Principles of Imam Reza’s Confrontations with Non-Muslims with Emphasis on the Statements of the Supreme Leader

Among the issues that have always been the subject of discussion among Muslim scholars is the topic of “confrontation with non-Muslims,” which remains a subject of debate and discussion in the present age. The appropriate method and approach to dealing with non-Muslims require a comprehensive and error-free model, which is feasible by referring to the era of the presence of the infallible Imams, especially Imam Reza (AS), due to the special position of Imam Reza and the conditions of his stewardship. Therefore, this article, using a descriptive-analytical method and by gathering information through library research and content analysis, aims to answer the main question: How was Imam Reza’s approach in dealing with non-Muslims (with an emphasis on the traditions of the two sects of Shia and Sunni)? The results of this article indicate that: The time of Imam Reza’s life was one of those sensitive and special historical periods in which the ruling system imposed strange conditions on society, especially Ma’mun, who sought to exploit the Imam’s stewardship for political gains and other malicious purposes. However, as highlighted in the statements of the Supreme Leader, Imam Reza, during his approximately twenty years of Imamate, expanded and disseminated the Ahl al-Bayt’s guardianship ideology in such a way that even the oppressive Abbasid regime was powerless to confront it. What stands out from Imam Reza’s confrontations with non-Muslims during this period is his debates based on wisdom, preaching, and excellent arguments. Imam Reza would answer every group of opponents with patience, listening to their questions attentively, and then providing them with complete and reasoned responses, often persuading them. Therefore, examining Imam Reza’s approach to confronting non-Muslims can provide an appropriate model for dealing with this issue in the present age, while addressing doubts and presenting a suitable model for dealing with non-Muslims in the present era.