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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books History of Shi'ism: From the Advent of Islam up to the End of Minor Occultation Lesson 12: The Beginning of the ‘Abbasid Campaign and Its Effect upon the Spread of Shi‘ism The campaign of the ‘Abbasids started in 111 AH.[^1] On the one hand, it contributed to the spread of Shi‘ism in the various territories of the Muslim world, and on the other, the acts of strangulation of the Umayyads were lessened.

As a result, the Shi‘ah were able to have a relative breathing space. During this period, the infallible Imams ( ‘a ) laid down the Shi‘ah juristic and scholastic foundations and Shi‘ism entered a new stage. In general, during the Umayyad period there was no split between the descendants of ‘Ali ( ‘a ) and the descendants of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and there was no quarrel between them.

In this regard Sayyid Muhsin Amin says: “The descendants of ‘Ali ( ‘a ) and the descendants of ‘Abbas during the Umayyad rule were treading the same path. The people who assisted them believing them to be more qualified to the caliphate than the Umayyads were known as the Shi‘ah of Muhammad’s (S) progeny. During this period, there was no difference in religious opinion between the descendants of ‘Ali ( ‘a ) and that of ‘Abbas.

But when the ‘Abbasids came to power, Satan hatched the seed of discord between them and the descendants of ‘Ali ( ‘a ), and they perpetrated numerous acts of oppression against the descendants of ‘Ali ( ‘a ).[^2] For this reason, the ‘Abbasid campaigners were calling the people to please the progeny of Muhammad (S) while recounting the states of oppression the Prophet’s (S) progeny were enduring.

Abu’l-Faraj al-Isfahani says: After the killing of Walid ibn Yazid and the emergence of differences among the Marwanis (descendants of Marwan ibn al-Hakam), Banu Hashim’s campaigners and propagandists went to various places, and the first thing they were expressing was the merits of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and his descendants. The said to the people: “How could the Umayyads afford to kill and displace the descendants of ‘Ali?”[^3] As a result, during this period Shi‘ism remarkably spread.

Even the hadith s related to Hadrat al-Mahdi ( ‘a ) spread rapidly among the people of various regions. Khurasan was the main sphere of activity of the ‘Abbasid campaigners.