An investigation and analysis of the policy of the oppositional group to the political reforms of Imam Ali

When Imam Ali (Peace be Upon Him) became the Caliph, he announced his main political and reformist program as the return to the Sunnah of Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) and the reforms of the prophet which he believed had not been followed for some time. The leftovers of the Jaheliyah and the customs and the changes which had occurred after the death of the prophet formed the main obstacles to Imam to achieve his reforms. These obstacles had a great number of indices some of which had origins in the tribal societies and the dominant views over the Arab community of that time and some of these obstacles were related to the conditions of the society due to the three caliphs before Imam Ali (Peace be Upon Him). This article deals with these obstacles and attempts to probe into them