Under such conditions...

Under such conditions, the important role of the religious and political referential authority surfaces, because he is the most qualified and the most appropriate to specify the actual political attitudes towards secondary issues of both the Muslim nation and the virtuous community. Of course, such an authority must possess the faculty of inference in the fields of jurisprudence and policy, be pious and devout and have political and social experience.

The General Political Trends during the Ages of the Holy Imams (‘a) Under this title, we will refer to diverse political trends that existed during the periods of the Holy Imams (‘a) requiring clarification and a clear-cut position. Power-Seeking Trend The one and only aim of the power-seeking trend was to come to power in order to gain personal goals, personal profit, esteem, authority, more income and satiation of man’s natural inclination for supremacy, primacy and material desires.

Obvious examples on this trend can be noticed in the mutinous movement of Talhah, Zubayr, and `A'ishah against Imam `Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (‘a), in al-Basrah and in the rebellion of the Umayyad and the `Abbasid dynasties in general, as well as in some external conflicts against these dynasties, such as the uprisings of `Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr,[^1] `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Ash`ath,[^2] and others.

Despite variety in the degree of their tendencies and the influence on the goals of these movements, gaining power was the most important objective of these power-seekers who took action and gained positions in obedience to this objective. Of course, there were other issues which directed these power-seekers and their supporters to seize the most appropriate opportunity to act.

Chaotic Trend The second trend, characterized by disorganization, rejected the current political conditions on account of certain policies of the ruling authority that were disapproved of by a certain group or sect for various reasons. One reason was religious or human deterrents when a group or sect was exposed to oppression or persecution. Another reason was excess by the ruling authority in going beyond religious boundaries or criteria according to the belief of a specific group or sect.

In addition, personal interests, ignorance, and naivety sometimes played a role in the emergence of such rejection.