فصلنامه شیعه پژوهی
پیاپی 2 (بهار 1394)

Recognition of Shiite thought in Iran in the sixth century AH to the ninth, still need a better understanding of the characters and works of Shiites that have directed the Shiite community in central Iran - Sabzevar, AstarAbad, Ray, Aveh, Farahan, Qom, Kashan, Semnan and Damghan. One of these figures which little is known in the last three decades, and still has unknown works, is Mohammad Ibn Hussein Razi Abi. He is the author of “Tabserat Al-Avam” which over nearly five centuries was known by the name of someone else. Some of his works on theology and jurisprudence have been found and some have been published. The core of the present paper is a review of the works and thoughts of him as a new-found linkage of Shiite thought in the first half of the seventh century.

One of the oldest and most important of Shiite hadith sources which studies Prophet’s life is Al-Kafi by Kulaini. Kulaini in section “Mawlid al-Nabi” have chosen 40 traditions from the large number of remained traditions. In this study, we are trying to find the method and rhyme of Kulaini in selecting this hadiths; and also to find the influence of Kulaini’s contemporary views on his work. By Textual and Documentary Investigation of “Mawlid al-Nabi” we conclude that the purpose and the main concern of Kulaini was not just historical survey, but to demonstrate the Prophet’s characteristics and capabilities and to present divine Proofs (Hojjat). Kulaini chose the midmost way between two widely held views about dignity of innocents. One view Emphasis on ultra-human characteristics and other one insistence on human characteristics. He paid special attention to unusual aspects of the Prophet and gathered more traditions to strengthen this aspect.

Of the theological issues which have occupied all theological sects, is Imamat. Imamat has special status in Twelver Shiism. Any believe In Shiism related to Imamat and can’t be explained regardless of that. One of the Imamat features that distinguished between the Shia and other sects is the specific knowledge of the Imam. Imam’s knowledge, from the beginning of the emergence of the Imamat, was the Twelvers concerns, and the disagreement between Imimi scholars, was quantitative and qualitative. This article seeks to analyze the resources associated with the quality of the Imam’s knowledge in the thought of Qom and Baghdad’s scholars, which have studied religious topics with deferent approaches. The final conclusion clears that the followers of these two theological schools have no conflict in this issue.

Aleppo, one of the northern cities of the Levant, was never known as a Shiite center during the presence of Shia Imams, but gradually Ismailis, Shia families and descendants of Prophet were scattered in the area. The rule of Hamdanids prepared an appropriate field for Shia scholars to develop Shia doctrine in these regions. Migration of figures such as Muhammad Ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni, Nu’mani and Salamat Ibn Muhammad was in this regard. One effort of these figures was to explain and resolve the problem of the absence of Imam for Shia community in the early days of “greater occultation”. By this time Aleppo Twelver’s Kalam was influenced by Qom school. Then, with the return of great Imami scholars like Abu Al-salah and Ibn Zohreh of Aleppo, Twelver’s Kalam got flourished in the region, especially in conflict with Ismailia and other Muslim sects. In brief, we can hold Aleppo Twelver’s Kalam after the mid fifth century as influenced by the school of Baghdad.

Wisely governmental method of Imam Ali is a guiding source for all reformers. Part of this history is the interaction with present religious minorities in Islamic society. The style of interacting with religious minorities has been the proposed issue in Islamic societies. Quran has drawn the main principles of this interaction and Imam Ali, interpreter of Quran, has visualized its practical and objective symbol after the Holy Prophet. Powerful Safavid government, the first independent Shiite government, stepped onto the arena by the slogan of following the Imams’ behavior, and governed Iran for two centuries and 50 years. This paper firstly introduces some generalities of procedure of Imam Ali in interacting with religious minorities and then, comparatively, investigates these generalities in the history of Safavid rulers and shows their weakness in their operations. The results show that there is obvious difference between these two governments which is due to the difference in the purposes and views about government.

Background of Shi’ism in Sirya and Egypt can be traced to the earliest Islam. Egyptian historians such as Maghrizi and Ibn Taghriberdi believed Siite Islam was present and active in the early centuries in the mentioned areas. The severe and harsh policies of Sunni rules such as Ummayads, Abbasids and, in particular, Ayyubids couldn’t reduce their great role. But because of the Mamalik activities against the Shiites; their number decreased extremely at the end of Mamalik era, according to Egyptian contemporary historian. This article studies the question “why Shiism could not progress after the downfall of Abbasids Caliphate”.It seems that influence of some Hanabalite scholars in Mamalik court, the long hostility between Mamalik and Iran Ilkhanids in Iran and finally Caliphate revival in Cairo by Baybars had important role in this regard.