'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎107r] (218/610)

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The faithful adherence of the Persians to the house of All
■was probably also due to a belief that Imam Husain married a
daughter of Yezdigird, the last of the Sasanian kings of Persia
who was overthrown by the invading Arabs, and that conse
quently his descendants were connected with the old royal
house.
The distinguishing tenets of Shiism accordingly are:—
1. Rejection of Abu Bakhr, Omar, and Othman the first
three Caliphs, and of all the Caliphs subsequent
to All.
2. Veneration of the house of AH, especially of Husain,
the Rhird Imam, as a martyr for its cause, and of
his descendants, the 9 other Imams, whom they
regard as intercessors between man and God, and
the heirs by divine right to the Caliphate. The
Caliphs subsequent to AH, who are recognized by
the Sunnis, they reject as usurpers.
3. The belief that the last, i.e., twelfth, Imam Mahdi
will reappear on the day of the Judgment.
Pending the reappearance of the 12th Imam his authority Religious
is vested in the heads of the Shi’ah religion called 1 2 Mujtahids, jjj^rarehy,
who study and interpret the Quran and the complicated reli
gious laws to the people. Mujtahids are of 3 grades, and collec
tively are termed “ Ulama”, the plural of “ alim ” learned.
Different Mujtahids expound divergent views and have
groups of “ 3 imitators” varying in numbers according to the
eminence of the Mujtahid.
The predominant position of a universally recognized expo
under is seldom acquired by a Mujtahid in Persia. The 4 great
Mujtahids, 4 5 or 6 in number, are Persians but reside in Najaf
and Kerbela, and issue 5 epistles and 6 edicts. Their edict of
excommunication, makes a man an ^unbeliever and a Mussul
man acquires merit by killing him.
1 All is the first, Hasan the second Imam.
2 Mujtahid is the Shi’ah equivalent of “ Doctor of Divinity It denotes the
possession of ‘ Ijtihad,’ which by derivation means a “ striving ” “effort ” “ (e./.
‘Jihad’ a ‘ striving for the cause ’ holy war)” and so a “ striving to acquire know
ledge By usage it has come to denote the “ power of interpretation ” of
the Quran and traditions, and Mujtahid is a man who by his own effort has
himself acquired this power and does not need to consult others.
3 Muqalidin.
4 Hujjat-ul-Islam.
X’ O-ll VOrll.
7 Kafir. Mujtahid fatvah dad barayeh takfir kardan-i-fllan kas-
a Mujtahid issued an edict for the excommunication, i. e., making a kafir of, so
and so.