Mohammad Ali Rezayi Isfahani, Quran va Imam Husayn; Imam Husan va Quran, Qum: Pazhooheshha va Tafsir va Oloom-e Quran, 1393 Sh/ 2012. 425 pp.
The book under review tackles a very delicate topic: the mutual relationship between Imam al-Husayn and the Holy Quran. Granted that the Holy Quran makes the skeleton of the Islamic religion and that Imam al-Husayn sacrificed his life for defending it, this book sheds light on this significantly mutual relationship in a brand new way. Other things being equal, a considerable number of such books approach the Holy Quran with a view to finding out what and which verses may implicitly refer to the life and fate of Imam al-Husayn. Apart from this by-default approach, this book considers which Quranic verses received Imam al-Husayn’s exegetical remarks and elucidations.
The book under review consists of a background and two main sections. In the short background, the author lists the main hadith sources that include a majority of the points highlighted in the book. It also lists six noteworthy sources that straddle both the Holy Quran and Imam al-Husayn.
The main body of the book consists of two major sections: (1) Imam al-Husayn and the Holy Quran, and (2) the Holy Quran and Imam al-Husayn. In the first section, the book considers the following topics: the status of the Holy Quran in the words of Imam al-Husayn, the role of the Quran in the life of Imam al-Husayn, the services Imam al-Husayn rendered to the Holy Quran, the Quranic foundations of the Ashura movement, the exegeses of certain Quranic verses in the words of Imam al-Husayn, and Imam al-Husayn’s Quranic arguments. The second section of the book, bearing the title “Āyāt al-Ḥusayn”, i.e., the verses referring to Imam al-Husayn, consists of the exegeses of certain verses as explicated by Imam al-Husayn. It starts from the beginning of the Holy Quran and proceeds consecutively.
The bibliography included at the end of the volume presents 150 main sources consulted for developing the present book.
This book deserves being translated into various languages, for it sheds light on the life of Imam al-Husayn and brings into light the role of the Holy Quran in his life and martyrdom, plus giving Quranic exegeses in his glorious words.
Dr. Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani
University of Qum
Iran
