فصلنامه تاریخ فرهنگ و تمدن اسلامی
پیاپی 32 (پاییز 1397)

One of the events that led to the creation of Ottoman sect was the murder of the third Khalif. Considering the different accounts of the Uthman’s murder and the role of Imam Ali, the present study attempts to find out the root of these discrepancies. The significance of this is that analyzing the context, origin, and consequences of an event determines the background of every historian’s account of the event. The findings of this study revealed that Ibn Sa’d in his account has depicted an innocent, saint-like image of the Khalif due to his zealotry. Al-Baladhuri expresses his sympathy for the Shia while legitimizing the rebellion. Considering the descriptions of the Khalif’s incompetence and Imam’s neutrality, one can draw onto Ya’qubi’s moderate Shi’ism tendency. Although he is not a Shia, Al-Tabari considers Imam as a sincere protector of the Khalif’s life. Finally, Al-Masudi’s account indicates his Shia tendencies that are displayed through an emphasis on the democratic nature of the rebellion and Imam’s efforts to save the Khalif’s life.

Emphasizing on the necessity of the collaboration between the authoritarian structure and the dispositions of the Iranian society, many writings on the topic of Iranians’ dispositions reveal that the existence of the authoritarian regimes throughout the history of this nation has led to the domination of the self-centered values, and the lack of formation of the developmental-creating features like sense of responsibility, collaboration, collective spirit and other-mindedness. Should the roots of many of today’s problems be sought in the Iranians’past historical origins and dispositions? The answers could be found by referring to the historical and anthropological sources. This article takes on a historical and an anthropological approaches and uses an archival method in studying one of the most popular and widely practiced elements of culture and identity of the Iranian society, i.e. the mourning practices from the perspectives of the travel writers. Based on the findings of this research, doubt could be casted on the functions of the theories that express a correlation between the authoritarian leadership and the nation’s disposition.

During the rule of the Tahirids in Yemen (858-945 A.H.), scholars were privileged with special benefits and certain statuses due to their extensive interactions with the government. This article aims to examine the status, characteristics, and different functions of the Yemen’s scholars, as well as their interactions and connections with the Tahirid rulers. It also considers the Tahirid government's deeds in developing science and elevating the position of the scholars. This research has examined the scholars' scientific and political roles and functions, their relationships with the Tahirid throne, and their different activities. It also considered the rulers’ interactions with the scholars using a descriptive-analytical method based on the historical sources. The results showed that during Tahirids’ rule, the scholars were divided into court and people classes. Each group was connected with the government in one way seeking personal or public benefits. The rulers also started building schools, purchasing different books, and encouraging the scholars to promote science and culture.

Forming families in the Prophet tradition was based on the element of simplicity and was away from the excessive formalities. He always emphasized on assigning a low amount for the dowry. The author uses a descriptive-analytical method and takes on a historical-narrative approach to conclude that the dowries of the Prophet’s daughters did not exceed 500 Dirhams. The Prophet attempted to set a model for the Islamic nation by determining a set dowry for his wives and daughters. However, he did not impose this tradition on others and left deciding the amount and type of it up to them.

Different groups of people like the militaries, traders, scholars, and mystics have played a role in the expansion of Islam. Among them, mystics and Sufis have been particularly important in the promotion of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. The present article examines the similarities of the fundamentals of Islamic teachings and those of the Indian practices and philosophies. It uses a descriptive-analytical approach relying on scholarly studies to discover one of the reasons of the Sufis’ success in drawing Indians' attention  towards the Sufi-like manners. The findings of the research showed that the ground for the expansion of Sufism and Sufi-like practices has been prepared in this region due to the certain spiritual characteristics, gentleness of attitude, and kindness of the people. In fact, centuries before the entrance of Islam, Indians had been familiar with some foundations of mysticism in their ancient religions like asceticism, self-cleansing, moving towards God, and dissolving in God. This similarity of thoughts has been one of the reasons for their inclination towards Sufis and Sufi manners.

Despite having maintained the traditional physical structure, the Iranian city at the time of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was slowly changing as a result of being introduced to the Western architecture and the entrance of new construction technologies to the country. It presented the elements of modernity that are reflected in the reports of the tourists visiting Iran. This article, using a historical approach and implementing a descriptive-analytical method relying on the travel writing texts, aimed to present an image of the physical appearances of the city during the Naseri period from the Western tourists' viewpoints. The article discusses how the Western architectural elements entered Iran at the beginning of Naser al-Din’s rule, a phenomenon that gradually led to the conceptual changes in the city and later the physical ones. The findings showed that the Iranian city at this time was accompanied by the physical and conceptual changes. Its physical changes shared the essence of Western modernity, while the school of Tehran influenced its conceptual elements.