Shi'ism and Its Influenced Intellectual Currents in Ray in the Era of Minor Occultation

Shīʿism and its related intellectual currents in the era of minor occultation are of the important topics of the history of Shīʿism. At a time when the religious leadership of the Shīʿites had become diverse and scattered, Ray was considered as the intellectual center of the Shiites and one of the most important cultural centers of the eastern lands of the Islamic world. The main question of the article was as follows: What was the status of Shīʿism in terms of the development and diversity of its intellectual currents during the period of minor occultation? The findings of this research showed that the era of minor occultation was a turning point in the development of Shīʿism. In the second half of the third century, the two Shīʿa Ḥadīth and theological currents of thought appeared, both of which were influenced by the intellectual atmosphere of the opposite currents. The rule of Abul Hasan Mādarāni in Ray led to the presence of Shīʿite scholars and the spread of Shīʿism. The activities of the Shīʿa Muḥaddiths led to the strengthening of textualism in Ray. The qualitative growth of Shīʿism in Ray was not limited to textualists. At the same time, it resulted in the formation of theological thoughts and explanation of the theory of the 12th Imam’s occultation due to the presence of rationalist scholars.