Participants and Lecture Titles: Dr. Mehdi Sahra-Gard (Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad) Lecture Title: A Reflection on the Kufi Inscription of the Safavid Mosque in Kāẓimayn Dr. Mortezā Enferādi (Head of the Social Studies of the Sacred Precincts Group, Islamic Research Foundation) Lecture Title: The Importance of the Sacred Precincts among Muslims from the Perspective of Islamic Sources Hujjat al-Islām wal-Muslimeen Seyyed Reżā Shirāzi (Faculty Member, Research Institute of the Islamic Research Foundation) Lecture Title: Ziyārah across History: Beyond the Boundaries of a Single Discipline Dr. Abolfazl Hasan-Ābādi (Director of Manuscripts, Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi) Lecture Title: The Importance of Memoir-Writing in Cultural Relations between Iran and the Holy Shrines Session Moderator: Dr. Asghar Montazer-al-Qā’em (Professor of History, University of Isfahan) Lecture Title: The Economic Conditions of Najaf up to the Eighth Century AH Date & Time: Thursday, 4 Bahman 1403 (January 24, 2025) ⎯ 09:00 to 11:30 Location: Mashhad, Haram Mutaḥhar Reżavi, Tabarsi Turnaround, Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, Sheikh Bahā’ī Hall

Dr. Mortezā Enferādi, in this scientific session, spoke on “The Importance of the Sacred Precincts among Muslims from the Perspective of Islamic Sources.” He introduced the book Ba Zāyerān-e Kūy-e Reżā (ʿAlayh al-Salām) (With the Pilgrims of the Neighborhood of Reżā, Peace Be Upon Him). This volume—one of the works published by the Islamic Research Foundation—was honored at the 9th International Razavi Book of the Year Festival. Dr. Enferādi explained that, over the years, many questions and doubts have arisen concerning visits to the graves of the righteous, seeking blessings (tabarruk), invoking the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams (AS), and their intercession before God. Pilgrims to the shrine of Imam Reżā (AS) have struggled with these issues, often referring to Qur’anic texts, Sunnah, and the biography (sīrah) of the Prophet and his closest Companions. This book endeavors to present those questions and answer them using reliable sources, so that pilgrims to the “Neighborhood of the Beloved” may experience a deeply spiritual ziyārah and attain its full reward. Additionally, Dr. Enferādi noted, any misconceptions or doubts raised by pilgrims have been addressed directly in this work.

He went on to emphasize the cultural and social significance of constructing, developing, and restoring sanctified sites. He reminded attendees that, in every culture, preserving, maintaining, and repairing the physical remnants of the past as cultural heritage is universally accepted—and in fact reflects the trajectory of a nation’s progress and refinement. Likewise, the establishment of scholarly centers, libraries, publishing enterprises, charitable institutions, healthcare facilities, assistance for the needy, devotional offerings (nazr), endowments (waqf), guardianship of orphans, and so forth, all taking place around holy shrines, demonstrate the immense social standing such efforts hold. Finally, Dr. Enferādi highlighted the Qur’anic perspective on building and rebuilding sacred sites, referencing verse 21 of Sūrah al-Kahf:

“Some said: ‘Build a memorial over them; their Lord knows them best.’ Those who had prevailed in their affair said: ‘We will surely build over them a masjid (mosque)—so that their monotheistic movement may stand as a sign.’”

Dr. Abolfazl Hasanābādi, Director of the Manuscripts Center at Astan Quds Razavi, spoke on “The Importance of Memoir-Writing in Cultural Relations between Iran and the Holy Shrines,” focusing on a case study of Aghā Najafī Qūchānī’s memoirs, especially Sīāhat-e Sharq (Journey to the East). He outlined Aghā Najafī’s life and scholarly stature, then introduced several of his works:

Sīāhat-e Sharq – Sīāhat-e Gharb (Journey to the East – Journey to the West)

Safarhā-ye Se-gāneh az Asfār-e Arbaʿa (The Three Journeys of the Four Travels; a commentary on three pivotal journeys in Aghā Najafī’s life)

Qūchān – Safar-e Chahārom az Asfār-e Arbaʿa (Qūchān: The Fourth Journey of the Four Travels; an account of the final major period in Aghā Najafī’s life)

Qūchānī – ʿĀd-e Khodmānī (Qūchānī: A Personal Account)

Sharḥ-e Risālah (A Commentary on a Treatise), among others.

He explained that memoir-writing (khāṭirih-nevīsī) has ancient roots among Iranians—dating back before Islam—while various genres of memoir exist, such as “religious memoirs,” which recount a pilgrimage experience with religious content (e.g., Nāser Khusraw’s Safarnāmeh), and “Qajar-era memoirs,” which tend to be more political and social in nature. He described Aghā Najafī’s memoirs as a new style that combines religious travelogue with social experience.

Dr. Hasanābādi discussed the stylistic taxonomy of memoirs, which classifies them by the time of writing—such as day-to-day diaries (rūznevīs), retrospective memoirs (dīrnevesht), and other types. He noted that in Sīāhat-e Sharq, Aghā Najafī blends immediate, day-by-day reflections with later, reflective commentary. At times, the narrative reflects the fervor of youth; at others, it displays intellectual maturity. Dr. Hasanābādi praised the timing of Sīāhat-e Sharq, explaining that it was written during the author’s prime intellectual and social phase—a moment when few memoirists are willing or able to produce a full book. Indeed, roughly half of the volume addresses the dangers and hardships of life on the road, while the other half recounts details of the journeys themselves. Aghā Najafī includes brief vignettes of his childhood and adolescence, but shows little interest in describing his family life.

According to Dr. Hasanābādi, the informational content of Sīāhat-e Sharq is a balanced blend of political, social, religious, and economic data—neither so prominent as to dominate the text nor so faint as to disappear. Each piece of information is placed in its proper narrative context, guiding the reader through Aghā Najafī’s evolving thoughts without overwhelming them. He argued that this makes Sīāhat-e Sharq one of the finest sources for understanding the social and intellectual outlook of the seminary milieu on the transformations of the late Qajar period.

Dr. Hasanābādi also evaluated Sīāhat-e Sharq within the context of Aghā Najafī’s corpus, noting that it is the fourth major book, following Sharḥ-e Duʿā-ye Ṣubāḥ, ʿUẓr Bad-tar az Gonah, and Ḥayāt al-Islām fī Aḥwāl Āyat al-Malik al-ʿAllām. A content comparison reveals that Sīāhat-e Sharq is, in both style and substance, more comprehensive than the earlier works. He described it as a “showcase of Aghā Najafī’s beliefs, views, and inner convictions,” written in an eloquent, autobiographical manner. Ultimately, he asserted, the book is less a straightforward travelogue and more an ethical, critical text—its reflective discussions and life memories serving as an undercurrent throughout.

Dr. Asghar Montazer-al-Qā’em, Faculty Member at the University of Isfahan, addressed “The Economic Conditions of Najaf up to the Eighth Century AH.” He explained that the seminary of Najaf al-Ashraf has maintained continuing connections with the global Shīʿī community since the fifth century AH, noting that many of Najaf’s scholars and intellectuals were Iranian, and that ties between Shīʿī scholars and Najaf remained ever-strong. He traced the seminary’s origins to the establishment of the pure shrine of Amir al-Muʾminīn (Imam ʿAli) itself, pointing out that, upon Imam al-Ṣādiq’s (AS) presence and the ziyārah to Imam ʿAli’s shrine, the Shīʿī presence in Najaf swelled. He emphasized that these shrines were built to spread the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

Dr. Montazer-al-Qā’em recalled that in 235 AH, the Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil ordered the shrine of Imam ʿAli (AS) to be destroyed—leaving nothing but rubble—until Hārūn al-Rashīd later commanded the reconstruction of the mosque at the shrine. He then turned to Najaf’s economic history, explaining that its roots extend to pre-Islamic times. In the surrounding region known as Ḥīrah, essential goods were bought and sold, and with the construction of a qanāt (underground canal) in 250 AH, numerous farms and buildings sprang up—ushering in a period of notable economic growth and prosperity. Industries such as rosewater distillation, carpet weaving, weapon manufacturing, stone carving, brickmaking, architecture, engineering, and shipbuilding all flourished in Najaf. Exports and imports of products like fruit, textiles, clothing, saffron, and small carpets were regular commercial activities.

Dr. Montazer-al-Qā’em observed that Najaf’s marketplace remained prosperous from the Buyid era onward—due largely to its proximity to the Euphrates River (“the Island”), which facilitated trade. Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims would pass through Najaf en route to Mecca. In sum, Najaf developed a self-sustaining economy centered on pilgrimage and religious tourism. Its economic vitality, he concluded, stemmed from political stability, the influx of pilgrims, endowments (waqf), and related factors.