JISMOR 8 +++ Shi‛ite Schools of Thought on Imȃm, A Critical Survey Mojtaba Zarvani Abstract Imȃmate and Imȃm, either Religious or political institution or both is one of cornerstone ele- ments of Shi‛ites belief. In the periods of minor occultation and early periods of major occulta- tion, so many different opinions emerged on the concept of Imȃmate. These differences gave rise to the creation of many sects among the Shi‛ites and lead also to apostasy and conversion of a great group of the Shi‛ites into other beliefs. Studying the Shi‛ite schools of thoughts in- cluding those of the Kūfa, Qum and Baghdȃd, this paper is an attempt to study their disputes on the concept of Imȃmate and some publications of the Shi‛ite scholars including ‘Shaykh Mūfid,’ ‘ShaykhṢ aduḳ,’ ‘Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan Ibn Farrukh al-Ṣaffȃr al-Qummi,’ and ‘Kulay- ni’ and their effective roles in determining the concept of Imȃmate. Kūfa school of thought holds a radical and exaggerated view towards Imȃms. The Qum school of thought which is a more tradition-based school of thought expresses a balanced view. Bagh- dad school of thought has a radical and at the same time reasonable views and is in fact a con- junction of Kūfa and Qum schools of thoughts. Keywords: The Period of Occultation, Imȃmate, Traditional and Theological (Kalȃmi) Schools of Thoughts Introduction After death of Imȃm Hasan al-Askari in 260 A.H. (873-4 A.D.), Shi‛a entered a new stage of its historical periods. Imȃm Askari passed away when his successor was not known to people and people were not facing an individual from the prophet’s descendants as an Imȃm, but the Imȃm of the society was in the state of occultation and the mediator between him and the Shi‛ites were his representatives. This condition lasted up to the year 329 A.H. and is termed as the “Minor Occultation.” After that, i.e. from 329 A.H. (940-41A.D.), Imȃm entered into the period of Major Occultation and the connection of the Shi‛a society with its Imȃm al- Zamȃn (The Leader of the Age) was completely disconnected for an unknown period and it was called the major occultation. 101 JISMOR 8 The Shi‛ite society in those conditions underwent a critical condition. The Shi‛ites also experienced a state of doubt and confusion because they had faced such a new position for the first time, the succeeding Imȃm was not known to them and also many previous expectations and interpretations before the occultation had not been materialized (Tabȃtabȃ’i, 157-159). There happened many internal differences in the Shi‛ite society and so many sects came into existence which made a great group of the Shi‛ites divert to apostasy and convert into other faiths. The existing differences in the Shi‛ite society on the concept of Imȃmate made those conditions even more complex. Amid this situation, the Shi‛ite religious scholars undertook the great responsibility of establishment of peace among the Shi‛ites and specification of the limits of Shi‛a doctrine in particular Imȃmate, so that they could be able to present a meaning of Imȃmate which could meet the needs of the Shi‛ite community. Naturally, this great responsibility was undertaken by the traditional-theological schools of thoughts existing in the society of the Shi‛ites (Qum, Baghdȃd and Kūfa). These schools of thoughts were responsible to specify one dominating current of thought out of the two parallel currents of thoughts towards the Imȃmate and its concept before the occultation in the Shi‛ite society. In line with this idea, many disputes took place among the scholars of those schools of thought and numerous works representing their views were published. This paper is an attempt to study the Shi‛ite schools of thought, their disputes over the concept of Imȃmate and some of the remaining works of the scholars of these schools of thoughts. This will help specify which definition of the concept of ȃIm mate could become the dominating thought of the scientific circles of the Shi‛ites and the Shi‛ite public. Kūfa School of Thought Muslims entered Kūfa city in 17 A.H. which was firstly considered to serve as a military base. The primary population of this city included twelve thousands from Yemen and eight thousands from Nizȃr. In addition to the Arabs, a group of Iranians and the Jews were residing in that city (DJa‛fari, 143, Fayyȃz, 182). The noticeable point in the population combination of Kūfa was the colorful and strong presence of the Shi‛ites who established a Shi‛ite center. The Yemen-originated people had an inclination towards the leadership of a king-priest and his successor and the Persians who believed in the existence of Charisma in the rulers formed the dominating population of Kūfa, i.e. about two thirds of its population and they were tending to the thinking current of the Shi‛ites (DJa‛fari, 143, ‛Abdol’ȃl, 10). As for the political stands over caliphate, they took the side of Imȃm Ali (A.S.) (‛Abdol’ȃl, 11). Kūfa was the place of mixing different beliefs including the Jews, Christians, Iranians, Manichean, Mazdakism and Gnostisism (‛Abdol’ȃl, 16, 17, 65 Momen). The advocates of these 102 Mojtaba Zarvani beliefs were blended with the people of Kūfa and had a great impact on the Shi‛ite thought. It was such that Kūfa was converted into the center of Ghȃli (extremist) and radical thinking towards Imȃms which had been created under the influence of non-Islamic beliefs. It can be said that the first deviated sect among Shi‛ites (Kaysȃniyya) was established in the same place under the influence of the non-Islamic views (Ibrȃhim Hasan, vol, 2, 112, DJa‛fari, 348, Sheibi, 21). In the periods of Imȃm al-Ṣȃdiḳ and Imȃm al-Bȃḳir, Kūfa was also changed into the center of Shi‛ism and the most prejudiced Shi‛ites were from Kūfa. Many companions and students of Imȃm were living in Kūfa and were elaborating the doctrine of Shi‛ism through discussion and disputes with radical beliefs. However, in the course of these disputes, some of the Imȃm’s companions were deviated from the way of moderation and joined the Ghȃli school of thought. They were cursed by Imȃms and this group took action to forge traditions which were attributed to the Shi‛ites (DJa‛fari, 349, 65, Momen). Thus, with the majority presence of the Shi‛ites in Kūfa and their affection and interest in Shi‛ite Imȃms, and their efforts to expand and continue Shi‛ism, the Kūfa school of thought was changed into a center to disseminate Shi‛ite sciences and development of sources of Shi‛ite tradition. It was changed into a venue in which different people were coming from different areas to learn the doctrine of Shi‛ism and convey it to their own cities (Ataee Nazari, Rȃsikhun, p.73). The dominating literature in this Shi’ite school of thought (based on the reasons which were mentioned earlier) was a radical and Ghȃli-based literature. Consequently, the definition which was presented for the Imȃm and his attributes by this school of thought was also a radical definition. There existed the Qum school of thought against this school of thought. The scholars and narrators of tradition began to fight against the penetration of the radical thought and filtering the radical currents of thoughts from the Shi‛ite beliefs and traditions. In the next parts, that school of thought and related activities will be discussed. Qum School of Thought Qum is one of the important seminaries of Shi‛ism. The history of the arrival of Shi‛ite thought into these area dates back to the end of the first century A.H. The Ashȃ`ra were the first family who expressed openly their belief in Shi‛ism and made effort to flourish it (Ma’ȃrif, 374, 375, Halm, 88). The Ashȃ‛ira at the age of Imȃm al-Bȃḳir (A.S.) and after that, in which they were subject to persecution migrated to Qum and had less contact with Medina which was the central place of Imȃm. At the age of Imȃm al-Ṣȃdiḳ (A.S.) in which the political atmosphere was open, they had 103 JISMOR 8 more contacts with Imȃm and about 16 people from the Ashȃ‛ira were disciples (students) of Imȃm al-Ṣȃdiḳ (A.S.). Up to the age of the Twelfth Imȃm, (the connection of Qum as the place of Shi‛ites,) the followers of the prophet’s family with Imȃms continued (Khezri, vol. 2, 74-75). Due to the link of Qum people with Imȃms, other Shi‛ite seminaries had trust in them and they were able to form an independent teaching domain at the end of the second century A.H. which was the climax of Qum school of thought in those years too (Ma‛ȃrif, 277). One of the specific features of this school as compared with other Shi‛ite schools of thought was its fight against exaggeration. The Ghȃli school of thought which had prevailed among the Shi‛ites in the second and third centuries A.H. was a serious threat to Imȃmiyyah and the base of the views of Qum school of thought was to fight against this current of thought. The Qum scholars were trying by all means to prevent the great flood of the Ghȃli literature which was prevailing very fast. They used to term any Shi‛ite traditionalists and scholars as Ghȃli who were attributing supernatural affairs to Imȃms and in many cases they discharged them from their own cities (Tabataba’i, 50, Khezri, 176-177, Al Maḳȃlȃt v al Risȃlȃt, vol.