فصلنامه شیعه شناسی
پیاپی 38 (تابستان 1391)

"Political Jurisprudence" is an important and authentic branch of knowledge which includes a vast content of Islamic civilization in the realm of political thought. Political jurisprudence as a part of the Islamic jurisprudence is able to issue normative commands concerning political duties of individuals (and institutions). According to the "confluence theory", political jurisprudence and political thought are both authentic and can have mutual assistance in Islamic government. Accordingly we need both; none of them can determine all political duties independently. When observing classical political jurisprudence aposteriori, we notice that it deals with individuals but observing it as a priori it can principally study the government as a part of its subject matter too. So it can dictate each one of five legal norms including obligation, forbidden, recommended, indifferent, and reprehensible. But the theory of government and the theory of state are principally a philosophical problem, which are discussed in political philosophy.

Ahl al-Bayt and Shia scholars have frequently warned against the actions and ideas of the extremist groups and introduced some of their leaders to people. Unfortunately, nevertheless, some of their actions and ideas have put its impact on the Shia Quranic culture, especially on the interpretation of the Quran. This article intends to examine some of these actions, which happened in the realm of the Shiite Quranic culture and wants to find out their effective measures in this regard. Introducing some instances of extremists, we put forth some of their actions such as Hadith-fabrication, offering wrong interpretations of verses, and spreading wrong ideas to influence the Quranic culture of Shi’ites.

The examination of the decline of cleric's social influence specified in some researches and reports as a realized event needs to be studied on a comprehensive pattern including all direct and indirect effective factors involved in the decline in various levels and in combination with each other and the method of their examination separately. To expand upon this pattern, this paper endeavors first to describe the concept of "social influence" to find out its creative factors by detecting its characteristics. Then, taken that a part of this decline results from weaknesses and feebleness in providing its formative factors, the paper offers the efficient factors developing the clergy social influence in an paradigm fashion and finally, expanding it in the three levels: the people, social structure, and the clergymen, gains access to the detailed model of the decline of the clergy social influence in Iran. It also answers the question that weather the establishment of a religious government in Iran and entering political power can decisively explain the decline of their social influence or not?

The continent of Africa is one of the greatest Muslim inhabited regions in the world. Shia Muslims also immigrated to Africa from the very early years of Islam and kept their presence during centuries in different parts of this continent. In this paper we tend to recognize the quality and quantity of their presence in this continent and the most important problems and opportunities they now have along with suggestions to improve their conditions and reduce their problems. In this paper they are divided by an accurate study into four parts in terms of their life environment: the Shiites in North Africa (white Africa), west Shiites, east Shiites, and south Shiites. The division is based on their equal conditions in each one of these parts.

Alawites are among Shia groups that due to oppressions and disrespects that Sunni Muslims leveled against them, particularly during Othmanids government, have impelled to live in hidden forts in the mountains of present-day Syria under bad social and economic conditions. After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and starting the period of the French protectorate they were greatly favored in such a manner that allowed them to enter very soon in the army, security organizations, the Bath party and even they could establish an independent state under the support of France during 1936-1922. After the independence of Syria in 1944 these backgrounds helped them gain the authority by some coups and come out of the protectorate conditions and finally establish a secular government in 1971 presided over by General Hafiz Asad. Today they see the fundamental Muslim movements and groups such as Ikhvan al-Muslimin, Hamas, and Hizb Allah as a menace to their existence. On the other hand the waves of the recent anti dictatorship movements raised in the Arab world has reached Syria which is considered, especially beside its anti-oppression features, a movement of the majority Sunni Muslims against the minority Alawites.

Mahmud Gawan, the prominent minister of Bahmani kings, was born in a plutocrat family in Gilan. Some Gilanian governors intrigued and plotted against him and he was urged to immigrate to Deccan and very soon he entered Bahmani court. Showing his genius in military and political matters, he grasped their attention and earned the position of ministry. Mahmud Gawan did worthy services during his ministry position. His measures during the period of Bahmani kings were successful and efficient in cultural and political developments; in a manner that he changed his period to one of the most brilliant periods of Muslim rulers in Deccan. His military policies caused the frontiers of the Bahmani kingdom to be stabilized and thus his actions not only saved the Bahmani government from an unexpected decline but also caused the establishment of security and economic improvement in this period. He also developed Islamic culture and civilization by supporting Shiism and advocating the Persian language. He influenced his military commanders religiously as well as paved the way for announcing Shiism as the official religion in Deccan.

Nadir Quli Bayg Afshar allied himself with the second Safavid Shah Tahmasb (the son of Shah Sultan Husain) in 1139 (A.H.) and liberated Khurasan in his name from the occupation of King Mahmud Sistani. He took the reign of Shah Tahmasb's government since. Observing Nadir's political and military ever-increasing progresses, Ashraf Afghan who succeeded Mahmud Afghan after being murdered in 1137 A.H. decided to seize the opportunity of the engagement of Nadir in conquering Harat and campaigned to Khurasan. However, after sustaining heavy defeats from Nadir's her army retreated away to Shiraz and Nadir finally scattered them in totality in the vicinity of Zarqan. Thus, in 1142 A.H. Nadir entered Shiraz proudly and by his command the trusteeship of Shah Chiragh was given to the former trustee again. He also assigned a great sum for the development of Shah Chiragh and dedicated a precious gift to that holy shrine. Once again, in campaigning to Shiraz in 1146 (A.H.) to suppress his revolting commander: Muhammad Khan Baluch, he went on pilgrimage to Shah Chiragh and paid a sum of money for repairing that Shrine. Given that Nadir is supposed to be a Sunni Muslim, this paper tends to answer the question weather his actions in supporting Shiism and developing their holy shrines were arisen out of a kind of political policy or that he really believed in Shiite Imams and their pious and noble children or not?