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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses The rise of Twelver Shi'ite externalism in Safavid Iran and its consolidation under 'Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1037/1627-1110/1699). Turner, Colin Paul How to cite: Turner, Colin Paul (1989) The rise of Twelver Shi'ite externalism in Safavid Iran and its consolidation under 'Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1037/1627-1110/1699)., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/959/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The Rise of Twelver Shi'ite Externalism in Safavid Iran and its consolidation under ‘A.1lama Muklaxmnad Bäqir Majlisi (1037/1627-1110/1699) by Colin Paul Turner A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the reqVirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies The University of Durham 1989 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 25 JUN 1990 Declaration This thesis results entirely from my own work and has not been previously offered in candidature for any other degree or diploma. ABSTRACT This thesis is an attempt to trace the rise of Twelver Shi'ite externalism in Safavid Iran and its consolidation under the auspices of the era's most renowned scholar, 'Allama Muhammad Ba.qir Magid. Chapter I is the theoretical basis of the study and comprises an in-depth analy- sis of the concepts of fman (belief), is/dm/Islam (submission) and 'dm (knowledge) as portrayed in the Quran, the Traditions, and in exegeses of classical and modern scholars, both Sunnite and Shi'ite. Chapter II begins with a definition of the terms `internalism' and 'externalism' in the light of the imän - islcim dichotomy discussed in Chapter I, and places the subject against a relevant historical backdrop, namely pre-Safavid Iran. The rise of the Safavids, who were later to impose externalist dogma on a populace with decidedly non-externalist religious proclivities, is examined and their motives for choosing Twelver Shi'ism are questioned. Chapter III covers the Safavid era from the reign of Shah Isma`il I to Shah Sul- tan Husayn and deals with the milieux and teachings of internalist and externalist scholars, the interaction between the two groups, their relations with the rulers of the day, and their attitudes towards the question of government. Chapter IV is devoted to the life and works of Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, the externalist par excellence of the Safavid era. His role in the consolidation of the Twelver Shi'ite 'orthodoxy' is reappraised and his attitudes to the state and to non-externalist religious orientations such as Sufism are examined. Chapter V takes a closer look at those doctrines in Majlisrs magnum opus the BilAr al-anwar which best exemplify the externalizing tendencies that lie at the root of many Twelver Shi'ite beliefs. The chapter ends with a modern critique of the Safavid fuqahci' and a brief comparison of Safavid externalism with current religious trends in Iran. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Countless individuals have assisted, either directly or indirectly, in the creation of this thesis. To mention them all individually would probably necessitate an extra chapter; thus I thank in general everyone who has come into contact with me in the context of my work, and trust that those whom I have not singled out will forgive me. First and foremost I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my doctoral research supervisor, Dr. J. P. Luft, without whose scholarly advice and guidance this work could never have come to fruition. He has been a constant source of encouragement throughout what has been a long — and very often harrowing — period of research; his patient and sympathetic approach at times when seemingly unsurmountable obstacles loomed large has provided me with the all-important impetus to persevere and complete the study. Special thanks must go to all of the staff at Durham University Oriental School, and in particular to its Head, Professor John Harris, who has been of invaluable assistance to me on many occasions. I would also like to thank all of the lecturers who taught me through my undergraduate period in Durham and who have contin- ued to be of help throughout my doctoral research. These include: Dr. R. Austin, Dr. G. R. Smith, Dr. R. Lawless, Dr. A. R. Navabpour and Mr. F. R. C. Bagley. Special thanks also go to Mr. John Norton, the Principal of my own college, St. Cuthberts. Mr. Norton's help, advice and encouragement have been inestimable; a spot of 'miracle-working' by him, at a time when my family and I were faced with homelessness, saved the day and enabled me to continue my research. For this I 111 cannot thank him enough. I am also indebted to the superb library staff of Durham University, and in particular the librarians of the Oriental School. Often working under great pressure, they have always been ready to help and advise, dealing with my endless requests for obscure titles with unflagging cheerfulness and perseverence. Thanks, then, to Miss L. E. Forbes, Dr. S. V. R. Char, Dr. P. G. Starkey, Mr. M. J. Ferguson, Mrs. S. McBreen, Mrs. M. Mackie and Mrs. J. Nelson. Ms. Jill Butterworth of Cambridge University Oriental Library, formerly of Durham, must be singled out for her great efforts to assist me in my search for material. Her dedication, seriousness and sincerity make her a credit to her profession. I would also like to thank the staff of the Oriental School libraries at the Universities of Manchester, Edinburgh, Oxford and London (SOAS) for their assistance during my countless research trips to those cities. I would like to give a special mention to my friends in Iran, many of whom have helped directly by sending material that was unobtainable here in England. Events in Iran prevented me from undertaking field-work there, and had it not been for the help of my contacts in Tehran, Mashhad, Qum and Isfahan, much of the material needed for my work would have remained out of reach. Special thanks to the family of the late Shaykh Muhammad Albisani, who were able to put his private collection of books and manuscripts at the disposal of my friends, who in turn kindly communicated material to me in photocopy and microfilm form. I thank all of the friends and acquaintances I have made here in Durham for the encouragement and sympathy they gave whenever I despaired of finishing the project. iv Finally I would like to thank my parents, my wife and my children for their untiring moral support, love and encouragement. They have all lived patiently with this research for longer than any of us care to remember, and it is to them, and to the memory of J. R., S. N. and M. S, that I dedicate this thesis. V Table of Contents Abstract i Acknowledgement iii Table of Contents vi Guide to Transliteration x Introduction xi 1.0 The Concepts of frmin, islärn and 'am 1.1 Statement of the question 1 1.2 The concepts of irmin and isliirn as presented in the Quran 5 1.2.1 The term ishim as used in the Quran. 8 1.3 The difference between inuin and islärn: the Sunnite viewpoint 12 1.3.1 The term isläm in the tafsfr literature 14 1.4 Twelver Shi'ite narrations 21 1.5 Shi'ite exegesis: a contemporary view of the question of irnän and isläm 25 1.6 The terms 'am and `11,1amd' 30 1.7 The terms 'am and `u/amd'in Sunnite and Shi'ite traditions 35 1.8 Changes in the meaning of the terms 'dm and fiqh 39 1.9 Common understanding of the terms Wm, and `tilamei- ' 46 1.10 The term 'am in the writings of contemporary Muslim scholars 48 1.11 A study of Quranic Czydt and conclusion 52 Footnotes to Chapter I 56 Vi 2.0 Religion in pre-Safavid Iran and the rise of the Safavids 2.1 Introduction 64 2.2 The position of orthodox Twelver Shi'ism 72 2.3 Sufism and pro-Shi'ite extremism (ghuluww) 79 2.3.1 Sufism 79 2.3.2 Extremism or 'ghuluww' 84 2.4 The rise of the Safavids 87 Footnotes to Chapter II 99 3.0 The Consolidation of Safavid power and the arrival of Twelver Shi'ite externalism 3.1 Introduction 105 3.2 The Twelver Shi'ite fugand': guardians of externalism. 109 3.3 The evolution of the role of the Twelver Shi'ite fugahci' 112 3.4 Coversion to Shi'ism: the beginnings 116 3.4.1 From Jabal qmil to Safavid Iran 116 3.4.1 Shah and Shaykh: Ismä'il and Karaki 119 3.5 The reign of Shah Tahmasp: the fugand' take root 127 3.6 Indigenous opposition to Twelver Shi'ite externalism: the Persian 'aristocracy' 131 3.7 Shah Isma`il II to Shah 'Abbds I 143 3.8 The externalists: their milieu and teachings 153 3.9 In search of Twelver Shi'ite internalism 172 3.10 The non-externalists: their milieu and teachings 185 3.11 The reigns of Shah Safi and Shah `AbbEs II 201 Footnotes to Chapter III 206 vii 4.0 The Life and Works of 'Allaraaa Muhammad Bäqir Majlisi 4.1 Introduction 217 4.2 The Majlisi family 4.2.1 The forefathers of
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