Shi`a Pajoohi

Shi`a Pajoohi

Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta: Affiliations and Theological Beliefs

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
mahdi mohammadi 1
Seyyed Ali Hosseinzadeh Khezrabad 2
1 Level 4 Seminary Student in Imamate Studies, International Imamate Foundation, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of History and Theology, Ahl al-Bayt Theology Research Institute, Quran and Hadith Research Center, Qom, Iran
Abstract
The origin and emergence of theological Shi'ism have always been subjects of diverse viewpoints. Some theorists argue that "theological Shi'ism" arose from extra-religious ideas, while others consider it historically disconnected from the Prophetic era and a construct of the late first century AH. The outcome of such theories is the denial of the historical authenticity of the Shi'a school, portraying it as a deviation from Qur'anic and Prophetic teachings. In contrast, Shi'a scholars and some orientalists maintain that theological Shi'ism is the result of a systematic understanding of Qur'anic teachings and Prophetic Sunnah in light of the interpretations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). To prove this theory, they have adopted various approaches. One such method is examining the beliefs and intellectual affiliations of certain companions of the Prophet (SAWA) and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) in the early centuries. In this article, as a case study, we delve into historical reports, biographical accounts, and hadith sources concerning one of the prominent companions of Amīr al-Mu'minīn [ʿAlī] (AS), Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta. Due to his intellectual and political connection with the Household of Revelation (Ahl al-Bayt) and certain Shi'a figures, he adhered to distinct Shi'a doctrines, such as the Imamate of Amīr al-Mu'minīn (AS), infallibility (ʿiṣmah), divinely bestowed knowledge (al-ʿilm al-khāṣṣ), disassociation from enemies (barāʾah), Mahdism, rajʿah (return), and badāʾ (divine apparent alteration of decree).
Keywords
theological Shi'ism
emergence of Shi'ism
Imamate
Infallibility (ʿIṣmah)
Divinely Bestowed Knowledge (al-ʿIlm al-Khāṣṣ)
Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta
Subjects
The Holy Qur'an.
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