چکیده:
The policy that al-Mahdi al-Abbasi adopted towards opponents and heterodox thinkers, which has been termed 'Zindiq-fighting' in Islamic cultural history, is a subject that has long occupied the minds of both Muslim and non-Muslim historians and has led to the emergence of significant literature surrounding it. Indeed, what factor prompted the Caliph to react so angrily toward the Zindiqs? The prevailing assumption in existing research regarding the Caliph's motives—relying on the aforementioned policy—is that he undertook this method to protect the sanctity of monotheism and the essence of Islam. However, the findings of the present research, in explaining the Caliph's motives, are based on the hypothesis that, in addition to the concern for defending the sanctity of monotheism, what disturbed the Caliph and drove him to react angrily toward the Zindiqs—especially the Manichaeans—was that they, alongside promoting Manichaean philosophical teachings regarding dualism in the core elements of existence, also turned to transmitting anti-aristocratic and anti-class concepts of Manichaeism in order to challenge the Abbasid rule through this means. The Caliph, therefore, adopted the policy of Zindiq-fighting to repel potential threats and prevent the spread of these ideas in society, and advised his successors to continue this course.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Zindiq-Siti-zi (Anti-Zindiqism) during the Caliphate of al-Mahdi al-Abbasi (With emphasis on Manichaeans as specific Zindiqs) Ali Nazemianfard 1 Abstract The policy that al-Mahdi al-Abbasi adopted towards opponents and heterodox thinkers, which in the history of Islamic culture became known as "Zindiq-siti-zi" (anti-Zindiqism), is a subject that has long occupied the minds of Muslim and non-Muslim historians and has led to the emergence of significant literature surrounding it.
The dominant assumption of research conducted regarding the Caliph's motives for resorting to the aforementioned policy is that he undertook this method to protect the sanctity of monotheism and the essence of Islam; however, the findings of the present research, in explaining the Caliph's motives, are based on the hypothesis that, in addition to the concern for defending the sanctity of monotheism, what disturbed the Caliph and prompted his angry reaction toward the Zindiqs—especially the Manichaeans—was that they, alongside promoting Manichaean philosophical teachings regarding dualism in the fundamentals of existence, also turned to conveying anti-aristocratic and anti-class concepts of Manichaeism in order to challenge the Abbasid rule through this means.
In fact, Shaban considers Mahdi al-Abbasi's policy toward Zandaqa as a kind of futile attempt at the ideological homogenization of society; whereas Hodgson believes that the Caliph's concern about the promotion of Manichaean teachings and the creation of a rift in the unity of the Islamic community provided the grounds for adopting this rigorous policy.
However, the reality is that recognizing the underlying layers of this policy depends on understanding the dual behaviors that the Abbasid Caliphate apparatus adopted toward the Shu'ubiyya and the Zandaqa, justifying the treatment of the latter not only from a religious perspective but also from political and social standpoints.
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