Rauza-tus-Safa
Encyclopedia
Rawżat aṣ-ṣafāʾ fī sīrat al-anbiyāʾ w-al-mulūk w-al-khulafāʾ (روضة الصفا في سیرة الانبياء والملوك والخلفاء, ‘The Gardens of purity in the biography of the prophets and kings and caliphs’) is a Persian history of the origins of Islam
, early Islamic civilisation, and Persian history by Mīr-Khvānd, a Fifteenth-Century historian. The text was originally completed in seven volumes in 1497 (836 AH). The work is very scholarly, Mīr-Khvānd used nineteen major Arabic histories and twenty-two major Persian ones as well as others which he occasionally quotes. His work was the basis for many subsequent histories including the works of Hajjī Khalfah.
The Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ ought not to be confused with the Rawżat al-b̄̄āb fī taʾrīkh al-akābir w-al-ansāb (‘The Garden of the learned in the history of great men and genealogies’) by Abū Sulaymān Daʾūd ibn Abū al-Fatal Muḥammad al-Banākatī, which was written earlier, in 1317 (717 AH).
prepared a Spanish translation of the Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ. The book was partially translated into English in 1715, into Latin in 1782, and into French in 1793. It was published fully in Persian in 1843 (Paris) and in 1852 (Mumbai
). From 1891 to 1894, a translation of the first three volumes into English was prepared by the Orientalist Edward Rehatsek
and edited by Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot
for the Royal Asiatic Society. A number of other translations exist.
Of particular interest to Christian scholars is that in Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ, Mīr-Khvānd tells the story of Jesus
’s travels after a failed crucifixion
. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
support some of their beliefs using the Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, early Islamic civilisation, and Persian history by Mīr-Khvānd, a Fifteenth-Century historian. The text was originally completed in seven volumes in 1497 (836 AH). The work is very scholarly, Mīr-Khvānd used nineteen major Arabic histories and twenty-two major Persian ones as well as others which he occasionally quotes. His work was the basis for many subsequent histories including the works of Hajjī Khalfah.
The Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ ought not to be confused with the Rawżat al-b̄̄āb fī taʾrīkh al-akābir w-al-ansāb (‘The Garden of the learned in the history of great men and genealogies’) by Abū Sulaymān Daʾūd ibn Abū al-Fatal Muḥammad al-Banākatī, which was written earlier, in 1317 (717 AH).
In the West
Around 1596, Pedro TeixeiraPedro Teixeira
Pedro Teixeira was a Portuguese explorer who became, in 1637, the first European to travel up the entire length of the Amazon River....
prepared a Spanish translation of the Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ. The book was partially translated into English in 1715, into Latin in 1782, and into French in 1793. It was published fully in Persian in 1843 (Paris) and in 1852 (Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
). From 1891 to 1894, a translation of the first three volumes into English was prepared by the Orientalist Edward Rehatsek
Edward Rehatsek
Edward Rehatsek was an Orientalist and translator of several works of Islamic literature including the Gulistan or Rose Garden of Saadi, Ibn Ishaq’s Sirah Rasul Allah or The Life of Muhammad: Apostle of Allah, and the Rauza-tus-Safa or The Gardens of Purity...
and edited by Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot
Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot
Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot was a notable British Orientalist and translator. His early career was spent as a civil servant in India; his last post was as Collector for the Bombay government. He was named after his grandfather, Field Marshal Sir John FitzGerald...
for the Royal Asiatic Society. A number of other translations exist.
Of particular interest to Christian scholars is that in Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ, Mīr-Khvānd tells the story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
’s travels after a failed crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
support some of their beliefs using the Rawżat aṣ-ṣafā̄ʾ.