Sayyid Ali Qadi Tabatabaii’s Role in the Recent Promotion of Shiite School of Mysticism

The Late Sayyid Ali Qadi Tabatabaii is a 14th century mystic whose mystical school came from Najaf. There is a disagreement over what mystic Qadi’s way of mysticism comes from; nonetheless, the more correct idea is that he received his way from his master Sayyid Ahmad Karbalaii who took it from Mulla Husain Quli Hamadani who from Yayyid Ali Shushtari who from an unknown mystic named Mulla Quli Joala Qazvini. Sayyid Ali Qadi himself has purportedly said that he did not belong to any particular chain of mystics. The question studied here is the theoretical characteristics of the school of this great mystic, his particular style of wayfaring, innovations and role in Shite mysticism in recent years. Referring to his pupils and what is left from him, the author aims to prove that this great mystic has his own particular school in Divine Unity, guardianship and especially style of wayfaring. His legacy helped not only to protect mysticism in the Shiite world in general and in the Shiite seminaries in particular from regression and fall had already begun since 9th century, but also to promote it to its lofty and ideal status.