فصلنامه شیعه شناسی
پیاپی 54 (تابستان 1395)

The review and evaluation of historical reports¡ as one of the important elements of historical researches¡ have always been of especial importance for historical researches. Using criteria such as reason¡ comparison of years¡ certain facts of sciences¡ human techniques¡ and so on¡ they have always investigated and reviewed historical reports. One of the criteria recently attracting the attention of contemporary historians in the realm of history of Islam is theological beliefs. For them¡ any report inconsistent with theological reports is fabricated. Since this approach is in its initial stages¡ it has given rise to questions¡ and even has sometimes led to chaos and anarchy in making use of this criterion. As a result¡ some historical researchers are pessimists in using this criterion. The present article attempts¡ while explaining the opposite views¡ to clarify the obstacles for using this criterion. Besides¡ it tries to state the reasons offered by opponents¡ mainly based on the difference between historical reason and theological reason. It also explains the sameness of historical and theological reasons and that all criteria for historical review¡ including the abovementioned criterion¡ return to the criterion of reason. As a result¡ using theological beliefs in reviewing historical reports would no longer face any obstacle.

Shah Isma’il I, the founder of Safawid dynasty, established Shiism in Iran. This was firstly done in through military power in cities; but Safawids found that it was necessary to use widespread cultural and organizational proceedings for stabilizing this religion and institutionalizing it in the society. The fifty-year period of ruling of Shah Isma’il’s son and successor, Shah Tahmasb I (930-984 AH), prepared a proper opportunity for him to make widespread effort for stabilizing the status of Shiism. These measures were taken both in the level of making the government and the official’s religious and making the society Shiite and observing the religious rites among people. Cultural activities were the dominant aspect of those measures, with the Shiite scholars and jurists as the axes. In the present article, we have investigated and analyzed various measures of Shah Tahmasb I in promoting Shiism and institutionalizing it. The findings of the study show that in his age, all missionary and promotional capacities such as religious leaders, institutions, shrines, rites, personages, ceremonies, educational and religious institutions, religious texts and teachings have been utilized for institutionalizing and promoting Shiism in Iranian society.

The United Arab Emirate (UAE) is a Muslim country in the Southwest Asia. 16 percent of the population UAE is Shiite. There are various views on the origination of Shiism in UAE. Some believe that the background of Shiism in UAE goes back to Baharina tribe that may have originated some 300 years ago from Na’in tribes who converted to Shiism at that time. Some others believe that the Shiites of that country are from the main dwellers and natives of that region, and some others believe that the introduction of Shiism into UAE coincided with the zenith of pearling and the arrival of Iranian and Indian merchants at that country. Besides, we may refer to the victory of Islamic Revolution of Iran as a major factor in converting the people of UAE to Shiism. The investigation of Shiite community of UAE from political, cultural, religious, economic and social viewpoints are among the most important concerns of this article.

Sayyid Heydar Helli is one of the contemporary Shiite poets of Iraq in the realm of religious poetry; he has succeeded, in his poems, to establish a strong link between Ahl al-Bayt’s virtues and the political, social and cultural conditions of the society. The sermonic-epic and sometimes emotional themes as well as moderate use of figures of speech and alluding to historical events in Islamic world are among the features of his religious poems. Similarly, Shahryar, as the romantic poet of Ahl al-Bayt, uses an elegy-emotional and sometimes epic approach using a variety of dynamic images as the main feature of his poem. He has composed poems both in Persian and Turkish to state the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt in the form of elegy and eulogy. In the present study, conducted through a descriptive-analytical method, we have used a comparative method of study based on evolutionary literary school to deal with an investigation and analysis of Imam Ali’s figure in the poems composed by two Iranian and Arab poets, while dealing with rhetoric points thereof. In fact, the political conditions, the common religious and doctrinal origins as well as the Shiite and literary culture dominating in the societies of the two poets have led us to comparing and contrasting those two poets.

By comparing the conditions of Muslim community in Russia in the early years of the present century and the current time, we find that they are at two opposing points. Just as, in the economic arrangements, Russia’s transition from economic closed system of socialism and communism into unbridled capitalism and special oligarchi is surprising and extraordinary, the widespread influence of religious beliefs, in the level of social and doctrinal beliefs, especially among the today’s adolescents is strange and unbelievable. The present study aims at explanation and analysis of the conditions of the Russia’s Shiites, while looking at the conditions of the Muslims there, and at identifying the status and the conditions of the Shiites in that country. Finally, it offers solutions to promote that condition. Undoubtedly, the role and status of Muslims and the Shiites in Russia, in view of the broadness of Muslim people in that country is much important, and an investigation of our study clarifies this importance and strategic status.

Narrative accounts of Ashura incidence, especially from tenth century AH on, entered the writings of historiographers both in the form of poetry and prose in various languages (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hurami). In such maqtals (i.e. books on the account of Imam Hussein martyrdom), one may no longer investigate Ashura incidence from the historical viewpoint; rather, history and story have been merged together in such books and it seems impossible to distinguish them. The copy of Imam Hussein’s maqtal in Hurami – translated form Iranian languages – is the only text composed in the form of poem in Hurami language during Qajar dynasty period. Hurami literature whose phonetic structure is similar to that of ancient Partian language has a wealthy heritage from the early centuries up to 13th and 14th centuries. The present study focuses on that newly-found copy and attempts, while introducing that copy and its content, to investigate the eulogies and epics as well as fatalist and mystical readings of that copy and, then, compare the data of that maqtal with the data of other narrative maqtals.

Since the advent of Islam up to the fourth century AH, the distant land of Morocco has welcomed various Islamic government including Idrisids (172-372 AH), Khawarij of Bani Midrar (155-352 AH), and Khawarij of Bani Rostam (160-296 AH). The coincidence of the abovementioned governments led to a close relationship among them. Meanwhile, a type of political arrangements and behavior was formed on peaceful and violent levels in religious, political and economic spheres. In view of the fact that the Shiite government of Idrisids was contemporary to Khawarij, the political behavior of this government for formation of the state and preserving its interests, in a place where no Shiite government was previously present, is quite thought provoking. The present study attempts investigate the factors effective on the political behavior of the Shiite government of Idrisids as well as that of Khawarij Bani Midrar and Bani Rostam through a historical descriptive-analytical method. It also deals with the consequences of the political behavior of Idrisids. To do so, it deals with the discussion on the power and interests of governments based on the theoretical views of pluralist school to re-identify Idrisids’ political behavior.