The Usefulness of Sayyid Murtada’s Model of the Occultation Theory in the Current Age
The major part of the Shiite beliefs developed through the theological works by the fourth and fifth century theologians, including Sheikh Mufid and Sayyid Murtada. Of course, in the following centuries, some scholars such as Khwajah Nasir al-Ddin Tusi, provided different views concerning some of the issues. The major part of the challenges in these works is concerned with the imamate and its relevant discussions (such as imams’ infallibility, particular knowledge and virtues). The issue of occultation enjoys a particular status among these discussions.
The present study focuses on the model of the occultation theory in Sayyid Murtada’s works, and it reveals that he did not attempt to avoid traditions and appeal to reasoning for the Shiites to develop some beliefs; rather, he found the beliefs among the Shiites mostly prevalent, widely transmitted, based on traditions and needless of being proved. Just the same, his aims and approach were mostly theological. His model has promoted the main features of the Imamiyyah beliefs toward theoretical reasoning so that they cannot be rejected by the opponents; meanwhile, they are in concordance with the Shiite traditions. He aimed to strengthen the Imamiyyah beliefs through theological discussions so that they cannot be criticized by the opponents. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that he took a rational approach because he did not trust the traditions; rather, he considered the tradition-based approach as an approach which caused troubles and doubts for the Shiites; meanwhile, he believed that the opponents could not reject reasoning. Therefore, he appealed to argumentation, rather than to tradition-based discussion.
Furthermore, the analysis of his “model of the occultation theory” clarifies the developments made through the following ages concerning the principles, obstacles and necessities of the theory of occultation. Therefore, the present article studies the usefulness of the model for the present time and provides some suggestions for a suitable model for the current period.
Keywords: Sayyid Murtada, Imamiyyah, occultation model, theologians, doubts
* Assistant professor, Huda Non-governmental/Non-profit Faculty of Islamic Sciences and Theology
