فصلنامه شیعه شناسی
پیاپی 78 (تابستان 1401)

In today's world, the importance of the nation-state as the main political unit is declining and the tendency towards cosmopolitanism is increasing. Cosmopolitanism in contrast to nationalism and nationalism, refers to going beyond the element of nationality in defining the identity and demarcation of human beings and feeling a common and equal concern for the status of all of them, and in the light of that, the concept of global citizenship is introduced.This view provides the basis for the coexistence of followers of different religions and sects, and with this view, they can live more easily in societies with different religions and nationalities than before. Shiites, by experiencing living in multicultural and religiously diverse countries and societies, have tended to define the patriotic world of their identity and in practice have realized the Shiite patriotic world. Despite this discussion, the possibility of presenting this view in the framework of Shiite beliefs and intellectual tradition has not received much attention. Focusing on this issue, the present article tries to examine the possible conditions of the patriotic world in the framework of Shiite traditions and teachings. From the point of view of this article, considering the fundamental position of the principle of justice in Shiite thought, it is possible to accept and identify a kind of moral patriotism.Keywords: Shiism, world of patriotism, promise, justice, Shiite theology, Shiite jurisprudence

The purpose of this study is to complete and correct the values of the fourteen Infallibles (a.s.) properties as a person entity in Schema.org compatible to the Iranian-Islamic information context for the spread and presence of Shiites and infallible Imams (AS) on the Semantic Web. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and a library method by analytical approach in terms of kind research. The research population included the fourteen infallibles (as) properties as a person entity in Schema.org. The method of data collection was documentary research and its tools were interview. The results showed that 31 properties of "person" entity in the Schema.org were compatible with the known attributes of fourteen infallibles (as) whose correct value was determined and recorded. This Schema can be used for information centers and publishers of metadata records related to the fourteen infallibles(as) in the Iranian-Islamic information context in the Web. The use of these properties and its values will improve the accessibility and indexability of the content of the websites of the person databases, international and national name authority file, bibliographic domains and religious contents and consequently increase the better cognition of Islam and especially Shiism and increase cognition in monotheistic and doctrinal issues and principles of Islam. Markuping the identified values by schema properties in syntaxt contexts creates more structured data in the Web environment that will lead to the realization of the Semantic Web, and the retrieval of related knowledge.

The knowledge of ‘recitation’ is one of the sciences formed among Muslims in relation with the Quran and much spread out gradually.  The importance of the Quran among Muslims has caused the importance of the sciences related to it, and the knowledge of ‘recitation’ is no exception. The role of the Shiites in this knowledge and the level of their efforts are among items not considered much, and even sometimes completely ignored. The present article uses a descriptive-analytical method and library data, and seeks through introducing the most important Shiite reciters of the three first centuries to explain some part of the Shiite efforts in that knowledge. To do so, it is enough to refer to the efforts by the Shiite Imams in regard with teaching recitation and educating pupils in that discipline, to the extent that some of the best-known Muslim reciters are enumerated among the Shiites or the disciples of the purified Imams. Besides, the Shiites have composed numerous books in that regard. On the other hand, based on the studies conducted, the idea of ‘Shiite beliefs of some well-known reciters such as ‘Asem, Hamza and Kasa‘i’ – proposed since long ago and accepted in later centuries – is challenged; and, finally, a list of the Shiite-Imami reciters (25 persons), Zeydi reciters (5 persons), and reciters with a Shiite proclivity (9 persons) is presented.

The efforts of the Shiite movement up to the fourth century faced a relatively welcomed trend in the eastern geography of the Islamic caliphate (i.e. Iran). Continuation of the emigration of Alawid Sayyids to various regions of that land and the presence of the Shiite masses, scholars and influential figures prepared the ground for the Shiite political-social infiltration, and their movement gradually emerged in various forms of actions such as wars, riots, invitations and formation of the state. The subject of this study is investigating the effect of emigration as an important factor in spreading and alteration of the destination’s population. The emigration generated a new identity with cultural compatibility, and one of its innovative achievements was formation of the first Shiite city-state of Qom in the early centuries AH as a unit independent from the dominant Abbasid court and denomination. This study considers the social function of emigration as an independent variable effective in spread of the emigrants’ ideology, and concludes – with some investigation – that within the framework of Anthony Giddens’ theory and in the framework of ‘melting furnace’ model, the phenomenon of emigration had an amazing social effect in creating the new identity of Qom city. Finally, the Shiites’ dominance in that city fixed, due to the mutual social actions resulted from the early interaction and acculturation, the political dominance for three decades of governance in that region.

The northern parts of the Indian Peninsula were under the ruling of a Shiite dynasty called Awadh Sultans in 12 and 13 centuries AH. They had a territory independent from Gourkanian dynasty.  From the onset of establishment of Shiism in India by Imam Ali’s agents, the Shiite achievements of Awadh in attracting Hindus to Shiism was considerable. This article uses a descriptive-analytical method to prove that this achievement was not only due to economic and social merits brought about for conversion of Hindus to Shiism, but also due to affinities they observed between Hindu denominations and Shiism. All three methods of piety common among the Hindus (Karma-Marga, Janane-Marga and Bhakti-Marga) had a method similar to Shiism, and those individuals who would convert to Shiism did not have to take a new method in piety. There were also similar doctrinal, ritual and moral components that made the process of accepting Shiism more pleasant, including similarity between the position of Hindu avatars and Shiite Imams, belief in the appearance of the Savior, belief in resorting [to sacred persons], implementing the traditions of purification and abstinence, vows and pilgrimage, collective religious rites, and removal of some borders of social classes. Of course, we must acknowledge that the efforts of the Awadh Sultans to promote Shiite beliefs, rites and morality in that era facilitated Hindus’ contact with the Shiite emblems, and gave them the opportunity to have an experience with Shiism.

Heinz Halm, the prominent German scholar who studied Shiism, conducted considerable studies on Shiism – especially from the formation of historical beliefs and evolutions of Shiism to the formation of Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979 – in the late 20th century. After translating those works into Persian and Arabic and attracting the attention of scholars and researchers on Shiism, his works – especially his best-known work entitled Shiism (1988) – were subject to review and criticism.  In addition to rereading Halm’s works, this article tries to evaluate his approach to Shiite studies and the background of its formation, i.e. the Shiite studies in the West in 20th century. The basic question of this inquiry is as follows: “Where has Halm’s approach to Shiite studies originated from and what issues has it answered in this regard in the West?” Halm’s major research activities that has formed his specialized academic sphere of activity have influenced his general efforts in identifying Shiism in the academic milieu in the West. Thus, investigating his views from this perspective and considering its proper share seems necessary. Besides, it must be noted that Halm’s Shiite studies can also be interpreted as a kind of scientific reaction to political events of the last decades of the 20th century in the Islamic world, especially in the Middle East.