فصلنامه شیعه شناسی
پیاپی 37 (بهار 1391)

The people of Fotowwat (chivalrousness) were among the social and ritual groups in the history of Islam and Iran, emphasizing the moral and chivalrous principles in human relations. The moral principles and rules and the rites of the people of Fotowwat have been written down in Fotowwat-Nāmas (literally: ‘letters of chivalrousness’). Besides, in these works, the writers have attempted to introduce the moral role models of chivalrousness. The most important central figure introduced as the role model of chivalrousness is Imam Ali (PBUH). In the present article, we have tried to investigate the Imam’s status in Fotowwat-Nāmas to show that while Imam Ali has not been mentioned in Selmi’s Fotowwat-Nāma in the 5th century, his status is a central and undoubted one in the Fotowwat-Nāmas from the 6th century on. Anyway, in the Fotowwat-Nāmas of the Il-Khānid period, especially in Kāshānī’s Tohfat al-Ikhwān, in addition to Imam’s central role, the Shiite beliefs not mentioned in other Fotowwat-Nāmas are explicitly stated, and this prepared the ground for introduction of these beliefs into the Fotowwat-Nāmas of the later periods.

Religious scholars and clergies played an undoubted role in the Constitutional Movement in Iran. The most important measure taken by constitutionalist scholars was theorizing the tenets and elements of constitutionalism and the related concepts based on Islamic teachings, and naturalizing these concepts for the religious society of Iran. Akhund Khorasani, the great scholar of Najaf seminary and the master of many jurists and religious authorities of that time, was leading the constitutionalist scholars. One of the aspects of his influence on Constitutionalist Movement was his attempt to theorize constitutionalism and the new concepts and institutions introduced along with it in Iran, as well as his attempt to conform it to Islamic teachings based on Shiite political thought in the Occultation Period. The present article studies the arguments put forward by him for the Constitutionalist Movement. Akhund Khorasani, as a prominent jurist and scholar, dealt with this issue by postulating the theory of ‘usurpation of Shiite governance in the Occultation Period’, and by applying jurisprudential rules and those of principles of jurisprudence, such as “repelling worse with bad” and “protecting the Islamic territory”. He has recognized elements of constitutionalism in the west to prove the consistency of each of those elements with Islamic tenets, and regarded constitutionality of the government as the only way of freeing the country from the hegemony of the foreigners and an instance of ‘protecting the Islamic territory’. Akhund Khrasani’s approach to ‘constitutionalism’ and the related concepts – such as rule of law, limiting the sovereign’s power, representation, equality of all people before the law, as well as freedom of expression and criticism according to religious laws – has gone much beyond the limits of fatwa and religious justification – the task of most religious authorities. In view of unfamiliarity of the Iranian religious society with the abovementioned concepts from the beginning of twentieth century, he explained these doctrines with a religious approach.

After revelation of the Holy Quran in a language similar to that of the Arabs, tens of thousands of traditions transmitted from the Prophet and his Household were written in the same language (see Husseini 1417 AH., p. 142; Hakimi, 1381, p. 37). Texts such as Nahj al-Balāgha and Sahīfa Sajjādiyya as well as the most beautiful themes and the deepest human prayers addressed towards God Almighty have been uttered in that language; and this was the greatest service to Arabic language.In the last two centuries, a movement was formed in the vast Islamic lands, referred to as the ‘Islamic Awakening Movement’. An invitation to this movement was called out by the Muslim scholars and mentors in various countries. This invitation enjoyed important intellectual and cultural dimensions which, in turn, were the keys to its progress and permanence. A fundamental thought and a strong stimulant for the widespread Islamic movement was the idea of returning to the Quran; and another one – less discussed – was the idea of returning to Nahj al-Balāgha and Imam Ali’s thoughts. The Awakening Movement was linked with the international Islam, not being confined in racial and tribal limits; just as Nahj al-Balāgha itself is an international document, not being restricted to Shiites. In turning to Nahj al-Balāgha, however, there has been much negligence; therefore, this important source must be actively attended to.

The Abbasid Da’wa (invitation) and the Imāmiyya Wekāla (representation) were two secret organizations active in various areas of Islamic lands. Shiite Imams, in their presence, were using Wekāla organization for communicating with Shiites. Abbasids were also making use of Dā’īs (inviters) for diffusing their Da’wa (invitation). Through a comparative study of these two organizations, we may have a better historical judgment of the Imams’ performance and that of the Shiites as well as the Abbasids and their followers.The main question of this article is as follows: “what were the differences and similarities of these two organizations?” The organizational structure of the two organizations was in a pyramid form and both enjoyed three-level geographical stations. However, they had differences as to the degree of complexity and the scope of supervision. Both organizations had financial and relational duties; however, the Wekāla organization had scientific and guiding functions as well.

Anthropological researches are a branch of sociological researches, mostly conducted with a qualitative method. In this type of research, the researcher tries to enter the research milieu with a multicultural mentality and with no prejudice to find his answers using a variety of techniques. The present article is a sample of this type of anthropological researches, conducted qualitatively by studying documents and interviews on the subject of ‘petition well of Jamkarān’. Some of the research questions are as follows: ‘Is the Jamkarān petition well a sacred place?’; ‘Is throwing written petitions into the Jamkarān well a superstitious practice or a religiously documented one?’; ‘If it is religiously documented, was it being done by religious scholars and great religious men as well?’; ‘What is the typology of those who throw their written petitions into the Jamkarān well?’; ‘May we classify the opponents of this practice into various types intellectually?’. Some of the research findings are as follows: This well has no sacred aspect and has been dug just for throwing written petitions; writing petitions is religiously documented in Islamic traditions; and the religious scholars would do this as well. Besides, the opponents and proponents of this practice are of a wide range.

Yazd has been of great importance as one of the critical connective points in the central Iran, on the paths of Fars, Khorasan and non-Arab Iraq provinces. In the beginning of the Islamic period, Yazd was unnoticed by the Muslims, since it was of little economic or agricultural importance. Provinces such as Fars, Kerman, Isfahan, and Khorasan attracted Arabs’ attention more. This resulted in little knowledge on Yazd in the early centuries of Islamic period, and the city did not receive much of historians’ attention.With Shiite Buyids’ rule over Iran and their sovereignty over Baghdad, and with the residence of an Alawid descendent of Imam Sadeq in Yazd and another branch in Abarqu, as well as Yazd’s position as the territory of a Kakuid offshoot of Buyids, there came an increase in the number of Shiites in this city. With the transfer of this government to Yazd and an attempt for the prosperity of this city as well as a special attention paid to the cultural and educational issues there, Yazd transformed to an influential city in the central Iran. Besides, by establishing familial relations with Seljuqs of Kerman, Kakuids managed to produce a peaceful milieu for cultural activities. In the present article, we are seeking to investigate the hypothesis that Alawids and Sayyids as well as the Yazd branch of Kakuids prepared the ground for diffusion of Shiism in Yazd. The research method used here is the descriptive-analytical method.

Elegies for the Prophet’s Household under the Abbasid dynasty enjoyed a variety of themes and structures; however, the distinguishing features of these elegies are as follows: the importance of remembrance of the Prophet’s Household, the status of their mission in the society, explaining the Prophet’s succession and his Household’s authority, criticizing the oppressive despotic rulers, and so on. In the elegies of this period, there were themes specific to elegy of the prophet’s Household; the following ones are among them: linking the Karbala incident to the Saqīfa incident, good tidings of Imam Mahdi’s coming, overt and courageous defense of his rightness, hope in the intercession by the Prophet’s Household [in the Judgment Day], their murderers’ being deprived of this intercession, and so on.In the elegies of the Prophet’s Household in that period, there appear two structures: imitative structure and modern structure. Among the old imitative structures, we may refer to the following ones: using various imageries, using the element of emotion, using the element of prayer, etc. Among the modern structures, we may refer to knowledge of what has remained from the sayings of the Prophet’s Household.