Discourse Analysis of Imam Reza's Debates

One of the main characteristics of Imam Reza's menology was his encounters with the representatives of other religions in the context of debates which turned into an arena for protecting Islamic ideologies, Imamate, Shia's legitimate beliefs and especially his rightfulness and competency to Imamate and Caliphate while al-Mamun –the Abbasid Caliph- sought to benefit from such debates otherwise. His solid arguments, citation to first-hand sources of Abrahamic religions and full knowledge over the languages and interpretations of Holy Scriptures are among the most amazing features of these debates which led to Imam Reza's victory and the other party's failure at the end of each debate
 This article answers questions including: Discourse-analysis speaking, how are Imam Reza's debates analyzed? What aspects of the both parties of such debates are revealed during these analyses? What are the characteristics and capacities of Imam Reza's debates in terms of verbal communication and religious propagation By answering these questions, this paper seeks to view these debates differently and examine them critically by applying critical discourse analysis in form of variables and functional items. Exploring Imam Reza's debates with the representatives of other religions and sects with an eye on words, perspective, metaphor, historical coherence, citation and structural emphasis indicates that though proving his rightfulness and rejecting the other party's claims, Imam Reza avoided unethical dispute and used such debates as a platform to prove Imamate and the Holy Prophet's Seal of Prophecy through precision, accuracy, politeness and respect.