Imam Hassan Askari and Resolving the Challenge of 'Proving Imamate' According to the Model of Focal Propagation

The Imamiya community under the leadership of Imam Hassan Askari (imamate: 254-260 AH) was afflicted by the doctrinal issues. Thus, Imam attempted to make use of various propagative methods to resolve that problem. By propagation, we mean any systemic and direct activity in order to promote a concept including scientific, emotional and behavioral concepts. Considering that the most important challenge facing Imam was the challenge of "belief in Imam", the basic question of this study is as follows: "What propagative methods did Imam use to resolve the doctrinal issue?" The findings suggest that Imam used the model of "focal propagation" in seven steps and applying methods such as the following ones began to resolve this doctrinal issue: holding the imamate house in Samarra, using the propagative capacity of the Abbasid caliphate for introducing Imam, presenting miraculous and extraordinary deeds for removal of doubts, restoration of the propagative network extant from Imam Hadi's age, proclaiming the propagative strategy and proving the related materials, making use of various propagative tools, and supervising the good enforcement of propagation. The present study uses the model of the relational methods and analyzes the historical data to explain the Imam's strategies.