A Newly Discovered Letter from Āyatallāh Shubayrī Zanjānī to Professor Mīnuvī (1958/1337 Sh.)
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10.22081/jap.2026.80043
Abstract
The document presented here is a previously unpublished letter written by Āyatallāh Shubayrī Zanjānī in 1958 (1337 Sh.), when, in his own words, he was “one of the students of the Qom Seminary.” Addressed to the renowned scholar Mujtabā Mīnuvī—whom the author respectfully describes as the “celebrated master”—the letter concerns an inquiry about the whereabouts of the lost work Madīnat al-‛Ilm. Beyond the historical significance of its contents, the letter is noteworthy for its elegant prose and fine handwriting, both of which reflect the scholarly culture and literary refinement of its young author. Among the many letters preserved in the Mīnuvī archival collection, the editor found this document particularly remarkable for two distinct reasons, which motivated its publication. In addition to shedding light on an early stage in the scholarly life of Āyatallāh Shubayrī Zanjānī, the letter offers valuable evidence concerning intellectual networks, bibliographical interests, and scholarly correspondence in mid-twentieth-century Iran.
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