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The authenticity and the chain of narration (isnād) of the text known as Ziyārat ʿĀshūrāʾ have been subjects of discussion among Shīʿī scholars. Beyond its spiritual significance and the personal experiences of the believers, often recounted in Shīʿī traditions and literature, this text holds immense historical importance.
In this note, I will not delve into discussions on the authenticity of this text’s isnād, on which numerous studies have already been conducted. Among these, the writings of the prominent jurist and expert in the science of narrators, Ayatollah Sayyid Musa al-Shubayri al-Zanjani, stand out. Within Shīʿī tradition, this ziyāra text is primarily narrated from Imam al-Bāqir. Here, I merely aim to demonstrate that, based on internal textual criticism, it is plausible to attribute this text to the late Umayyad period.
I shall summarise this in a few points:
1. Within the ziyāra text, there is no content that appears anachronistic or inconsistent with its purported time of emergence. The references to the Imams and the Prophet’s family align with beliefs prevalent during the end of the Umayyad era, with no indications of ideas that evolved later. The themes presented in the text mirror the conditions of Shīʿīs during the late Umayyad period, capturing their sentiments concerning the tragedies endured by the Prophet’s household and their feelings towards the Umayyads—emotions which are corroborated by primary historical sources from that era.
- The themes of allegiance (wilāya) and disassociation (barāʾa) apparent in the text are also congruent with the general atmosphere of the first half of the 2nd/8th century. This is evident to those familiar with the religious sectarian history of that period….
Bibliographic Information
Title: On the Authenticity of Ziyārat ʿĀshūrāʾ: A Text Critical Approach
Author(s): Hassan Ansari
Published in: Al-Qalam 2/2 (2025)
Language: English
Length: 4 Pages
