The Role of Imam Askari and Imam Mahdi in the ‎Cohesion of Twelver Shia

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Institute of Islamic Sciences and Culture

10.22081/jm.2025.71007.1103

Abstract

Imam Hasan Askari (A.S.) became the Imam during a period when the political oppression of the Abbasid rulers was so intense that he and his honorable father had to reside in the military camp of the city of Askar. Furthermore, the Abbasid rulers' excessive attention to his household in search of his son led Imam Askari to keep his son’s birth a secret. As a result, after his martyrdom and the ensuing difficulties, including the occultation of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), the Shia faced significant divisions at the onset of the Minor Occultation. However, it was important to note that Imam Askari (A.S.) knew very well that protecting his son would ensure the continuation of the Imamate and that the next Imam could reunite the fragmented community. This is exactly what occurred at the end of the Minor Occultation. Therefore, this research, through a library-based and descriptive-analytical method, seeks to answer the question of how Imam Askari, by concealing his son’s birth, managed to preserve both the Imamate of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and the unity of the Shia during the transitional period. The study aims to demonstrate that the Shia, through the concept of Imamate and under the leadership of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), achieved cohesion. Key actions by Imam Askari included not having a formal marriage, concealing the birth of Imam Mahdi, and circulating news of the deaths of some of his other children. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the representative system and the issuance of numerous letters (Tawqi'at) during the Minor Occultation were among Imam Mahdi’s (A.S.) efforts to ensure the cohesion of the Shia community.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 04 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 10 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 15 March 2025

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