Ayatollah Khomeini’s Mystical Poetry and its Reception in Iran and the Diaspora
Ayatollah Khomeini’s Mystical Poetry and its Reception in Iran and the Diaspora
by Diede Farhosh-Van Loon
Leiden University Press, 2023 eISBN: 978-94-006-0446-9 | Cloth: 978-90-8728-401-5
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
There are many publications dealing with the political career of Ruhollah Khomeini (1902–1989), who transformed the political landscape of Iran and the Middle East after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Most of the research conducted in the West is on Khomeini’s political strategies, while the influential role of mysticism in all facets of his life is ignored. This book is the first study examining Khomeini’s poetry, mysticism and the reception of his poetry both in Iran and the West. It investigates how Khomeini integrated various doctrines and ideas of Islamic mysticism and Shiiism such as the Perfect Man into his poetry.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Diede Farhosh-van Loon obtained her PhD in Persian Studies from Leiden University in 2016. She is currently the project coordinator for the ERC Advanced Grant, Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam, in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments Notes on transliterations, translations and footnotes
Introduction
1 The Clergy’s Role in Politics Iran’s Socio-Political Situation under the Qajar Dynasty (1785-1925) Clergy-State Relations during the Qajar Period The Role of the Clergy during the Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) The Clerical Response to Constitutionalism The Rise of Reza Shah and the Curtailment of the Clergy’s Role The Clergy’s Response to Reza Shah’s Modernisation Policies The Clergy under Mohammad Reza Shah Rise of Ayatollah Khomeini
2 Ayatollah Khomeini’s Inner World: Mysticism and Poetry Ayatollah Khomeini’s Mysticism Studies of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Mysticism The Role of Mysticism in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Life Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetical Work The Role of Poets and Poetry in Persian Society Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetry
3 Ayatollah Khomeini, the Topical Poet and his Quatrains (robâʿis) Robâʿis in Historical Perspective Structure of the Persian Robâʿi Robâʿis by Ayatollah Khomeini Biographical Elements: A Dialogue with Ayatollah Khomeini’s Daughter-in-Law Mystical Love The Iran-Iraq War Martyrdom and Shiism The Mystic Mansur Hallâj The Kaʿba, the Holy House of God Despised Conclusion
4 Ayatollah Khomeini as an Antinomian Poet: Lyrical Poems (ghazals) Structure of the Ghazal Themes and Motifs in the Ghazal The Ghazal in Historical Perspective Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetry inspired by Hâfez Ayatollah Khomeini’s Imitation of the Ghazal Antinomian Elements in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Ghazals Censure of the House of God in Mecca in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Ghazals Conclusion
5 Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shiite Philosopher and his Panegyric Poems (qasides) The Qaside in Historical Perspective Ayatollah Khomeini’s Qasides The Concept of the Mohammadan Light Veiling and Mystical Unveiling Mohammad al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Shiite Imam Rejection of the Monarchy Mahdi’s Representative on Earth: A Predecessor to Velâyat-e Faqih Spiritual Perfection and Leadership Anti-British Tendencies in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Qasides The Shiite Interpretation of Oppression Islamic Governance Conclusion
6 Reception of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetry in Iran and Abroad Responses of Followers to Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetry Responses to Ayatollah Khomeini’s Poetry in the Diaspora Conclusion
