Sociological Methodology, Historical Research, and Challenges Thereof: A Critical Review on the Book “The Structure of Religious Thought and Institution in Safavid Persia” (History of Religious Changes in Iran during 10th-12th AH)

Document Type : Research

Author

PhD in Social Knowledge of Muslim Thinkers, University of Tehran, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Rise of Akhbārī school of jurisprudence in Eleventh/Seventeenth century under Safavids led Imami religious establishment into a determining process. Akhbārī invitation caused dramatic changes to the extent that contemporary Safavid Scholars were made to pay special attention to this case. Taking a sociological approach, Mansur Sifatgol is a prominent historiographer who has made a significant effort to study Imami religious establishment under Safavids. In his bookThe Structure of Religious Thought and Institution in Safavid Persia”, he has put a special stress on religious institutional changes during Eleventh/Seventeenth century and in doing so, he makes a comparison between political and religious structural changes which is a considerable achievement in historical studies. However, his analysis has been established based on a particular notion of Akhbārī theory which is to a great extent influenced by anti-rational reading of Akhbārīsm. Confessing to the importance and significance of the accomplishments of the book, this paper, from a critical perspective, concentrates on how Sifatgol perceives Akhbārī jurisprudential approach.

Keywords

Subjects

 
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  • Receive Date 14 October 2025
  • Revise Date 26 November 2025
  • Accept Date 12 February 2026