Ghulats and Hassanids: Divergence of Thought, Political Convergence

The revolts of the Hassanids during the Abbasid Caliphate began with the revolt of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah in 145 AH. His uprising was of particular importance for reasons such as the allegiance of the first two Abbasid caliphs to him, his hereditary position, the massive propaganda about him, and his wide range of supporters. Among the various supporters of the uprising were some Ghulat leaders, people who shared few of the views and beliefs of the Hassanids. In this article, through a descriptive-analytical method, the factors influencing the Ghulats’ support for the uprising of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, despite the minimal convergence of their beliefs, have been considered. The results of this study show that Ghulat leaders, in order to attract more supporters and teach their followers their own desired meaning for the Mahdi, made use of the circumstances created by the death of the Alavid elders and the Hassanids’ propaganda about the Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. On the other hand, Ghulats’ emphasis on the need for an armed uprising and eliminating the opposition in their teachings, while emphasizing the resurrection of the Mahdi to fill the world with justice, led to their acceptance of the two beliefs of the Hassanids: their superiority for Imamate and the necessity for an armed uprising. This eventually led to the support of some Ghulats for Muhammad’s uprising.