Safi ‘Ali Shah

Biography

Safi ‘Alishah, Mirza Hasan (1835-1898), son of Muhammad Baqir. A Sufi, Qur’an exegete, and poet with the nom de plume Safi. Born in Isfahan, his father was a merchant. He departed for Yazd with his father and lived there until he was 20 years of age. He studied there and associated with mystics and people of mystical vision. Having received his education, he traveled to India and Hijaz, mainly accompanying Sufi masters from whom he was introduced to spiritual wayfaring. Then, he traveled to different regions in Persia and finally traveled to Shiraz and became a disciple of Hajj Mirza Zayn al-‘Abidin Shirvani. Then, he joined the audience of Rahmat ‘Alishah, Hajj Mirza Kuchak Nayib al-Sadr and was patronized by him and was accorded the title Safi ‘Alishah. After the death of Nayib al-Sadr, he joined the services of Hajj Aqa Muhammad Munawwar ‘Alishah whom he represented and served as a companion. Then he was appointed to go to Tehran. He settled there and served as the chief Sufi of the Ni’mat Allahiyya Order. Besides his exalted position in Sufism and mysticism, he was an erudite litterateur and poet, making poetical compositions in different poetic forms. He died in Tehran and his tomb is in a Sufi spiritual center on Safi ‘Alishah Avenue in which he had resided. His works include: Zubdat al-Asrar; Ithbat al-Nubuwwat al-Khassa; Bahr al-Haqa’iq, also known as ‘Irfan al-Haqq and Diwan al-Haqa’iq; Mizan al-Ma’rifa wa Burhan al-Haqiqa fi Adab al-Suluk wa ‘l-Tariqa; a Qur’an exegesis known as Tafsir-i Safi; and Divan, a collection of his poetry.

Asarafarin (4/54-55); Sukanvaran nami nua'sir Iran (4/ 2343-2350);Tara'iq-al haqayiq (3/441-447)