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Showing 2 results for Miraj Nameh
Iran Alireza Taheri, Iran Habibolah Kazemnejadi, Iran Abolghasem Nemat Shahrebabaki,
Volume 28, Issue 4 (9-2021)
Abstract
Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), riding an extraordinary creature, started his spiritual Night Journey known as Miraj (Ascension of Muhammad (PBUH) to heaven). Detailed description of this miraculous event is presented in many textbooks called ‘Miraj Nameh’. One most well known example is Shahrokhi's, composed in Herat School and is kept in National Paris Library. Extraordinary and supernatural creatures are illustrated in some miniatures in this book which are specified with particular and strange appearances. This article aims to study various aspects of wonderful creatures in Mir Heydar's manuscript of Miraj Nameh based on the appearance and application. The manuscript is a unique collection of thaumaturgic illustrations depicted to describe the fantastic locations like heaven, hell, purgatory and weird creatures whom Prophet Muhammad PBUH visited in his Ascension. As various studies and conclusions demonstrate, illustrated creatures can be divided into some distinct groups based on appearance, body formation, and visual characteristics as: ‘animal human’ and ‘human- animal’ combinations, ‘Giants’, ‘multi body organs’, ‘animal or human- plant’ combination, and ‘human- half’ combination. The origin of the weird locations and creatures presented in the textbook should be searched in mythological culture and fictions. Applied research methodology is descriptive. Data gathering method is library information one.
Volume 30, Issue 1 (10-2022)
Abstract
Throughout history and among various ancient ethnicities, there have been different beliefs about the journey to the afterlife which are expressed in the form of myths of resurrection, mythical descents to the underworld, ascents to the heavenly realm, and encountering with the heavenly gods. One of these journeys is the Prophet’s night ascension to the Seven Heavens, the different stages of which have been recounted in the illustrated manuscripts of the Illkhanis’s Miraj Nameh (762-772 AH), the Timurid’s Miraj Nameh (840 AH), and discrete Ruqʿah scripts. With this regard, this research with the purpose of the genealogy of the images of the Prophet’s Miraj Nameh and from the viewpoint of Frye’s mythologic theory, aims to answer the question as to what extent the accounts of ascension have made use of the original narratives of mythical ascensions and the terminology of resurrection literature in other ancient civilizations (Iran and Mesopotamia) and invented new meanings? In this research, an attempt is made to use library resources and qualitative analysis methods with the mythological approach to investigate the images of the Prophet’s Miraj (ascension), starting from a historical account up to the achievement of a beyond-historical and archetypal level. Investigations show that hidden mythological orientations can be retrieved and identified in six out of the eight levels recommended by this research.
