Tag Archives: Shi’ites

The Last Shi’ite Imams, 868-74

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Ruth

The tenth Imam, al-Hadi, lived through six Abbasid Caliphs. He moved with his young family to Samarra, where his sons grew up. They lived in a heavily military neighborhood, not by their choice, but this location gave his son the … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Last Shi’ite Imams, 868-74

The Child Prodigy Imam, 811-835

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Ruth

When Imam Reza died while traveling with Caliph al-Mamun from Merv to Baghdad, it was unclear to some Shi’ites who was his successor. He had one son, and only one, who had been born when he was well over 40. … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Child Prodigy Imam, 811-835

Shi’ites: Imam Kazim, 745-799

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Ruth

Let’s review the Shi’ite Imam line that’s going on outside the spotlight, all this time. Ali is counted as the first Imam, since he claimed that title when he became Caliph—saying that “Caliph” had become corrupt, so he would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Shi’ites: Imam Kazim, 745-799

Caliph al-Mansur and the Shi’ites, 762-5

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

The descendants of Ali had been living quietly in Medina all this time, building up a legacy of scholarship that by the 700s amounted to a private university. Law and theology were the main subjects, but they included the observational … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Caliph al-Mansur and the Shi’ites, 762-5

Zayd’s Uprising, 740

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Ruth

I mentioned in the entry on Caliph al-Walid that he ordered a scholar descended from Ali to be poisoned, as his father had been also. This man, the fourth Shi’ite Imam, was known as al-Sajjad. He had many sons, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History B: the Umayyads | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Zayd’s Uprising, 740

The Druze

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Ruth

In the later years of Caliph al-Hakim (see original entry here), two separate forces fused to create the Druze, the secretive cult/tribe based in Lebanon. This is another of those stories that’s hard to make out clearly because there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Druze

The Mad Caliph

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Ruth

By the late 900s, the Fatimid dynasty was in control of all of North Africa, Palestine, and the holy places in Arabia, Mecca and Medina. Sunni Muslims had been the norm in Egypt; now they were pressured to become Ismailis. … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fatimid ideology

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Ruth

The IMAM: During the Abbasid years, Shi’ite believers had turned away from secular power in order to survive. Those who challenged the Caliph openly usually died. Those who developed the ability to go undercover while seeming loyal, survived. We hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Shi’ite Revolution: Revenge of Fatima

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Ruth

Ever since the Battle of Karbala, true-believer Shi’ites kept track of a secret line of true Imams descended from one survivor. It was inevitable that someone would emerge to challenge Abbasid power, and to this end, the regime was constantly … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Stress lines in the Islamic Empire

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Ruth

From early on, there were three basic tectonic lines that kept Mohammed’s legacy from ever being placid or unified. (1) Tribal tensions inside Mohammed’s Quraysh tribe, but between different clans. Then tension and aggression between the Quraysh and other Arabs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Muslim Empire (old series) | Tagged , | Leave a comment