Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Art Research, Department of Art Research, kish International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kish, Iran.
2
Assistance Professor, Faculty of Islamic Handicrafts, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract
Aesthetics in the Islamic worldview extends far beyond subjective, sensory, or purely psychological perception; it is rooted deeply in ontology. Within this framework, aesthetic experience is inseparable from the concept of tajalli (divine manifestation), since every existent being is understood as a sign and epiphany of the Truth, and all creatures are, in essence, loci in which divine lights become manifest within the realm of creation. Islamic aesthetics is fundamentally objective in nature: beauty becomes accessible only insofar as it appears through manifestation and disclosure. In this regard, Ibn Arabi’s metaphysical and mystical thought plays a crucial role in elevating the significance of tajalli within aesthetic interpretation. In his perspective, the invisible signs of God disclose themselves through the multiplicity of beings to the wayfarer and observer, guiding the human being toward proximity to the Divine. Without recognizing this condition of manifestation and without perceiving the harmony and order embedded within it, it becomes impossible to apprehend the meaning of ḥusn (beauty, goodness, and divine loveliness) in the world of existence. One of the most prominent artistic embodiments of this manifestation-oriented aesthetics in Iran is the ritual performance of ta’ziyeh (also known as 'shabih-khani', or passion play). Despite its sorrowful atmosphere and its representation of the tragedy of Karbala, ta’ziyeh, at a deeper level, constitutes an attempt to render invisible truths visible through tangible and symbolic forms. In contemporary society, however, especially among younger generations and particularly students of the arts, there exists a noticeable epistemic distance from this ritual form. Many young people, faced with difficult living conditions, a pervasive atmosphere of social melancholy, and the psychological aftereffects of war and insecurity, tend to view ta’ziyeh merely as an art form that intensifies grief, deepens sorrow, and reinforces hopelessness. The present study, therefore, seeks not only to critique this reductive interpretation but also to identify the dimensions of ḥusn and tajalli in the content and performance of ta’ziyeh, demonstrating how this ritual can, despite narrating suffering and loss, become a site for the manifestation of symbolic divine beauty. Ta’ziyeh has a long-standing history in Iran as a traditional, ritual theater form. Yet it was during the formalization of Shi’ism and the political-religious patronage of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties that this art acquired renewed vitality and achieved its fullest development. In this period, the thematic center of ta’ziyeh shifted from myths, local legends, and pre-Islamic or folkloric narratives toward the events of Karbala in the year 61 AH. Through this transformation, ta’ziyeh evolved from a local dramatic practice into a sacred ritual theater deeply embedded in Shi’i devotional life. As a result, a network of established conventions emerged between performers and audiences, in which each element—color, movement, gesture, speech, costume, and spatial arrangement—carried meanings that exceeded its immediate physical appearance. One of the defining features of ta’ziyeh manuscripts is the relative anonymity of authorship. In many of these texts, the name of the writer is absent from the narrative tradition; where a name does appear, it is often that of a compiler, editor, or reviser rather than an original author. This absence suggests that ta’ziyeh texts have developed over time through collective cultural transmission and in continuous interaction with communal tradition. Likewise, at the level of performance, the Shabih-khan is not, unlike the actor in modern theater, primarily concerned with psychologically embodying a character or performing a naturalistic role. Rather, the performer functions as a narrator who, relying on a text that is often not memorized in the conventional sense, presents the likeness or semblance of the historical figure. This process may be understood as a form of self-effacement within tradition: the artist, writer, and performer see themselves as mere intermediaries for the transmission of a sacred heritage, striving to leave no trace of ego, name, or personal authorship upon the work, so that only the manifestation of truth may be revealed in the performance. The semantic and theological center of this study rests on the interpretation of Lady Zaynab’s famous response in the court of Yazid: “I saw nothing but beauty” (mā raʾaytu illā jamīlan). In the face of Yazid’s hostility and his attempt to turn catastrophe into an exhibition of humiliation and defeat, her statement transcends an earthly and reactive response and enters the sphere of mystical discernment. While Yazid sought to display power, dominance, and contempt, Lady Zaynab, through a gaze directed toward the manifestations that followed the tragedy, recognized the reality of divine ḥusn in steadfastness, martyrdom, and fidelity to truth. This utterance thus reveals a mystical worldview according to which, even amid violence, fragmentation, and bloodshed, beauty remains visible to the one whose gaze is oriented toward the Truth. In this hierarchy of divine manifestation, the Ahl al-Bayt occupy the highest rank as the most complete loci of tajalli. The findings of this study indicate that ta’ziyeh is not merely a ritual performance, but a stage upon which invisible divine lights become manifest to the heart of the believing seeker. A symbolic connection binds all the elements of this sacred art. The relation between form and meaning gives rise to a ritual environment in which both artist and audience participate in a process of fana (self-annihilation) in the presence of the sacred. Accordingly, the central research question asks how the ritual performance of shabih-khani, beyond its inherently sorrowful narrative, can also manifest the symbolic beauties of the Creator in the public encounter with the martyrdom of the Imam. In response, all structural elements of ta’ziyeh, from narrative to form, serve the realization of Islamic aesthetics. At the level of content and narrative, the sorrowful plot is not merely a historical account, but a dramatization of the confrontation between light and darkness, truth and falsehood, and justice and oppression. At the level of form and performance, the interaction between performer and audience creates a ritual bond in which the boundary between representation and reality becomes porous through symbolic presence. At the level of visual and auditory elements, the use of symbolic colors in costume design, stage arrangement, and specific accessories all function as signs that materialize invisible meanings. Likewise, music, lamentation, and devotional recitation create an acoustic space in which hearing becomes a mode of spiritual witnessing. Ta’ziyeh scripts, emerging from the tradition of maqatil (martyrdom narratives), employ these elements to generate both visual richness and spiritual depth. Because historical realities are often more fully understood when they are presented through artistic form, shabih-khani is saturated with symbolism. Through watching and participating in this traditional dramatic practice, the audience undergoes an affective experience that has a profound impact on the self and often leads to emotional release and the expression of hidden inner states. Accordingly, all form-based components of shabih-khani role-playing, audience participation, time, place, color, costume, music, and stage props may be understood as expressions of multiplicity within unity. That unity is grounded in the divine source of being: God creates, manifests Himself in creation, inspires love for Himself in His creatures, and ultimately reclaims them. In this sense, multiplicity is not detached from unity but emerges through it and returns to it. The results show that ta’ziyeh, within the framework of Islamic aesthetics, is a form of divine beauty made visible for remembrance, affirmation, and spiritual awakening. What begins as a conceptual understanding becomes, in Shi’i devotional life, a lived and mystical experience. The mourning of Muslims over the bloodshed of their martyred Imam is not simply sorrow for loss, but an affirmation of absolute goodness and a recognition of divine beauty appearing in suffering. The ultimate implication of this ritual is the cultivation of love for the Imams, the manifestation of divine beauty and loveliness within the performance itself, and the believer’s hope for the intercession of the martyred Imam in the hereafter. Contrary to the superficial perception sometimes held by younger generations, ta’ziyeh is not an instrument for propagating despair; rather, it is an aesthetics of manifestation. Its elements—from script composition to symbolic performance—are grounded in practical mysticism and are oriented toward revealing the dimensions of divine ḥusn and mercy. Unlike Western theater, which often emphasizes anthropocentrism and individual tragedy, ta’ziyeh is founded upon theocentrism and upon the manifestation of truth in the midst of catastrophe. The artist and performer, by accepting their role as nameless mediators, seek to present eternal beauty to the audience through symbols, even within sorrow. Ta’ziyeh thus remains a ritual art through which beauty is seen in the heart of affliction and through which human beings are reconnected to the manifestations of divine beauty in the world of existence. This study was conducted using a qualitative methodology and a descriptive-analytical approach. The primary sources were drawn from classical mystical texts, historical ta’ziyeh manuscripts (maqatil), and contemporary scholarship on ritual performance. Data analysis was based on the relationship between the ontological concepts of Islamic art and the formal elements of ta’ziyeh.
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