The Theory of the Imams Being 'Righteous Scholars' (ʿUlamāʾ Abrār) Has No Historical Basis: A Response to Mohsen Kadivar

Abstract

A direct response to Mohsen Kadivar's account of the scholars of Qom during the first three to four centuries of Shīʿa history, which this note argues is inaccurate and unsubstantiated. It sets out the historical evidence against the claim that early Shīʿī scholars regarded the Imams merely as "righteous scholars" (ʿulamāʾ abrār).