نوع مقاله : علمی- پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• حلیمه یداللهی کرسیکلا ¹
• سیدعلی اکبر ربیع نتاج ²
• سید محسن موسوی ³
• محمد تقی اسماعیل پور معلم ⁴

¹ دانشجوی دکتری علوم قرآن و حدیث. دانشکده الهیات، دانشگاه مازندران، ایران (نویسنده مسئول).

² استاد تمام علوم قران حدیث، دانشکده الهیات، دانشگاه مازندران، ایران

³ دانشیارعلوم قران حدیث، دانشکده الهیات، دانشگاه مازندران، ایران

⁴ استادیار علوم قرآن و حدیث ، دانشکده الهیات، دانشگاه مازندران، ایران

چکیده

کلیدواژه‌ها

• کلیدواژه‌ها: امام زمان(ع)
• علوی مصری
• غیبت صغرا
• سلسله سند
• نقد محتوایی

موضوعات

• الهیات
• علوم قرآن و حدیث

Validation of the ‘Alawi Misri Supplication: Focusing on the Quality of Pharaoh’s Accepted Prayer

Halimeh Yadollahi Karsikola1,*, Seyed Ali Akbar Rabee Nataj2, Seyed Mohsen Mousavi3, and Mohammad Taghi Esmaeilpour Moallem4

 

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Qur’an and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Qur’an and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Qur’an and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’an and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

*Corresponding author: h.yadollahi12@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT. Supplications and pilgrim texts in the Shi‘a tradition function simultaneously as devotional literature and as repositories of theological, legal, and historical claims. The ‘Alawi Misri supplication, attributed to Imam al‑Mahdi (A), occupies a notable place among these texts, yet its authenticity has been subject to scholarly scrutiny. This study applies a documentary‑critical methodology to assess both the isnād (chain of transmission) and the textual content of the supplication. The analysis draws on primary manuscript witnesses as cited in classical works (notably Ibn Ṭāwūs’s Muhaj al‑Da‘awat), biographical‑bibliographical evaluations, and a comparison of the supplication’s theological claims with Qur’anic narratives and established hadith principles. Results indicate significant weaknesses in the transmission chain—obscure or unattested transmitters, a substantial chronological gap between the alleged event and its first attestation, and a vague documentary provenance. The purported reception in a dream‑state (between sleep and wakefulness) further undermines its evidentiary force in classical Shiʿi methodological terms. Content analysis reveals passages—most notably the claim that God “accepted Pharaoh’s supplication”—that conflict with clear Qur’anic formulations concerning Pharaoh’s fate and with doctrinal principles regarding repentance, divine justice, and the role of prophetic mediation. While the supplication retains devotional and didactic value, the evidence does not support confident attribution to Imam al‑Mahdi (A). The paper concludes by recommending cautious use of the text in doctrine formation and urging further manuscript research to seek earlier witnesses or corroborating chains.

KEYWORDS: ‘Alawi Misri Supplication, Imam al-Mahdi, Chain of Transmission, Dream Narration, Content Criticism

 

1              INTRODUCTION

The ‘Alawi Misri supplication is traditionally presented as a prayer taught by Imam al‑Mahdi (A) to a member of the Alawi/Husayni family during the Minor Occultation. According to classical citation, the text was recorded in the sixth/12th‑century work Muhaj al‑Da‘awat wa Minhaj al‑‘Ibadat by Sayyid Ibn Ṭāwūs, who refers to an older codex as his source. The supplication stresses themes common to Shiʿi devotional literature—tawḥīd (divine unity), tawba (repentance), divine assistance against oppression, and eschatological hope. Nevertheless, the supplication’s provenance, the character of its narrators, and singular doctrinal claims (e.g., the acceptance of Pharaoh’s private supplication) invite a critical re appraisal. This study frames two research questions: (1) What are the principal weaknesses—if any—of the isnād attributed to this supplication? (2) Do the supplication’s theological assertions accord with decisive Qur’anic and authenticated hadith material, or do they present substantive contradictions?