Remarks on the Discourse of Delegation in Early Islamic Centuries

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Shiism came under the spotlight of orientalists who engaged in a historical analysis of Shiite beliefs. Some followers of the orientalists among Shiite believers have in the last few decades adopted the same approach and claimed that Shiite thought has evolved through history even in its basic foundations. An example of this attitude can be found in the book Crisis and Consolidation in the formative Period of shı̒ʻite Islam by Seyed Hoseyn Modarresi Tabstabayi.The writer’s purpose in the present article is to propose a plan for a report on the development of Imamite thought without engaging in normative and theologic discussions in order to provide a more transparent history of early Imamite thought. To this end, the author makes certain remarks on the thinking of Dr. Modarresi Tabâtabâyi regarding the discussion of delegation. Therefore, the first remark relates to the impression of early Imamites concerning the concept of delegation. Then, in the second remark, the problem is examined more extensively and more deeply. In the third remark, the author analyzes the historical understanding of the opinion of Mufaḍḍal ibn Umar Ja’afi regarding the problem of delegation. The article will finish by providing the constructs of delegation in the early hegiraic centuries.