The Correction of Verses from Jami’s Sabhat Al-Abrār

The Jami’s “Haft Awrang” and its consequent work, "Sobhat Al-Abrar," despite its language's lack of complexity, has remained unaltered from tampering and distortions by abrogators and copyists. This fact has prevented the proponents from having a reliable printed version of it. Apart from publications outside of Iran, the printed version by Mostafa Modarresi Gilani (1958) and the edition by Miras-e-Maktoob Publications (2012) are two widely used and trusted versions within Iran. The “Miras-e Maktoob” Publications' printed edition, despite being the most recent edition of this work, is not free from errors and misreadings. In this article, the text of "Sobhat Al-Abrar" from the Miras-e Maktoob Publications is examined and edited based on three handwritten copies (two from the Ayasofya Library and one from the Library of the Islamic Consultative Assembly), the variants mentioned in the footnotes of the Miras-e-Maktoob Publications' edition, and Modarresi Gilani's printed edition. The results indicate that, in most cases, Modarresi Gilani's printed edition is superior to the corrected Miras-e-Maktoob Publications' version despite the latter's chronological precedence. The handwritten copies used, the variants and literary traditions, also confirm this. Additionally, this article addresses other errors and editorial mistakes found in this correction. 
Introduction:
One of Jami's most significant poetic works, which has secured his place among the great poets of Iran, is "Haft Awrang". This Package is a collection of seven works comprising; "Selselat adh-dhahab", "Salaman-o Absāl", "Tohfat Al-ahrār", "Sabhat Al-abrār", "Yusof-o Zulaikhā", "Layli-o Majnun", and" Kheradnāma-i Eskandari".
The fourth Awrang of the seven, "Sabhat al-abrār", which is the focus of this article, is composed in the Ramal (fa'elatun, fa'alatun, fa'alun) and spans the stages of spiritual journey, education, and refinement across forty "aqd" (sections) are presented. In each of these "aqd", Jami introduces fundamental principles of mysticism and, in connection with them, presents allegories and anecdotes. Jami, following the approach of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, studied the works of Muḥyiddin Ibn ʿArabi, and the influence of this study is evident in "Sabhat al-abrar", "Tohfat al-ahrar", and some of his other extant works.
Top of Form
The most recognized editions of "Haft Awrang" in Iran are the corrections by Morteza Modarresi Gilani (1958) and the edition published by Miras-e Maktoob Publishing (2012).
Morteza Modarresi Gilani's edition was first published in Tehran. Modarresi Gilani did not elaborate on the quality of the manuscripts or the methodology of correcting "Haft Awrang".
The latest edition of Jami's "Haft Orang" was released by Miras-e Maktoob Publishing in 2012 in two volumes. This edition, despite being considered the most recent, reveals certain deficiencies, which are the subject of discussion in this article. The publication includes an introduction by A'la Khan Afsahzad, along with research and corrections by Jabeleqa Dad Ali Shah, Asghar Janfada, Zaher Ahrari, and Hossein Ahmad Tarbiat. Although Miras-e Maktoob's correction is the latest, it is not without flaws, and the discussion of these issues forms the focus of this paper.
Materials and Methods:
Morteza Modarresi Gilani's edition was first published in Tehran in 1337 SH (1959 CE). Modarresi Gilani did not elaborate on the quality of the manuscripts or the methodology of correcting "Haft Awrang".
The latest edition of Jami's "Haft Orang" was released by Miras-e Maktoob Publishing in 1391 SH (2012 CE) in two volumes. This edition, despite being considered the most recent, reveals certain deficiencies, which are the subject of discussion in this article. The publication includes an introduction by A'la Khan Afsahzad, along with research and corrections by Jabeleqa Dad Ali Shah, Asghar Janfada, Zaher Ahrari, and Hossein Ahmad Tarbiat. The correctors have utilized corrections from seven handwritten manuscripts and one printed version. The specifications of the handwritten manuscripts they employed are as follows:
 
Table 1 - List of Manuscripts Used in the Miras-e Maktoob Printing:




No.


Place of Preservation


Date of Transcription




1


Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan - Eastern Manuscript Storage


895




2


Russian Academy of Sciences- Institute of Oriental Manuscripts


 




3


Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan - Eastern Manuscript Storage


980




4


Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan - Eastern Manuscript Storage


908




5


The National Library of Russia, Saint-Petersburg


933




6


Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan - Eastern Manuscript Storage


997




7


Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan - Eastern Manuscript Storage


Unknown




The printed version used in the Miras-e Maktoob correction, titled "Haft Awrang-e Jami", was published in 1333 AH (1944 CE) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, under the efforts of Khwaja Ghulam Rasul bin Khwaja Muhammad Rasul.
Despite being considered the most recent correction of this work, the Miras-e Maktoob edition exhibits certain deficiencies, which constitute the subject of discussion in this article. Three handwritten manuscripts were utilized for the correction of verses in this article:

Manuscript from the Library of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, No. 187, dated 886-897.
Manuscript from The Hagia Sophia Library, No. 4207, dated 877.
Manuscript from The Hagia Sophia Library, No. 4209, which, according to Dr. Mahmoud Abedi's introduction to " Nafahat al-Uns," was written during the poet's lifetime.

As observed, these three manuscripts, in terms of historical precedence, precede the manuscript used in the Miras-e Maktoob edition. In addition to their historical significance, in some instances, they confirm the recordings and corrections made by Morteza Modarresi Gilani, despite its antiquity. To ensure the accurate representation of the verses, an examination and correction of the verses were conducted based on the three mentioned manuscripts, the print by Morteza Modarresi Gilani, and the alternative versions mentioned in the footnotes of the Miras-e Maktoob edition, considering literary traditions and the Persian language.
Results and Discussion:
The activities undertaken in this article are categorized into three main sections:

Identification and Correction of Inaccuracies in Miras-e Maktoob Corrections: The article addresses inaccuracies present in the Miras-e Maktoob edition, encompassing the current manuscripts (Islamic Consultative Assembly, Hagia Sophia 4207, and Hagia Sophia 4209), as well as the print by Morteza Modarresi Gilani. Through a comparative analysis, the correct renditions have been presented. Examples include:

Page 612, Line 1133: In the second hemistich, the term "کوب" lacks a meaningful interpretation. It is highly likely that "کور" is the correct term. The writings in Hagia Sophia 4207 and Hagia Sophia 4209 manuscripts also support this word.


Orthographic Errors: The article highlights instances of spelling errors. Examples include:

Page 540, Line 1480: Considering the meter, "آیینه" should be corrected to "آینه".
Editing: Editing-related issues have been addressed, encompassing: Separation of words that, in some instances, has led to misreadings.
Blending of a hemistich from one verse with a hemistich from another.



Through these analytical approaches, the article aims to enhance the precision and scholarly reliability of corrected versions, contributing to the discourse on Jami's "Haft Awrang" by rectifying inaccuracies present in Miras-e Maktoob corrections and other relevant sources.
Conclusion:
The poem "Sabhat al-Abrar" that has been picked from Jami's collection of Haft Awrang is a piece that, despite its simplicity of expression and language, has not remained immune to the misreadings of copyists, scribes, and editors. The most recent correction of Haft Awrang and consequently "Sabhat al-Abrar" has been published by a group of editors at the Miras-e-Maktoob Publications. Despite the merits of this correction, the work is not free from misreadings and other flaws. In this research, considering three authoritative manuscripts, the print by Morteza Modarresi Gilani, and the alternative versions mentioned in the footnotes of the work, the textual errors and misreadings were examined and corrected. This endeavor aims to provide scholars and researchers with these corrections before the publication of a new revised edition of the work. In most cases, the manuscripts and alternative versions confirm the recording by Morteza Modarresi Gilani, serving as a guide to emphasize that in future corrections, attention should not stray far from this printed version.