فصلنامه تاریخ اسلام
پیاپی 28 (زمستان 1385)

The Kindih tribe was a major Ghahtanid tribe of Yemen, inhabiting areas near Hadhramawt, before they migrated to Najd. Because of the effective role played by Ash‘ath ibn-i Gheys-i Kindi and his clan in a number of events of early Islam, familiarization with his tribe’s past in the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah period is of considerable importance. Investigating this topic helps us to have a better understanding of some ambiguous and dark corners of the early history of Islam such as the Riddah incident, the Islamic conquests and other topics of the kind in which Ash‘ath and his family had been involved one way or another.

The result of twenty years of open invitation and constant missionary work by the Prophet (S) was the extinction of the pre-Islamic Arab Jahili order. This relentless effort on the one hand destroyed the deep-rooted beliefs and inflexible habits of tribal life and on the other, established norms, patterns, and values compatible with an Islamic society on the ruins of the old order. On this difficult road, Qur’anic and divine teachings plus the Prophet’s cultural activities played a vital role in revolutionizing the Jahili social order. Using ethical means to promote confidence-building among the public, the Prophet spread and reinforced the various elements of Islamic culture throughout the society. Rectifying relations among individuals and reforming collective behavior, he also expanded the existing social capacity for the realization and internalization of the new values. The most fundamental element in accelerating this process and promoting the new Islamic norms was the Qur’anic precepts including individual and social duties and rights that were culturally and socially guided and institutionalized under the direct supervision of the person of the Prophet (S). This paper studies and discusses the process of Islamic cultural and social internalization and institutionalization during the Prophet’s lifetime.

Employing the two models of “paradigm” and “political strategy”, this article has embarked on a theoretical investigation into the thought and behavior of various Hashemite inclinations following the ‘Ashura’ uprising. Also, having the effects of ‘Ashura’ on Hashemite conduct in mind, the ideological-political paradigm of the Imamiyyah Shi‘ah and of other political trends as well have been studied in this paper.Under these two main paradigms, the ‘Alawite/Fatimid trend with an emphasis on the Imamis, Hasanids, and zaydids; the ‘Alawite/non-Fatimid trend with an emphasis on the Hanafids; and the ‘Abbasid trend have also been delved into. The paper compares and evaluates these three trends against criterions such as political thought, struggle against the ruling regime or attempting to topple that regime, open or secret struggle, reform, revolution, and relations with other trends.

‘Abd-ul-Karim ibn-i Ab-il-‘Awja’ is among those individuals who were known as atheists in the 2nd century A.H., 8th century AD. He would enter holy Muslim places and freely express his opinions without fear of any retribution. His debates with Ja‘far ibn-i Muhammad (A) and his pupils demonstrate the argumentative methods of Imam as-Sadigh (A) used in dealing with those who rejected the existence of God. Discussing the creed and beliefs of Ibn-i Ab-il-‘Awja’, this paper also studies his debates with Imam as-Sadigh (A).

In the history of Islam the Fatimids and the Buyids came to power almost at the same time. The most significant feature common between these two dynasties was the promotion of new Shi‘ah missionary activities throughout Muslim lands despite the numerical superiority of the Sunnis in the Muslim World. Using their da‘is (missionaries), the Fatimids began their extensive new religious activities though they did not succeed to extend their political sphere of influence beyond Egypt and Greater Syria. With the capture of Baghdad by the Buyids and their control over the ‘Abbasid caliphs, correspondence was exchanged between the new masters of Baghdad and the Fatimid rulers in Cairo leading to a revival of Shi‘ah creed and Shi‘i religious rituals and ceremonies throughout the Muslim World. Although the rise of the Shi‘ah was met by challenges such as the rise of the Seljuq Turks in the East and Ayyubid Kurds in Syria and Egypt, bringing anti-Sh‘ah zeal to its peak during that particular period of Islamic history, the Shi‘ah had already managed to guarantee its survival in the coming centuries.

Ghoomes was an Iranian province and a center for Isma‘ili activities from the 3rd century A.H. to the Mongol invasions under Hulegu. Considering the geographical position of this region and the existence of Gerd-Kuh fortress at a major center of highways near Damghan, the control of this province was of vital importance to Isma‘ili presence from the viewpoint of Hasan-e Sabbah and his successors.Investigating the Isma‘ili activities in Ghoomes, this paper also discusses the geo-strategic importance of this province and the role it played in the establishment, stabilization and prominence of the Isma‘ili power in Iran.

Iran and the Indian Subcontinent have had strong political, social, economic and cultural relations since ancient times. In the Islamic period also various Asian Muslim nations such the Arabs, the Turks, and the Iranian made contacts with the Subcontinent leaving a great impact on Indian civilization.Stressing a number of differences between the Muslims and the Hindus at the present and in the past, some orientalists believe that the nature of the present Muslim community of India is incompatible with the overall aspirations of the country weakening their role in formulating tradition and bringing about change at the regional level. One deep-rooted reflection of such a minimal role can be witnessed in mutual relations between Iran and India and in the difference in worldviews held by the two countries in the contemporary era. Through a reinvestigation of this hypothesis in their studies, researches in Iran and the Indian Subcontinent have come up with new issues vis-à-vis bilateral relations in view of the historical role played by Islam in the formation of such relations as well.Paying special attention to particular aspects of this issue, this article studies the theoretical foundations of political, social, and cultural relations between Iran and India with an emphasis on the influence of Islam on historical developments in the two countries.