Imam's (AS) Confrontation with the Ethical Nihilists's Intellectual and Cultural Deviations (with an Emphasis on Deferrers and Extremists)

The persistence of ethical nihilism thoughts from the past to the present among some of the Islamic sects and consequently the damage undertaken by the Islamic culture and civilization increases the necessity of paying attention to it. It might be said that ethical nihilism thought was practiced by the Deferrers and the Extremists in the early Islamic centuries. The Deferrers and the Extremists each with certain beliefs have promoted ethical nihilism thoughts. Here, the question is: How did Shiite Imams (AS) confront the diverse and destructive beliefs of Ethical Nihilists? The study of historical and narrative sources shows that religious leaders have rejected this deviant belief and have always considered action as a part of faith. They have severely confronted the ethical nihilism thoughts of the Deferrers and the Extremists. Even in some cases, they have cursed and acquitted the Ethical Nihilists. This study presents an overview of this deviation and deals with the Imams’ (AS) method of confrontation with it.