A Review of the Historical Accounts of the Shiites and those Attributed to the Shiites in the First Three Centuries Hegira with an Emphasis on the Life and Outlook of the Prophet’s Family (peace be upon them)

As a doctrine emphasized in Islam, Tabarra (detaching oneself from someone) has undergone some changes since the beginning. In its general sense, Tabarra means avoiding, but it has had different meanings over the course of time. In Islam, it means order and emphasis on avoiding the enemies of God and the enemies of the believers. Islamic sects and religions, however, disagree in interpreting animosity towards God and believers and their criteria for abandoning religion. Because of their belief in Imamate and the Quranic text, the Shiites attached special importance to this theological doctrine, and later when jurisprudential and theological issues prevailed among the Shiites, in some cases, they even used Tabarra for those who did not believe in Imamate. Some functions of the doctrine of Tabarra among the Shiites were in accordance with Islamic criteria, and the Imams (peace be upon them) confirmed them; some others, however, were the result of intellectual stagnation and shrink of the circle of faith, and were rejected by the Imams. Given the fact that in Islamic propositions Tabarra has certain steps, the Imams (peace be upon him) were not at times satisfied with the Shi’a’s attitude towards the person who was subjected to Tabarra. Some Shiites used some insults and curses that were by no means accepted by the Imams (as) who opposed to such reactions. Therefore, this research does not seek to conceal the misbehavior of some Shiites; instead, by presenting all the historical accounts of Tabarra in the first three centuries hegira, it examines the inappropriate attitude of some Shiites or those attributed to Shiites and investigates the attitudes approved by the Imams (as).