Anjoman-e Safakhaneh was situated in Isfahan's Julfa area (Isfahan

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

neighborhood) located south of Isfahan. This location has been the site of religious debate. It was founded by Agha Najafi Esfahani and Haj Aqa Nourollah Najafi Isfahani in 1902. The Christian missionaries and representatives of the Muslims used to discuss there. This place was one of the first centers of conversation between religions and cultures. Anjoman-e Safakhaneh is considered by some to be one of the first structured places designed for the discussion of religion. Haj Agha Nurollah Najafi, a prominent and influential cleric of Isfahan's constitution ordered its construction in the years before the Persian Constitutional Revolution in the Jolfa neighborhood of Isfahan to counter Christian propaganda against Islam at that time. Anjoman-e Safakhaneh was a safe place for scientific, rational, and religious debate. It offered discussion without insult.

History

Christian missionaries who had traveled from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

learned

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, and published books against Islam came to Isfahan and began a struggle against Islam. Their leader was called Tizdal. He took up residence in the Jolfa neighborhood of Isfahan and invited scholars of Isfahan to debate. He published a book on the rejection of Islam called ''Janabi al-Islam''. Agha Najafi Esfahani and Haj Aqa Nourollah tried to argue with them. In cooperation with Roknolmolk Shirazi, Dai-al-Islam was appointed to discuss them. While electing one person to debate

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

's ideas and missionaries, Isfahan scholars, led by Agha Najafi Isfahani and Haj Agha Nourollah, formed a community called the Safakhaneh association in the Jolfa neighborhood.

''Al-Islam'' magazine

The first issue of ''Al-Islam'' was published three months after the establishment of the Anjoman-e Safakhaneh, in September 1903. The magazine published the work of the Anjoman-e Safakhaneh. The magazine described the debate between

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...

scholars and Christian missionaries. It was widely used by Muslim thinkers to confront Christianity and other religions. This magazine was published by the editor of ''Mohammad Ali Da'i al-Islam'', and its publication was sent to other cities and countries such as

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, Hejaz and

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, even to Muslims living in Europe. They used it to prove the power of Islamic reasoning and rationality. The publication of ''Al-Islam'' in the second decade in

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Ayatollah Ayatollah ( ; fa, آیت‌الله, āyatollāh) is an honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Etymology The title is originally derived from Arabic word p ...

Najafi preferred to treat them with respect and courtesy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anjoman-e, Safakhaneh Culture of Iran Cultural centres in Iran Culture in Isfahan Persian Constitutional Revolution

History

''Al-Islam'' magazine

See also

References