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Abu Al-Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Al-Samarri
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri (, ') was the last of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 CE). Al-Samarri in this role succeeded Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti in 937. Al-Samarri is said to have received a letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi shortly before his death in 941 CE. The letter predicted the death of al-Samarri in six days and announced the beginning of the complete occultation, later called the Major Occultation, which continues to this day. The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny.   Historical background Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams ( Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held in the garrison town of Samarra under close ...
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Four Deputies
The Four Deputies (, ') were the four individuals who are believed by the Twelver Shi'ism, Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 CE). They were also known as the Gates (), the Sufara (), or the Wukala (). Historical background Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams (Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held under close surveillance in the garrison town of Samarra by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of the Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, particularly after al-Mutawakkil. Contemporary to the tenth Imam, the Abbasid al-Mutawakkil violently prosecuted the Shia, partly due to the renewed Zaydism, Zaydi opposition. The restrictive policies of al-Mutawakkil towards the tenth Imam were later adopted by his son, al-Mu'tami ...
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Al-Mu'tamid
Abu’l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Al-Mutawakkil, Jaʿfar ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Muʿtamid ʿalā’Llāh (; – 14 October 892), better known by his regnal name al-Muʿtamid ʿalā 'llāh (, 'Dependent on God'), was the caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 870 to 892. His reign marks the end of the "Anarchy at Samarra" and the start of the Abbasid restoration, but he was largely a ruler in name only. Power was held by his brother al-Muwaffaq, who held the loyalty of the military. Al-Mu'tamid's authority was circumscribed further after a failed attempt to flee to the domains controlled by Ahmad ibn Tulun in late 882, and he was placed under house arrest by his brother. In 891, when al-Muwaffaq died, loyalists attempted to restore power to the Caliph, but were quickly overcome by al-Muwaffaq's son al-Mu'tadid, who assumed his father's powers. When al-Mu'tamid died in 892, al-Mu'tadid succeeded him as caliph. Life The future al-Mu'tamid was a son o ...
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Iraqi Shia Muslims
Shia Islam in Iraq () has a history going back to the times of Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Imamate in Shia doctrine, imam of Shia Islam and fourth caliph of Sunni Islam who moved the capital of the Rashidun Caliphate, early caliphate from Medina to Kufa (or Najaf) two decades after the death of Muhammad. Shia Muslims are generally considered to constitute the majority of the Demographics of Iraq, Iraqi population with varying estimates over their percentages, such as a lower estimate reporting it to be between 55% and 60%, and a higher estimate ranging between 64% and 69% of the population of Iraq. Iraq is the location of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, pilgrimage sites for millions of Shia Muslims. Iraqi Shia Muslims belong to various ethnicities, although they all follow the Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver sect, with the vast majority being Usulism, Usuli and a small minority being Akhbari. Historically, there were practices of Isma'ilism among Musha'sha' Arabs, Zaydism amon ...
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Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian Americans, Iranian-American academic, philosophy, philosopher, theology, theologian, and Ulama, Islamic scholar. He is University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University. Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in the Pahlavi Iran, Imperial State of Iran and the United States, earning a Bachelor's degree, B.A. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master's degree, M.A. in geology and geophysics, and a Doctor of Philosophy, doctorate in the history of science from Harvard University. He returned to his homeland in 1958, turning down teaching positions at MIT and Harvard, and was appointed a professor of philosophy and Islamic sciences at Tehran University. He held various academic positions in Iran, including vice-chancellor at Tehran University and president of Sharif University of Technology, Aryamehr University, and established the Iranian Research Institute of Philosophy, Imperia ...
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Shaykh Tusi
Shaykh Tusi (), full name ''Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Tusi'' (), known as Shaykh al-Ta'ifah () was a Persian scholar of the Twelver school of Shia Islam. He is the author of two of the Four Books of hadith; namely, '' Tahdhib al-Ahkam'' and ''al-Istibsar'', and is believed to have founded the Hawza of Najaf. In addition, he was a scholar of '' ʾUṣūl al-Fiqh'' and is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential thinkers in Shi’i history. Life Shaykh Tusi was born 995 AD in Tus, Iran, and by 1018 AD he was living under the rule of the Buyid dynasty. Tusi's birth is considered a miracle, as he was born after the twelfth Imam of Shia, al-Mahdi's, supplications. He started his education in Tus, where he mastered many of the Islamic sciences of that period. He later studied in Baghdad, which was taken by Tughril-bek in 1055 AD. There he entered into the circles of Shaykh Al-Mufid as a paramount teacher. He started writing some of his earlier works in his twen ...
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Ibn Babawayh
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi ( Persian: ; –991), commonly referred to as Ibn Babawayh (Persian: ) or al-Shaykh al-Saduq (Persian: ), was a Persian Shia Islamic scholar whose work, entitled '' Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'' (), forms part of The Four Books of the Shia Hadith collection. Ludwig W. Adamec (2009), ''Historical Dictionary of Islam'', p.135. Scarecrow Press. . Life The patronymic, ''Ibn Babawayh'' indicates a Persian origin, as ''Babawayh'' is an Arabic form of the Persian name ''Babuyah''.Fyzee A. "A Shi'ite Creed." Calcutta, 1942 p8 footnote 2. For some length of time, unknown, the family had been devout adherents of Shia Islam. Ibn Babawayh's father, Ali ibn Babawayh Qummi (d. 939 CE) was a leading figure among the Islamic scholars of Qom.''Man la yahduruhu al-faqih.'' al-Musawi al-Khurasan H. Teheran, 1390. pages h-w. Birth The exact date of Ibn Babawayh's birth is not known. Shia scholars consider his birth to be after the yea ...
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Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Uthman
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Uthman Al-Asadi (, ') was the second of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 CE). Abu Ja'far in this role succeeded his father, Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi, the first deputy. After some forty years in office, Abu Ja'far died in 304 or 305 AH (917 or 918 CE) and was succeeded by Ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti, the third deputy. Abu Ja'far has been credited with the unification of the mainstream Shia. Historical background Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams ( Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held in the garrison town of Samarra under close surveillance (or house arrest) by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of the Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, parti ...
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Ja'far Al-Zaki
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Jaʿfar ibn ʿAlī al-Hādī (; 226-271 A.H., CE – CE), also derisively known as al-Kadhdhāb () in Twelver Shi'ism, was the third son of the tenth Twelver Shi'a Imam, Ali al-Hadi. He claimed to be an imam and established his own sect of followers, to whom he was known as al-Zakī (). Family Jafar b. Ali b. Muḥammad was the son of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi and the brother of eleventh Imam Hasan al-Askari. Also, he had one older brother, Muhammad who died before his father's death. Challenge After the death of Ali al-Hadi After the death of Ali al-Hadi, Jafar b. Ali claimed Imamate. Twelvers believed that he was immoral. Baháʼís believe that he was a truthful person. In his defense, his followers claimed that his personality had changed from his youth. Jafar b. Ali's followers came to be known as the Ja’fariyya and al-Askari's followers were known as the Twelvers. After the death of Hasan al-Askari After the death of Hasan al-Askari, even ...
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Occultation (Islam)
Occultation (, ') in Shia Islam refers to the Islamic eschatology, eschatological belief that the Mahdi, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, has already been born and he was subsequently concealed, but he will reemerge and he will establish justice and peace on earth at the end of time. The signs of his (re)appearance are largely common in Shia and Sunni, Sunni, (although Sunni do not believe the Mahdi has already been born and is in occultation), and the belief in the eschatological Mahdi remains popular among all Muslims, possibly owing to numerous traditions to this effect in canonical Sunni and Shia sources. However, the Islamic schools and branches#Shīʿa Islam, branches of Shia Islam that believe in it differ with regard to the identity of the Mahdi. The #Twelver_Shia, mainstream Shia identifies him as Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth imam, who is believed to be responsible for the affairs of men and, in particular, their inward spiritual guidance during the occult ...
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Mahdi
The Mahdi () is a figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad, and will appear shortly before Jesus in Islam, Jesus. The Mahdi is mentioned in several List of hadith Books, canonical compilations of hadith, but is absent from the Quran and the two most-revered Kutub al-Sittah, Sunni hadith collections, ''Sahih al-Bukhari'' and ''Sahih Muslim''. As such, some Sunni theologians have questioned the orthodoxy of the Mahdi. The doctrine of the Mahdi seems to have gained traction during the confusion and unrest of the religious and political upheavals of the first and second centuries of Islam. Some of the first references to the Mahdi appear in the late 7th century, when the revolutionary Mukhtar al-Thaqafi declared Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, a son of Caliphate, Caliph Ali (), to be the Mahdi. Although the concept of a Mahdi is not an essen ...
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Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (; 16 March 1903 – 15 November 1981) was an Iranian scholar, theorist, philosopher and one of the most prominent thinkers of modern Shia Islam. He is perhaps best known for his '' Tafsir al-Mizan'', a twenty-seven-volume work of tafsir (Quranic exegesis), which he produced between 1954 and 1972. He is commonly known as Allameh Tabataba'i and the Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran is named after him. Biography He received his earlier education in his native Tabriz, mastering the elements of Arabic and the religious sciences, and at about the age of twenty set out for the Shiite seminary of Najaf to continue more advanced studies. He studied under masters such as Ali Tabatabaei (in gnosis), Mirza Muhammad Husain Na'ini, Sheykh Muhammad Hossein Qaravi Esfahani (in Fiqh and Jurisprudence), Sayyid Abu'l-Qasim Khwansari (in Mathematics), as well as studying the standard texts of Avicenna's ''Shifa'', the ''Asfar'' of Sadr al-Din Shirazi, and ...
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Uthman Ibn Sa'id Al-Asadi
Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi al-Amri ( ') was the first of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 CE). Uthman is also said to have been a trusted representative of the tenth and eleventh Imams, Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively. The date of his death is not certain, though it is believed that Uthman did not survive al-Askari for long. Historical background Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams ( Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held under close surveillance in the garrison town of Samarra by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of the Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, particularly after al-Mutawakkil. Contemporary to the tenth Imam, the Abbasid al-Mutawakkil ...
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