JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL STUDIES OF ISLAM
Year:2015 | Volume:7 | Issue:26|Papers Count:7

Jews presence in Arabian Peninsula dates back to the pre Islamic era. It seems that they had frequently been migrating to the region. Having no evidence of the existence of scholarly Jews among Arabs, which points to the illiteracy comparing to their counterparts in other regions, yet they greatly influenced on Arab society. In Islamic era, although Jewish scholars had no considerable interaction with the holy Prophet as for having lesser knowledge, after the demise of the prophet Muslims dealing with the new Jew converters (Ahbar) inject no good elements from Jewish culture to the Islamic body. In early stages of Islamic civilization, however, Muslims made mutual interaction with the conquered inhabitants including Jewish scholars. This research argues that the different degrees of knowledge existed among Arab and non- Arab Jews led to the bilateral effect on Islamic culture. The findings show the subversion of some Islamic teachings in early Islamic era. In early stages of Islamic civilization, however, there was a mutual interaction between Muslims and Jewish scholars.

This research seeks to review evolutionary trend of the title “Zill-ullah” (the shadow of God) applying for the Iranian kings (Sultans) in medieval period as well as to describe its usage as cited in historical sources and mirrors for princes (Andarz Nameh).Therefore, this research endeavors to answer these questions: What was the historical trend of using Zill- ullah in historical sources and the mirrors for princes and since when and why it had been used and applied as the title of kings? The findings which is based on historical explanation, demonstrates that Zill- ullah had basically used in historical sources to describe the Caliphs. Since the 5th century (AH) onward, it had limitedly been used only to tribute some sultans but not as a title. In early medieval it used to refer to a legitimate just king but gradually it was routinized so then referred to the governors, either being righteous or oppressor. This research also proves that the trend of transferring this title from the Caliphs to Sultans at first had started in historical sources and then in mirrors for princes. However, after Ghazali’s Nasihat al muluk, some of the mirrors for princes also played an important role to support the Sultanate concept of Zill-ullahi through using various justifications.

This study examines the authenticity and content of two Ziyarats related to Imam Hussein (AS), i.e. Nahiya and Rajabiya Ziyarats. After a brief introduction of the oldest sources of the Ziyarats, the paper initially deals with reviewing each Ziarat in terms of authenticity and then goes on studying their contents. In the end, the study comes to the conclusion that although the mentioned Ziyarats do not have the necessary authenticity regarding being narrated by the infallible Imams, they are worth considering as the extant texts from the sixth and seventh centuries.

Professional ethics is a significant field in social history researches. Among this field a portion belongs to the style and trend of production as well as customers’service. Tradesmen used to overt their professional ethics by using the concept of chivalry (Fotowwat) in Islamic history, although there seems to be an opposite trend that may be called “professional cheatings”. What sort of cheating was going on and in which job the most possible cheating used to occur? This research based on the book ” Ma’alim alghorbah wa fi Ahkam el-hisbah” is to recognize and categorize the types of professional cheatings by applying quantitative and qualitative findings in order to analyze social and professional ethics.

South Caucasus, conquered by Mongols and controlled by Ilkhanids, was the homeland of Bagrationi administration. The governors in this region, except Arran and Karabakh, were under the supreme ruling command of Bagrationi. So there had been some political affairs between the governors and Ilkhanids. Seeking a reasonable explanation and analysis regarding South Caucasus development from religious point of view, this article is to answer this question: what was the impact of Ilkhanid’s foreign affairs, namely religious policy, on Christians in this region.The findings, based on the documents and library resources, confirm the significance of south Caucasus for the Ilkhanids either as a strategic territory or for the rival claim of Golden Horde in the region. The non Muslim Ilkhanids made a great effort to not only give advantage to the Christians to prevent them from coalition with the Golden Horde, also to take advantage from Christians hostility against Muslims to win the Golden Horde and Mamluks at the same time. On the other hand, the Christians of South Caucasus were looking forward to misusing the ideological differences between non Muslim Ilkhanids and Mulims for the sake of Christianity transcendence. Although Ilkhanids’ conversion to Islam relatively changed the pattern of religious policy against Christians, the general policy of the converted Ilkhanids remained unchanged towards non Muslim Ilkhanids. This was regarding the utilization of their military force and also to maintain the land as a strategic retaining territory against the Golden Horde.

Russian conquest of Transcaucasia had multidimensional consequences for Muslim population of the region. A substantial part of these population was composed of shi’ite muslims who mostly lived in the southern or the pre-Iranian provinces. Based on some newly found archival documents, this study aimed to shed some lights on one aspects of this problem which so far has been neglected by most of the specialists of this field. As a pivotal question it seeks to ask what was the policy of Russian colonial governemt of transcaucasia toward the shiite muslims of the region. To provide an answer for this question it draws on a bunch of archival data which are gleaned from scattered documents and have been analysed inside a greater theoretical framework. Two important cases in thiscontext, the first one, a certain Mulla Tangriverdi and the second one, the ill-famed Aqa Mir Fattah are at the center of this study. As the results show, from the first years of Russian conquest of transcaucasia, Russian governores have proceeded a certain policy toward the shiite population. This policy seems to have three conspicous aspects; the first was thretening influential clerical to avoid any contact with Iranian Mujtahids, the second one was an attempt to absorb middle-ranked shi’its ulama into the Russian adminstration.And the third was an attempt to construct a central religious institute for Shiite jurisdiction authority whose illfortune nominate was the Iranian notorious mujtahid Mir Fattah. The findings is likely to unfold some vague aspects of Russian colonial policy of caucas towards Shites after the enforcement of Golestan agreement.

There are small traces of Iranian Ismaili communities in the post Alamut era. Sporadic prose or odes in fear and anxiety, here and there, dug in the ground or in a wall crack have been extant. Most are prayers and supplications which throw a little light on the dark centuries; however the poem of Mahmoud is totally different. The intoxicated poet, free from fear, unfolds the secrets. For a small religious group, taken refuge in a remote mountainous castle or dwelled around a horrific desert what would be the most crucial secret? The name of the leader? The name of their settlements and shelters? the name of their local leaders and hierarchies? All are revealed in the poetry of Mahmud. Critically edited the single manuscript and based on the historical method, this paper contributes to analyze and to reveal some facts such as: geographical domain of Qasim shahi, the names of local leaders and hierarchies in call (Da’wa) and contemporary beliefs in 11 th / 17 th century.