The Role of History in Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid's Theological Conflicts concerning the Battle of Jamel

The book of al-Jamel was written to prove the legitimacy of Imam 'Ali in the Battle of Jamel. Theological views of Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid's contemporary sects on this event impressed and persuaded him to write about the Battle of Jamel and selecting of historical narratives about it. The question is what intellectual conditions influenced Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid to gathere the narratives of the Jamal and to write this book? Based on the textual analysis of al-Jamal's text, this study shows that Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid was against the two beliefs spreading in the society of the legitimacy of the performance of Companions of the Prophet at the head of the two armies as well as the theory of “Legitimate heads/ Illegitimate companions”. He wrote his work on three axes: the explicit deviation of Jamel fighters from the orders of the Islamic religion; their insistence on war, their rejection of ijtihad and their repentance; the virtues and supereminence of Imam 'Ali.