The role of Arab scholars in intellectual movements of the Safavid period

The bicentennial period of Safavid reign is one of the decisive and impressive periods in the history of Iran. The most important event in the Safavid period is the legitimization of Shia school of thought. Immigrant Shia Arab scholars came to Iran from places such as jabal amel in Lebanon, Bahrain and Qatif.  they put special effort into disseminating Shia teachings as much  as possible and became brilliant figures in guiding and influencing the cultural, political, and intellectual movements of that era. For example, Mohaqiq Karaki could take important steps for the essential formation of Shia school of thought in Iran like exercising the theory of the reigning of the legitimate faqih in issuing fatwas in the time of occultation of Imam (a.s). The dispute between Sheikh Ibrahim Qatifi and Mohaqiq over his special theoretical viewpoints, his writings and his unique standpoints is of great importance in the history of the presence of scholars of Arab descend in Iran. Sheikh Bahayi and his father had a great influence on the dissemination of Shia. Sheikh Bahayi was the hero of orientation and spreading Positive Mysticism in Iran, while fighting the wrong form of Sufism practiced by the Qizilbashi. He also took great steps in propagating Shi’ism through debates and effective presence in the Safavid court. Sheikh Hur Amili immigrated to Iran in the end of the Safavid period and had great impact on the briskness of the Akhbari school of thought. He supported the Akhbari movement by writing some important books like Wasa`il al-Shia. His position as the grand jury not only caused the predominance of the Akhbari School of thought, but was also effective in repressing wrong Sufism. The most important point in the life of Shia scholars throughout history is their constant pursuit of bringing the Muslim community together, in various occasions and places. They were aware that dissention is the big breach through which foreigners penetrate and plunder the spiritual and material wealth of the community; assessing the politics of scholars of Arab descend correctly, whom were guests in Iran, will indeed bring us to this conclusion.