مجله حدیث و اندیشه
پیاپی 16 (پاییز و زمستان 1392)

Life, conduct and lifestyle of Imam Reza (A.S) have specific characteristics that elucidation of which – based on the political and social requirements and conditions of the Imam’s era – can be an exemplar for today’s society. The period of the Imam’s succession to Ma’mūn’s throne has a special condition from which the Imam benefitted maximally – as an imposed opportunity – to propagate the true Islam, therefore, following this magnanimous Imam’s example in all different occasions – including the political dimension – will guarantee the safety of the society and the individuals.The present study pursues investigation of religious lifestyle with an emphasis on Imam Reza’s political thought. To attain this goal, the strategic analysis method has been used, result of which indicated that the political goal of the eighth Imam was formation of an Alawid Islamic establishment and reformation of the present structure of the society that was in contradiction with Ma’mūn’s political goal (stabilization of the monarchical and caliphate-based regime). Essentials of the Imam’s political thought are the same political essentials of the Qur’an. The Imam’s principles of political thought include: the principle of legitimacy, acceptability, authority (or leadership), participation, justice, honor, constraint, observing priority, prudent dissimulation, enjoining good and forbidding evil, cooperation, purposefulness, change of conditions and positions, making preparations, etc. In comparison the political lifestyle of Imam Reza (A.S) and that of Ma’mūn are two presentable models and styles; this way the political strategies of them are also of two kinds: (the first kind includes) strategies which are divine, value-based and dependent on wisdom, expediency and esteem; and (the second kind included) strategies which oppose values and are based on deceit, guile, predominance, force and compulsion. The Imam’s policies can be enumerated in the two internal and external dimensions. The administrators and character portrayals in the field of policy include the elite, the masses and the politicians.

Kufa, Baghdad and Qum were among sensitive Shi‘a-populated towns of the Muslim world. Because of the political part of these towns Imam Reza (A.S) must have considered a program for guiding and instructing the people of these places and for establishment of a civilization in them to conduct the mankind towards monotheism, and continuation of Islamic civics. On the other hand there was quite a distance between the residence of the Imam and those centers, and that it was not possible for the Imam to have relationship with his followers in person. Considering this hypothesis the present study intends to answer the question that despite the fact that the Imam resided just in Medina and Khurasan, how did he have relationship with his companions in other geographical spots like Kufa, Baghdad and Qum?The present essay is a qualitative study developed by examining documents, data banks, articles and books in the fields of history, tradition and Rijal science written by Shi‘a scholars and has become integrated based on content analysis. The research society includes all documents and resources that are related to the subject matter. Based on the findings of this article, in spite of all straights, pressures, and violations employed by then rulers, the Imam developed an integrated hidden organization – called as Organization of Deputyship of the Imam – by selecting outstanding personalities of these centers like Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā, Yūnus b. ‘Abd al-Raḥmān and Muhammad b. Abī ‘Umayr. Through this organization the Imam established a broad communicative network within any of these centers that had influence even on the court and the then government and directed all currents of the society on the favor of the Shi‘a.

The discussion of the ghuluww (extremism) and the ghulāt (pl. of ghālī: extremist) is among important and controversial discussions constantly propounded among Muslims in general and the Shi‘a in particular. The current of ghuluww and the extremist beliefs of the ghulāt was dangerous for the Shi‘a. Because, it caused confusion in their beliefs and created difference and separation among the Shi‘a, it would display the Shi‘a in the eyes of others as careless individuals with regard to religious laws; in addition, the deviated beliefs of the ghulāt caused the fanatic Sunni rulers and individuals to use it as a pretext for persecuting and blaming the Shi’a as a whole.Among important issues of the era of Imam Reza (A.S) is the explanation of the Imam’s policies in treating the deviated sects. The importance of this discussion will become clear if we consider the fact that the era of the Imam was an era of emerging various intellectual schools in different fields. At that time the atheist groups of the ghulāt, the Waqifites, the Mufawwiḍa, etc. were present in the society and the tried, on their part, to distort the beliefs of the Shi‘a. They did not even avoid interpreting the traditions by their personal opinions and fabricating or distorting the traditions.Protecting the Shi‘a against the effects of these sects was among the duties of Imam Reza (A.S), hence, the Imam adopted polices to minimize the harmful effects of these groups against the Shi‘a. Of course, the Imam has never intended to cause stress or difference in the society. However, he has had the most severe stance against the ghulāt, the Mufawwiḍa and the Waqifites among the groups mentioned above.The present article intends to study the background of the emergence of the ghulāt and their negative effects upon the Muslim society and to show the Imam’s stance against this deviated group, and that how the Imam safeguarded with his acts the boundaries of Shi‘ism against all anti-religious beliefs and thoughts (although they were under the title of religion).

The period of Imam Reza’s Imamate lasted twenty years. Ten years of this period were spent in Medina during the reign of Ma’mūn, the last three years of the Imam’s life were spent in Marv also within the caliphate institution of Ma’mūn.The hadith teachings of the Imam in Medina revolved mostly around Islamic laws, moral teachings and beliefs, and based on the dominant atmosphere on the society the Imam intended to rectify the beliefs of the Shi‘a and to excommunicate the ghulāt (pl. of ghālī: extremist). His discussions were mostly of the type of transmitted discussions and in some cases were Qur’anic or intellectual ones.However, considering the conditions created by Ma’mūn in Medina for debating and [with the purpose of] decreasing the scientific status of the Imam, along with debating the People of the Book (i.e. the Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians), as well as [the conditions of] debating the followers of different Islamic schools, the Imam propounded very broad and deep discussions about doctrines in general and Imamate in particular, with a strong Qur’anic and intellectual approach and remarkably strived to propagate the rightfulness of Islam and also Shi‘ism.

The issue of Imamate is frequently seen in the traditions quoted from Imam Reza (A.S), and this fact indicates the importance that this issue has had in the eyes of Imam Reza (A.S). Referring to the qualities and characteristics of Imamate, Imam Reza (A.S) considered the “Imam” as the Proof (ḥujja) of Allah over the people, protector of the realm of divine values, guide of the people towards the right path and a source of esteem of the Muslims.To prove the principle of Imamate, this magnanimous Imam, with an emphasis on propounding reason and demonstration, said, “The Imam should be conversant of the Torah, the Evangel, and the Psalm, and should argue with the followers of each religion referring to their own book, and that he should know all languages and to discuss with the speakers of each language with their own languages. In addition, he should be just, fair, sagacious, sympathetic, kind, patient, forgiver, beneficent, and trustworthy, and should resolve the problems of the people; and all these indicate that the Imam must have been appointed by the Lord and that he is His Proof over the creatures and guides the people and the society with these qualities and attributes.Eventually, by studying the traditions quoted from Imam Reza (A.S) it can be said that the Imam considered acceptance of monotheism and the fact that it is acceptable by Allah, the Exalted, dependent on submission to the Wilayah and Imamate (divinely appointed leadership).

Al-Kash-shāf Exegesis compiled by Maḥmūd b. ‘Umar Zamakhsharī (d. 538/1143) is one of most important literary exegeses of the Holy Qur’an. This book has been written with the approach of Mu’tazilite theology in an ijtihad-based method. Explaining rhetorical and literary points has made this work an exegesis of highest quality and has caused that the attention of other scholars including Shaykh Ṭabrisī (d. 548/1153) be drawn to it.Zamakhsharī had a special expertise in defining the Qur’anic words and explaining their meanings and has precisely dealt with explanation of real (i.e. literal) and figurative meanings of the words. In al-Kash-shāf he defines and explains the words by referring to the semantic origin [principle], etymology, word differences, usage of trope, metonymy, allegory, metaphor, and explaining singular and plural forms of the words and the recitation, and also by citing verses of the Qur’an, the traditions, couplets of poetry and applications of the Arabs.

One of the most important characteristics of the Shi‘a hadith is its written state. Since the time of their issuance the hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S) have been transmitted through the books called “Aṣl” (principle) and other books of the Shi‘a to the next centuries, until they were compiled and divided into chapters, in an ordered and systematic way, by the compilers of hadith collections, especially the authors of the Four Books; and since then the earlier resources and references have gradually been put into oblivion. These earlier resources can also be retrieved today by making use of various methods.The book al-Tafsīr (exegesis) compiled by Ali b. Abi Ḥamza Baṭā’inī – considering the accounts of the experts of Rijal science – had survived and was well-known up to the fifth/eleventh century; however, because of the incidents in the course of time it was lost and could not survive. Applying the method of recognition of the isnāds, it has been attempted in the present article to explain the retrieved resources that have amounted to twenty four cases. With regard to the ratio of these texts with the missing work, it can be said that the primary source and reference of all of these exegetical traditions was the book al-Tafsīr compiled by Ali b. Abi Ḥamza Baṭā’inī.

Bahj al-Ṣabāghah fī Sharḥ Nahj al-Balāghah was compiled by late Allamah Shaykh Muhammad Taqī Shūshtarī (d. 1415/1995). This erudite scholar, who is an expert in jurisprudence, rijāl science, tarājim (biographies) and hadith, and has authored tens of volumes of scholarly writings in these four fields, has created a turning point in compiling commentaries on Nahj al-Balaghah by writing this commentary in fourteen relatively thick volumes. This article intends firstly to present the general specifications, as well as style of the book and secondly to study the methodology of the book from two matchless aspects. The first aspect is the thematic classification of Nahj al-Balaghah which has been accomplished by late Allamah Shoushtari in sixty chapters, each of which containing a specific subject. These subjects totally cover 933 titles. The second aspect is explaining the Nahj al-Balaghah by Nahj al-Balaghah or the words of Imam Ali (A.S). By applying this method the Allamah has provided a tradition-based commentary and establishment of a hadith family out of the words of the Commander of the Faithful (A.S) and has made use of this method as a solution for a correct explanation of.