Talk:Yarsanism

Semi-protected edit request on 7 July 2026

Change “Yarsanism … is an inherited, syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran.” to "Yarsanism, also known as Yārıstān or Ahl-e Haqq, is an inherited Iranian religious tradition practiced principally in western Iran and northern Iraq. Sultan Sahak is a central figure in its sacred history and is associated with the formation of the community in its present form, although the historical origins of the religion cannot be established with certainty."

Change infobox from "Founder: Sultan Sahak Origin: late 14th century, Western Iran Classification: Iranian, Abrahamic Theology: Syncretic Scripture: Kalâm-e Saranjâm" to "Central figure: Sultan Sahak Historical origin: Uncertain; its institutional formation is associated with Sultan Sahak Classification: Iranian religion Sacred texts: Kalām traditions and manuscript collections in Gorani, Turkic, Persian, and Luri"

Change: “The Yarsanis have a distinct religious literature primarily written in the Gorani language. However, few modern Yarsani can read or write Gorani, as their mother tongue is Southern Kurdish or Sorani. Some Yarsanis in Iran speak a Turkic language close to Azeri, while some Yarsanis in Iraq speak Arabic.” To: "The Yārıstān possess a multilingual body of religious literature transmitted in Gorani, Turkic varieties spoken in western Iran, Persian, and Luri. Different linguistic and dynastic communities preserve their own textual traditions. Gorani is an important language of Yārıstān sacred literature, while Turkish-speaking Yārıstān communities in Iran also preserve an extensive body of sacred poems, discourses, and manuscripts."

Change: “However, Yarsani tradition claimed that all early Yarsanis used Gorani as their religious language, and that some Yarsani communities were forced to adopt another language.” To: "Some scholarly accounts maintain that Gorani was originally the common religious language of the Yārıstān and that certain communities subsequently adopted other languages. Other research documents distinct and internally authoritative textual traditions in Turkic, Persian, and Luri as well as Gorani."

Change: “The Yarsani tradition claims that all early communities used Gorani as their religious language, but that over time, some groups were forced to adopt a Turkic language closely akin to Azeri for all purposes, including religion.” To: "Turkic-speaking Yārıstān communities preserve religious texts in varieties of Turkic spoken in western Iran. The historical relationship between the Gorani and Turkic textual traditions is interpreted differently by scholars: some describe Turkic as a later replacement for Gorani, while Geranpayeh documents a substantial Turkish-language tradition recognized by members and religious authorities of the communities that preserve it."

Change: “Their central religious book is called the Kalâm-e Saranjâm, written in the 15th century and based on the teachings of Sultan Sahak.” To: "Yārıstān sacred literature consists of several collections of religious poetry, discourses, narratives, and ritual teachings, often referred to collectively as kalām or Daftar-e Kalām. The Kalām-e Saranjām is one important textual collection, but different spiritual houses preserve distinct versions and manuscript traditions whose central religious content substantially overlaps."

Change: “The traditions of the Yarsani are preserved in poetry known as Kalâm-e Saranjâm (The Discourse of Conclusion), as well as in divinely revealed narratives passed down orally from generation to generation.” To: "Yārıstān teachings are preserved in bodies of sacred poetry known as kalām, together with religious discourses, myths, historical narratives, ritual instructions, and orally transmitted teachings. These materials exist in multiple manuscript and linguistic traditions, including Gorani, Turkic, Persian, and Luri. Different xānıdāns, or spiritual houses, may preserve different versions of the Daftar-e Kalām, although the principal religious content is broadly shared. The Kalām-e Saranjām is among the best-known collections associated with the tradition."

Change: “The sayings attributed to Sultan Sahak are written in Gorani Kurdish, the sacred language of the Ahl-e Haqq, which is also known as the Hawrami dialects.” To: "Many sayings attributed to Sultan Sahak are preserved in Gorani, an important sacred and literary language of several Yārıstān communities. Other Yārıstān communities preserve sacred texts in Turkic, Persian, and Luri."

Add the Turkish manuscript tradition to “Holy texts.” Place the following paragraph after the discussion of Gorani and Persian texts: "A Turkic textual tradition is preserved among Yārıstān communities in western Iran. The Kälāmāt-ı torkī, compiled by Pīr Säyyed Kāżem Nīknežād, contains 330 sacred poems attributed to twenty-four poets and is written in Arabic script in a western Iranian Turkic variety."

Change: “In the Fourth Epoch, the Haft Tan or ‘seven persons’ charged by Sultan Sahak with responsibility for the affairs of the inner realm consist of the following…”

The article then lists: Pir Benjamin Pir Musi Mustafā Dawan Sultan Sahak Baba Yadegar Khatun-e Razbar Dawud Koswar

To: "Accounts of the membership and organization of the Haft Tan vary among Yārıstān textual and dynastic traditions. One commonly cited account gives the following seven figures:

Pir Benjamin Pir Musi Mustafā Dawan Sultan Sahak Baba Yadegar Khatun-e Razbar Dawud Koswar

In the Turkish-speaking Yādıgārī tradition documented by Geranpayeh, Bınyāmīn, Dāvūd, Mūsī, and Rämzbār are described as the four angels; together with Müṣṭäfā, Yādıgār, and Sultan Sahak, they form the Haft Tan. Geranpayeh also notes that some Pīrs give Shah Ibrahim a place in an alternative enumeration."

Change: "Yarsanism is organised into spiritual houses or Khandans, seven of which were established at the time of Sultan Sahak, and four afterwards, making eleven Khandans in all.”

To: "Yarsanism is organized into spiritual houses or khandans (xānıdāns), but sources differ concerning their number. Moradi and Safizadeh identify eleven houses, whereas Geranpayeh, following information provided by Pīr Säyyed Kāżem Nīknežād of the Yādıgārī house, records sixteen. The difference appears to reflect variations in the recognition and enumeration of spiritual houses among Yārıstān communities and sources."

Change: "Ahl-e Haqq view Islam as a product of a cycle of divine essence…"

To: "The historical and theological relationship between Yārıstān and Islam is interpreted differently by scholars and by different Yārıstān traditions. Some accounts explain Yārıstān teachings through Shiʿi and Sufi concepts, while others regard the Yārıstān as an independent Iranian religion rather than an Islamic sect. Scholarship has suggested that Yārıstān is neither a sect nor a branch of Islam and that this framing is used as a disguise against persecution. The transmigration of the soul, the absence of a doctrine of heaven and hell, and the ritual role of music and sacred song positions Yārıstān as an independent religion."

Cite: Geranpayeh, Behrouz. Yārıstān – die Freunde der Wahrheit: Religion und Texte einer vorderasiatischen Glaubensgemeinschaft. PhD dissertation, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 2006. 317v (talk) 12:30, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: Is a single PhD dissertation really your sole source for all these extensive changes? At the very least, you'll need to provide inline citations, and I'd suggest making individual, smaller edit requests for each change rather than 1 giant one. Day Creature (talk) 19:13, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

The author of the dissertation is a member of a khandan in Hamedan. The dissertation was the first to transcribe and translate sacred Yaran texts. ~2026-38716-39 (talk) 20:08, 7 July 2026 (UTC)