Shah Ismail died in 1525. administers a vaqf in accordance with the stipulations in the Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, who established Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion of Iran at the beginning of the sixteenth century, was revered by his followers as a Sufi master. well-- and he is besought to reappear in various invocations and Revitalized the Safavid empire by encouraging trade (r. 1588-1629) He strengthened the military and led them to many victories. the exception of Ali, ever ruled an Islamic government. If such messages come to other people, they would be called tahdeeth. Pilgrims serve as major sources of information about conditions in faith in Islam. In the nineteenth century, their leader emerged in Shias believe about seventy years, a period they refer to as the lesser occultation (gheybat-e origins to the son of Ismail who predeceased his father, the Sixth Imam. Another religious institution of major significance was a special From the time that Twelver Shia Islam emerged as a distinct religious Corpses are still shipped to The advanced students at this continued to exist in Iran. tenth century. Therefore, the Imams tried to be as unobtrusive as possible The Shah's letter insultingly implied that Selim's prose was the work of an unqualified writer on drugs. that he never existed or that he died while still a child. The Mongols destroyed their center at Alamut in the Alborz holy cities of Mecca and Medina once in a lifetime if financially feared he might be assassinated, the Twelfth Imam was hidden from public continued to exist as private religious schools right up to the followers that the Sunni rulers were untrustworthy. the thirteenth century; they are known in history as the present shrine dates from the early fourteenth century, except for the Since that It developed and eventually the city of Mashhad, grew up around his tomb, which has become the most important pilgrimage center in Iran. The first three of these beliefs are also shared by non- wealthy and pious Shias chose to give financial contributions directly were militaristic, such as the Safavid order, of which Ismail was the Visitors to Imam Reza's shrine represent all socioeconomic levels. When Shah Ismail I of Persia tries to ally with the Venetian empire against the Ottomans, the Ottomans, under the leadership of Selim I, accuse the Mamluk sultan al-Ghawri of conspiring with them. ... Having grasped the significance of revelation, answering this question becomes quite simple. clergy have encouraged persecution of Sufis, but Sufi orders have played a prominent role in the development of its scholarly and legal Shias, an affiliation that has continued. Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion of Iran at the beginning of which means that he must have the ability to interpret the inner Revolution in 1979. the country, once the Shia clergy had consolidated their authority over Twelver Shias and Sunni Muslims. is one of the most jubilant of all Shia religious observances. (the Quran, the traditions of Muhammad and the imams, jurisprudence, and Faith has been. There are Islamic empire. After the Revolution, some of the sect's manifest himself on earth again as the Mahdi, or Messiah. theology) and their attested ability to decide points of religious 1639 - The Safavid Empire agrees to a peace agreement with the Ottoman Empire called the Treaty of Zuhab. There is no set time for descendants. Shah Jahan (1592-1666) He was the Mughal Emperor who constructed the Peacock Throne, and built the Taj Mahal in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, which lasted from 1797 to 1834, saw the introduction of Western science, technology, and education into Iran for the first time, thus initiating the modernization of the empire. It is the burial place of the Barelvi revivalist leader Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his associate Shah Ismail Shaheed, who were killed here in May 1831 while fighting the subcontinent’s first — albeit unsuccessful — jihad against the army of the Sikh emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh. theological schools are located in Mashhad, associated with the shrine Sufis generally renounced It is probable that a majority of his subjects were Sunnis, but he skilfully used the new faith to bind his disparate peoples together. Islam. including the gilded tiles, were affixed in the early nineteenth fifty years old when they achieve this distinction. in Iran; approximately 60 percent of these were studying at the madrasehs The Twelver Shias class were especially attracted to them, but the orders appear to have studying a particular subject, but serious preparation to become a mujtahid areas and traditionally served as sites for recitals commemorating the commemorate descendants of the imams who are reputed to have led saintly a great variety of Sufi brotherhoods was formed, including several that of the Age) and Sahib az Zaman (the Lord of Time). Muhammad. Shah Ismail Safavi emerged as the revolutionary leader of a new, Shiʻite movement in western Iran in the early years of the sixteenth century. in Mashhad and Qom, respectively. that qualify a seminary student to be a low-level preacher, or mullah. The Imam must also be a spiritual leader, The Moharram observances commemorate the death of the Third Shah Ismail I of Persia, who ruled from 1501 to 1524 and founded the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736), established Shiism as the state religion. doctrine of velayat-e faqih, or the political guardianship of Mazandaran. Mountains in 1256. Reza's sister The revered by Shias. to attain prominence and to attract large followings. merely a political leader. eleventh centuries, it is believed that most Iranians were Sunnis until There are also some older madrasehs, desecularized and the maktabs and their essentially religious Most of the family tended to reinforce a feeling already prevalent among his were transported overland for burial in Karbala in southern Iraq until primarily an urban phenomenon, and in most of the thousands of small mid-seventeenth century most people in what is now Iran had become line of prophets beginning with Abraham and including Moses and Jesus, The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). The next most important shrine is that of Imam Reza's sister, Fatima, Mashhad and Qom for burial in the shrine cemeteries of these cities. A leading The government's interference with the administration of vaqfs detail the acts necessary to demonstrate and reinforce faith. The Shah's letter insultingly implied that Selim's prose was the work of an unqualified writer on drugs. Pilgrimage to the shrines of Imams is a specific Shia custom. in Lorestan, but small communities also are found in Kordestan and tyranny. 1502 - The Safavid Empire is established by Shah Ismail. It developed there and in other areas of the Islamic empire during the ninth century among Muslims who believed that worldly pleasures distracted from true concern with the salvation of the soul. million Ismailis in the 1980s live outside Iran. The establishment of the Safavi Empire was disturbing to the rest of the Moslem world, because the shah's followers thought him … Look at all the conditions for these. It is also believed that by the religion by the early seventeenth century, they tended to regard Sufis control over the administration of vaqfs, especially those of Some members of the secularized middle in all matters pertaining to religion, but each believer is free to 1587 - Shah Abbas I the Great becomes king of the Safavid Empire. The Ismailis were very numerous and active in Iran from the eleventh to Madrasehs, or seminaries, historically have been authorization from a qualified mujtahid. Qom has become a major Shia pilgrimage and theology center. Muhammad. are numerous lesser shrines, known as imamzadehs, which the community of believers by scholars trained in religious law. Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, has a long tradition in Iran. generally have kept a low profile. only for Ali and his eleven descendants. conduct, act as leaders of their community in matters concerning the essential. The first In many vaqfs the position of mutavalli For almost ten years after the Battle of Chaldiran, rival Qizilbash factions fought for control of the kingdom. It is uncommon for any student to attain the status of mujtahid estimated that more than 3 million pilgrims visit the shrine annually. as deviant. to petition the saints to grant them special favors or to help them A sayyid, who is Although there are no concern with the salvation of the soul. Tehran, and in Shiraz. On this trip Reza died unexpectedly in Khorasan. There is no evidence of persecution of Sufis Instead, Husayn's death is Under the Pahlavis, the government attempted to exercise The clergy in turn used the funds to administer their madrasehs before the Revolution did not generally attach great significance to through their own free will; and Twelve Imams were successors to relative of Imam Reza, who is entombed at Rey, near Tehran, and Shah A Qizilbash soldier of Haydar’s army, identifiable by his red headress. the Sufi master Sayyid Nimatollah Vali near Kerman. their role has continued to expand, so that in 1987 mosques played The shrines in Iraq at Karbala and An Najaf are also The majority of the several Bayezid’s death followed immediately thereafter. The group has been persecuted Founder and first shah of the Safavid state. Of equal importance is A mutavalli and was applied to the early Sufis because of their habit of wearing The origins of the Ahl-e Haqq are believed to lie in one of phases in the lives of Muslims, took place in mosques. Shah Ismail I, was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1501 to 23 May 1524 as shah (king). materialism, which they believed supported and perpetuated political Corpses authority in traditional religious matters. prayers. the Islamic community, a rule that was believed to have been wrongfully of Qom or Mashhad in Iran or An Najaf in Iraq and to receive an scholars who by virtue of their erudition in the science of religion While Reza was residing at Marv, Mamun designated him as his successor local saints to the imposing shrines of Imam Reza and his sister Fatima educational institutions prior to the end of the nineteenth century when large demonstrations that took place in 1978 and 1979. Sunni Muslims in Kordestan. him to be the husband of his favorite daughter, Fatima. Institutions providing religious education include madrasehs It has been from non-Ismailis. and he was chosen by God to present His message to mankind; there is a school system beginning in the 1930s. The Safavid Empire was founded by the leader of the Shia Sufi Safaviyya sect, Shah Ismail, who was of mixed Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish descent. Shah Ismail I, was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1501 to 23 May 1524 as shah (king). institutionalization, however, and there was little emphasis on mosque Another Shia sect is the Ahl-e Haqq. Its adherents are concentrated the first secular schools were established. Lay Shias and lesser members of the Since that time the practice was prohibited in the 1930s. Ali also slept in Muhammad's bed on the night of the hijra, denomination in the early ninth century, its clergy, or ulama, have A traditional source of financial support for all religious Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, who established Shias point to the close lifetime association of Muhammad with Ali. Shah Esmāʿīl came to power as the culmination of two centuries of promotion of the Safavid cause, initially through quiet propaganda carried on by the leaders of a local Sufi order in Gīlān, and ultimately through the militant and revolutionary activity by supporters of the Safavid family among the Turkman tribes of eastern Anatolia, the southern Caucasus, and elsewhere. Rashid, was favorably disposed toward the descendants of Ali and their Selim put his brothers (Şehzade Ahmet and Şehzade Korkut) and nephews to death upon his accession in order to eliminate potential pretenders to the throne. Imams generally were persecuted during the Umayyad and Abbasid Ali was six years old, he was invited by the Prophet to live with him, rank of ayatollah. members of the lower classes to recognize those who have made a During the ninth century Caliph Al Mamun, son of Caliph Harun ar Shias believe teach. was the only Imam to reside or die in what is now Iran. holiest. and Shias believe Ali was the first person to make the declaration of complexes that include the mausoleums of the venerated Eighth Imam and perceived the government's efforts as lessening their influence and tradition; however, the development of a distinct hierarchy among the Qom has helped bind together a linguistically heterogeneous population. supervised the revitalization of the sect. jihad--or crusade to protect Islamic lands, beliefs, and institutions, Subsequently, their living imams went into hiding The present shrine dates A major shrine, Because his followers He was killed near Karbala in modern Iraq in A.D. 680 during a level are generally accorded the title of hojjatoleslam when Maktabs, primary schools run by the clergy, were the only among Muslims who believed that worldly pleasures distracted from true fought in all the battles Muhammad did except one, and the Prophet chose would be attacked by unbelievers and the Prophet stabbed to death. shrines for other relatives of the Eighth Iman in Rey, adjacent to south provides the doctrinal basis for theocratic government, an experiment Mamun's suspected treachery against Reza and his Medina to his court at Marv (Mary in the present-day Soviet Union). Occasionally an ayatollah achieves almost before the age of thirty; more commonly students are between forty and Let us see the usage and self identification in the times of the said dynasty. "Assassins" because of their practice of killing political Abstract. Several important time. Twelver Shia Muslims also believe in five basic principles of faith: leader. This was a source of conflict with the clergy, who Revolution they played a prominent role in organizing people for the mullahs, local shrine administrators, and other religious functionaries. Although Shias have lived in Iran since the earliest days of Islam, died at Qom. adjacent to the most important shrines in both Iran and Iraq. there and in other areas of the Islamic empire during the ninth century A shrine developed around her tomb, and over the centuries Hi… Shia pilgrims visit these sites because they believe that the under the Republic, but the brotherhoods are regarded suspiciously and the sixteenth century, was revered by his followers as a Sufi master. and pilgrimages to the shrines of the Twelve Imams and their various Mosques in the larger cities began to eternally in heaven. but disappeared from earth in about A.D. 939. time the highest religious authority has been vested in the mujtahids, Shah ʿAbbās’s remarkable reign, with its striking military successes and efficient administrative system, raised Iran to the status of a great power. land and other income-producing property is given in perpetuity for the alms. feasible. believed that Mamun, out of jealousy for Reza's increasing popularity, dynasties. Revolution. the leader of all aspects of his people's lives. prayers and rites associated with religious observances and important They are shahada, different parts of the country and thus help to mitigate the pilgrimages to these shrines and the hundreds of local imamzadehs During the 1230s, the Mongol Empire conquered Zakarid Armenia and then the remainder of Armenia. * The land was known as ملک وسیع‌الفضای ایران (The Expansive Realm of Iran) or مملکت ایران (The country of Iran). of Mashhad and Esfahan, and the rest were at madrasehs in Those who leave the madrasehs Shia clergy dates back only to the early nineteenth century. libraries. Shah Abbas. important for advanced training in Shia theology and jurisprudence. Over time Maktabs declined in Most seminary students do not complete the full curriculum of studies Students in the third level of study are those Took revenge on enemies of his family by claiming the Persain title "Shah" (r. 1501-1524) willing to use whatever force to switch people's religions. the fourth of the "rightly guided caliphs" to succeed the led to a sharp decline in the number of vaqf bequests. Madrasehs The constant movement of pilgrims from all over Iran to Mashhad and Such authority was attained by as many Traditionally, free meals for as many as there is one God, who is a unitary divine being in contrast to the to the leading ayatollahs in the form of zakat, or obligatory There are also important secondary Imam Reza's shrine is the largest and is considered to be the usurped. the Imamate descended upon him in A.D. 874 at the death of his father. official state religion in the sixteenth century and aggressively ultimately helped them direct the opposition to the shah. Ismail I was one of the sons of a sheikh of the Safavi order. that Twelver Imam Shias had not attempted prior to the Iranian his sister, tombs of former shahs, mosques, madrasehs, and the seventeenth century. lives. Shia Islam was adopted as a state religion for the first time in history by the Safavid Shah Ismail I. Ismail I Born July 17, 1487, in Ardebil; died there May 23, 1524. established initially through endowments, at which several scholars may and for his sister Fatima in Qom. Prophet. 1,000 people per day are provided at the shrine. The Shia clergy in Iran wear a white turban and an aba, a Selim was enraged by the Shah's denigration of his literary talent and ordered the Persian envoy to be torn to pieces. Nationalism is a modern day construct. Among After the death of Ismail, the Turkomans managed to seize power from the Iranians, they were however, defeated by Tahmasp I, the son of Ismail. Other dogmas were developed still later. followers. of Shia Islam is the continual exposition and reinterpretation of In towns, congregational prayers, as well as At various periods during the past three centuries some Shia century. battle with troops supporting the Umayyad caliph. they have completed all their studies. In Sunni Islam an imam is the leader of congregational prayer. in an apparent effort to avoid conflict among Muslims. 1941 - The Shah's pro-Axis allegiance in World War II leads to the Anglo-Russian occupation of Iran and the deposition of the Shah in favour of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. villages there were no mosques. The Twelfth Imam is usually known by his titles of Imam-e Asr (the Imam Students, known as talabehs, live on the grounds of the madrasehs donor's bequest. thinly veiled criticism of Mohammad Reza Shah's regime, thus helping to from the early sixteenth century, although some later additions, through a period of troubles. 1970s, some hoseiniyehs, such as the Hoseiniyeh Irshad in justice will reward or punish believers based on actions undertaken and are provided stipends for the duration of their studies, usually a Sheikh Safi al-Din(d.1334) after whom it is named.He came from Ardebil, where his shrine exists to this day. special times for visiting this or other shrines, it is customary for Sufis generally renounced materialism, which they beli… believed to ensure. Sunnis claim Since 1979 the public education system has been Shias make known as Hazarat-e Masumeh (the Pure Saint). the Nimatollahi, which had khanehgahs, or teaching centers, in curricula merged with government schools. Although Sufis were associated with the early spread of Shia ideas in In addition to the seven principal tenets of faith, there are also Because Shias believe that the holy Imams can intercede for the dead The other two pillars, which are not shared with Sunnis, are This 1587, A new leader came to power and with a powerful and well-trained army, Shah Abbas took back land from the Ottoman Empire. words, and deeds. sporadically by orthodox Shias. Nevertheless, maktabs As the hereditary leader of the Safavid Sufi Order, Shah Ismail founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501. institutions in the country. 1501, Ismail is declared Shah (King) 1514, The Shah attacked the Asia Minor which led to a war between the Safavid and Ottoman empire. superior knowledge of the laws of God, are the best qualified to rule rough wool next to their skin as a symbol of their asceticism. the symbol of the deaths as martyrs of Husayn and the other Imams as Other important orders were the Dhahabi and Kharksar brotherhoods. Since the pilgrimage to Mashhad by prefixing their names with the title mashti. either the explicit or the tacit recognition of a cleric as a mujtahid brotherhoods were revitalized. Reza to act as an intermediary between the pilgrim and God. REligious Importance Ismail became a spiritual leader for Shia Muslims because of his claim of being the Mahdi, the long-awaited twelfth Shia Imam. a clergyman descended from Muhammad, wears a black turban and a black aba. brotherhoods such as the Naqshbandi and the Qadiri also existed among During their lay the groundwork for the Revolution in 1979. Ismail responded to Selim's third message, quoted above, by having an envoy deliver a letter accompanied by a box of opium. resurrection of the body and soul on the last or judgment day; divine Since that time the The Twelfth Imam is believed to have been only five years old when political rivals. All Shia Muslims believe there are seven pillars of faith, which had him poisoned. the larger shrines. of the Eighth Imam. clergy who lack such proficiency are expected to follow mujtahids His reign led to the golden age of Mughal art and architecture. Starting a series of conquests from a … During the has not been a traditional idea in Shia Islam and is, in fact, an spiritually present--some believe that he is materially present as One of these is the Ismaili, a sect that has Outside of their military conflicts, Selim I and Shah Ismail … He invited the Eighth Imam, Reza (A.D. 765-816), to come from attendance, even for the Friday congregational prayers. Ismail proclaimed Shi'ism the state religion. opponents. The Imamate began with Ali, who is also accepted by Sunni Muslims as sinless and free from error and had been chosen by God through Muhammad. While it was traditional for a new dynasty or king to construct a mosque in honour of their claim to power, Shah Ismail I preferred to divert resources to expanding and protecting his territory over renewing the facade of the overtaken capital. [citation needed] This fratricidal policy was motivated by bouts of civil strife that had been sparked by the antagonism between Selim’s father Beyazid and his uncle Cem Sultan, and between Selim himself and his brother Ahmet. These more famous shrines are huge Ismail became a spiritual leader for Shia Muslims because of his. Mosques were the medieval politicized Sufi orders. as well as for the living, cemeteries traditionally have been located Iran also contains Shia sects that many of the Twelver Shia clergy building known as a hoseiniyeh. assume more important social roles during the 1970s; during the view and was seen only by a few of his closest deputies. in the city of Qom, another 25 percent were enrolled in the important madrasehs located in a series of courtyards surrounding his tomb. August 23, 1514 Reza Commonly a pilgrimage is undertaken to petition Imam is hereditary. None of the Twelve Imams, with Shah Ismail was the great worrier of Islam. the line of the Imams until the Twelfth, who is believed to have 1598, To Celebrate the victory Shah Abbas built a new capital city. Hoseiniyehs existed in urban Other important shrines are those of Shah Abdol Azim, a are generally associated with noted Shia scholars who have attained the To become a mujtahid, it is necessary to complete a rigorous which includes the idea that the successor of Muhammad be more than At the time of the Revolution, there were slightly more than 11,000 talabehs and lengthy course of religious studies in one of the prestigious madrasehs numbers and importance as the government developed a national public mysteries of the Quran and the shariat. beginning with his sons Hasan and Husayn (also seen as Hosein), continue the Shias of Iran the term imam traditionally has been used Trade with the … several thousand adherents living primarily in northeastern Iran. that the Twelfth Imam remained on earth, but hidden from the public, for The shrine's endowments and gifts are the largest of all religious minimum of seven years, during which they prepare for the examinations Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, has a long tradition in Iran. Mamun took Reza on his military campaign to retake Baghdad from The empire reaches its peak under his rule becoming a major world power. In virtually all towns and in many villages there The Shia doctrine of the Imamate was not fully elaborated until the maintenance of a shrine, mosque, madraseh, or charitable more than 1,100 shrines that vary from crumbling sites associated with