Authentication of the Text and Document: Imam Sadiq's Response to Mofazal's Letter Concerning the Introduction of the Batiniyya Sect

Saemi, Marzieh; Razavi, ُSeyed Mohammad

doi:10.22034/jatj.2025.494781.1029

Authentication of the Text and Document: Imam Sadiq's Response to Mofazal's Letter Concerning the Introduction of the Batiniyya Sect

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Marzieh Saemi ¹

ُSeyed Mohammad Razavi ²

¹ Assistant Professor of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jatj.2025.494781.1029

Abstract

In response to a letter from Mofazal, a distinguished companion and scholar of Imam Sadiq (as), concerning the Batiniyya sect, Imam Sadiq addressed doubts and misconceptions. He stated that divine laws and regulations can only be understood through the guidance of righteous men who determine the boundaries between the lawful and the unlawful. He emphasized that knowing these men is equivalent to knowing God and His religion. By examining textual and documentary evidence, using a descriptive-analytical approach, it has been established that the content of the letter is authentic and has been widely corroborated. The term "men" in the letter refers both to the infallible Imams, whose knowledge and obedience are obligatory upon all believers in every era, and to the unjust rulers. What Allah has declared lawful in the Qur’an has an apparent meaning, which is the external aspect, and a deeper, esoteric meaning that refers to the Infallible Imams (as) Conversely, what Allah has prohibited has a literal, apparent meaning, but its inner, esoteric significance pertains to the unjust leaders.

Keywords

Imam Sadiq (as)

Mofazal's Epistle

Batiniyya

Knowledge of the Imam

Authentication

Subjects