MOHAMMAD AMIR AHMAD. KAHN, Peter Knapcyzk
F J BLISSETT L, Nov 14, 2014 - 253 pages
This hitherto unpublished marsiyah composed by Rajad Mohammad Amir Ahmad Khan of Mahmudabad is unique for a number of reasons.
The subject of the marsiyah is Jawn, an Abyssinian companion of Imam al-Husayn, who was martyred in Karbala. It is the very first marsiyah known to be composed in Jawn's memory in any language of such length and breadth. Alongside the obvious references to racial equality, the marsiyah demonstrates the author's deep knowledge of Islamic history and contains subtle metaphysical meditations.
Another stylistic feature of this marsiyah is that it contains a saqinamah. The language of the marsiyah, with its rich turn of phrase and verses, that often incorporates allusions to Quranic verses and parts of ḥadīth, will grip both the academic and lay reader.
