A critique of Nowbakhti's historical study in Firaq al-Shia

Special believes of different Shiite groups caused the appearance of several sects. Nowbakhti's book of "Firaq al-Shia" as the oldest existed books in knowing sects includes widespread data in this field. The special style and the antiquity of this book doubled the necessity of a revising and a critic review of it and has justified a historical study and critique of it. Based on the review of some of the principles prevailing the mentioned book and through analyzing and criticizing them it can be claimed that historic and literal Nowbakhti's view in defining sect, diversity in applying the word of "Shia", untrue timing (scadualing) of the sects and the author's changing his method of categorizing the sects based on the definition of "Imam", creating ambiguity in reporting the process of the doctrine of Mahdaviyyat, deficiency of the conception of "Tavaqqof" and defectively defining "zendiqs", are from the issues that paved the way for forming a current against the Shia and have blocked the way for the new researches.