Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

Typology of the Approach of Shi'a Uṣūlī Scholars Towards Bábism in the Naserian Era

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
seyed hosein hoseini 1
Musa Haqqani 2
seyed. Mohammad Hosseini 3
1 PhD student of Shi'a sects, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
2 President of the Institute for Contemporary History of Iran, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Shi'a Studies, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jis.2024.344844.1811
Abstract
The Bábí (or Bayání) faith is a religion that emerged in 1260/1844 by Seyyed Ali Muhammad Shirazi, nicknamed Bab or Hushidar, in Iran. It succeeded in attracting followers from among various social groups, professions, and strata within Iranian society. In the same year, at the age of 25, Báb first claimed to be the Báb (Gate) and shortly thereafter, near the Ka'aba, claimed to be the Mahdi [the Promised Savior]. However, he did not stop there and later claimed prophethood and even divinity. These claims at that time caused deviations in the Islamic world and triggered reactions from scholars. In this article, the researcher tries to answer the question of how the reaction of Uṣūlī scholars was to Bábism and to what extent these reactions were effective in controlling and confronting this movement. The research method is to use a targeted and saturated statistical population; in the sense that data has been collected to the point where no new information is obtained. The research findings show that factors such as a misunderstanding of religious teachings such as the uprising of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) and anticipation of relief, superstition, economic poverty, cultural weakness, widespread illiteracy in society, and foreign support for subversive movements were effective in the emergence of Bábism. Also, the type of encounter of the scholars with Bábism varied depending on individual circumstances and their individual attitudes; especially in relation to the role of this movement in inciting society and attracting the masses to the emerging Bábí faith.
Keywords
[Shiite] Uṣūlī Scholars
Bábism
Naserian Era
Typology
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Journal of Imamiyyah Studies
Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21
September 2025
Pages 225-246