A Critical Examination of the Concept of " Qutbiyyah " and Its ‎Comparison with the Doctrine of " Deputyship " in the ‎Imamiyyah with Emphasis on the Nematollahi Gonabadi order

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Authors

1 Assitant Profssor,,Department of Ideological Currents, Mahdism Research Institute, Research Institute of ‎Islamic Culture and Sciences, Qom, Iran.‎

2 Assistant professor, Department of Theology, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

The claim of having a direct connection to Imam Mahdi (AS) and acting as his deputy has been a recurring theme among false claimants throughout history. Sheikh Tusi, in his book Al-Ghaybah, mentions several individuals who made such assertions, including Muhammad ibn Nusayr Numayri, Ahmad ibn Hilal al-Karkhi, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Bilal, Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj, Shalamghani, and Abu Dulaf al-Katib. In recent centuries, others have adopted titles like "Guide of the Ummah," "Imam's Deputy," "Intermediate Wali (guardian)," "Fourth Pillar," or "Channel of Grace" to claim a status similar to the special deputies of the Imam. Sufis, with their concept of the Perfect Human and belief in the Qutb (Spiritual leadership), also subscribe to the idea of a central, divine human figure who, at any given time, acts as an intermediary between God and His servants, serving as the channel through which divine grace flows to the Earth. Muhammad Gonabadi (Bichareh), known as Mulla Sultan Gonabadi, is one of the most prominent contemporary Ni'matullahi Sufis who has addressed this issue extensively in his numerous works. In his explanations attempting to justify the position of the Sufi Qutb alongside the Shi'a Imam, he describes them as the deputies of the Imams in spreading the spiritual path (tariqa). He further asserts that a "special wilaya (spiritual guardianship) allegiance" must be paid to them. This article aims to provide a clear picture of the Qutb's position in contemporary Ni'matullahi Sufi thought through a descriptive, analytical, and critical approach. We will then compare this concept with the doctrine of deputyship (ni'abah) in Imamiyyah thought and present the criticisms leveled against it.The findings of this discussion indicate that among Shi'a Sufis, particularly the Gonabadis, the title of Qutb is considered equivalent to the position of the special deputyship in Imamiyyah.

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References

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