An Investigation of the Riot of Muhammad bin Abdullah (Nafs Zakiyyah) and its Consequences

The main subject in this article is the riot of Muhammad bin Abdullah Nafs Zakiyya, one of the Hassanids. It first deals with the intellectual bases and nature of Hassanid movement so that it can explain the reason for the riot of Muhammad Nafs Zakiyya. The writer of the present article seeks to deal with the factors leading to the defeat of Nafs Zakiyya as well as its consequences. Abbasids who felt that they, compared to Alawids, lacked popularity would attempt to present evidences and reasons for their own legitimacy. Hassanids, on the other hand, would present evidences denoting that they enjoyed the right to succeed the Prophet. The findings of the study show that Hassandis regarded themselves, compared to Abbasids, more closely associated with the Prophet. Indeed, they regarded themselves the real relatives of the Prophet. Accordingly, based on this criterion, they relied on claims such as inheriting Imam Ali's authority and imamate, his greater hasab (paternal honors), and higher nasab (race and blood) as well as Abbasid allegiance to him under Umawids to regard the right of succeeding the Prophet as their own right.