of the his phamphelt.[2]
Reception
Along with publishing the book, objections raised by scholars and seminary students. According to the Ayatollah Hossein Badala: there was people who decided to respond to it. In this regard, some works were done but they were not sufficient. The seminary's decision to write a book, led to authoring of Kashf al-Asrar by Ruhollah Khomeini who taught philosophy at that time and received great reception.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ "Kashf al-Asrar". Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Hossainzadeh, Nura. "Political Legitimacy in Khomeini’s Kashf-i Asrar (The Unveiling of Secrets)" (PDF).
- 1 2 3 Said Amir Arjomand (1988). Authority and Political Culture in Shi'ism. SUNY Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-88706-638-2.
- ↑ Ramin Jahanbegloo (2004). Iran: Between Tradition and Modernity. Lexington Books. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7391-0530-6.
- ↑ Ghorbani, M (2 June 2010). "A Book Named Kashf al-Asrar". Resalat newspaper. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- 1 2 Aghadadi, Meysam. "Historical and content reaserch about Kashf al-Asrar book". Islamic Revolution Document Center. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ↑ Islamic Propagation Office of Qom Seminary. Political science.
External link
The full text of Kashf al-Asrar
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