Abstract:
During the Islamic Middle Ages, different religious factions were present and active scientifically in Baghdad. The scientific approach of some of these religious groups, such as the Ikhwan al-Safa community and the school of the Imami theologians and researchers of Baghdad, was philosophical and theological. Although the scientific approach of these two factions seems close to each other, a comparative study of the views of these two groups reveals that they had fundamental and serious disagreements on some issues. Sayyid al-Murtada, who was the most prominent representative of the school of the Imami theologians and researchers of Baghdad, used two methods of criticism—direct and indirect—in critiquing the beliefs of other schools. He used the method of indirect criticism in critiquing the theological beliefs of the Ikhwan al-Safa. Sharif al-Murtada clarified the invalidity of the beliefs of the Ikhwan al-Safa in some important theological axes such as: reincarnation of souls, interpretation of prophets' miracles, denial of intercession (tawassul), the occultation of the awaited Imam, visiting the shrines of the Imams, performing Husayni mourning, the nature of the Quran, and the uncovering of religious secrets and mysteries. The theological disagreement between the Ikhwan al-Safa and Sharif al-Murtada should be sought in causes such as: the eclectic nature of the Ikhwan al-Safa's beliefs, their inclination towards Sufism, and the superiority of philosophy over religion according to them. Nevertheless, on one hand, due to the rationalist approach of both the school of the Imami theologians and researchers of Baghdad and the Ikhwan al-Safa, and on the other hand, due to the free-thinking of the Ikhwan al-Safa, they agreed on some theological issues. Ultimately, due to ignoring the law governing the survival, prosperity, and decline of theological schools, the Ikhwan al-Safa failed not only against the school of the Imami theologians and researchers of Baghdad but also against other theological sects.
Machine summary:
Sharif al-Murtada demonstrated the invalidity of the beliefs of the Ikhwan al-Safa in several important theological axes, such as: the transmigration of souls, the interpretation of the miracles of prophets, the denial of intercession (tawassul), the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi, visiting the shrines of the Imams and performing Husayni mourning, the nature of the Quran, and the uncovering of the secrets and mysteries of religion.
Initially, the Germans led the way with Dieterici1 and Flügel2, then the Frenchman Casanova3 set to work in 1915, and other Orientalists such as Goldziher,4 Macdonald,5 Lane Paul,6 Massignon,7 Ivanoff,8 Joel Kramer,9 Stern,10 and Sarton11 conducted research on the Ikhwan (51, pp: 51-53).
In fact, during this sensitive period, Sayyid al-Murtada's goal in authoring the aforementioned three rigorous and serious books (between the years 398 and 415 AH) was to explain the subject of Imamate, the infallibility of divine leaders (including prophets and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)), and the issue of the occultation of Hazrat Hujjat; because through this approach, the Sayyid succeeded, on one hand, in researching and consolidating the theological beliefs of the Imamiye against other Islamic groups and sects, and on the other hand, he distinguished the religious beliefs of the Twelvers from other Islamic and Shiite sects (such as the Fatimids and the Ikhwan al-Safa) and defined their boundaries.
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