تاريخ اسلام در آينه پژوهش

The Sufis were a sect that, claiming asceticism and spiritual purification, distinguished their lifestyle from their surroundings and, by systematizing their theoretical foundations, emerged as an independent faction. The social and doctrinal emergence of this sect in the third century AH coincided with the Imamate of Imam Hasan al-ʿAskarī (AS). Given the widespread activities of the Sufis during his time, understanding the nature and rationale of his stance towards this sect appears necessary. The brief period of Imam Hasan al-ʿAskarī's (AS) Imamate, political constraints, the necessity of preserving Shiʿi beliefs, and confirming the birth of the Twelfth Imam (AS) each limited the opportunity for extensive confrontation with the Sufis. Furthermore, a scarcity of dedicated sources on Sufism in the early centuries necessitated the use of general historical and narrational sources. Using descriptive, analytical, and explanatory methods, this research examines how Imam Hasan al-ʿAskarī (AS) engaged with the Sufi sect. He cautioned his followers against associating with this sect, describing the Sufis as an artificial group and their followers as corrupt in belief. He considered their ostentatiously ascetic behavior a veil to conceal their true beliefs.