Khurramdīnīyyah or Khurramīyyah

Subject Areas : Christianity

محمد جواد شمس ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2009-12-01 Accepted : 2010-01-11 Published : 2009-09-23

Keywords: Khurramdīnīyyah (Khurramīyyah), Bābakīyyah, Māzīārīyyah, Muhammarīyyah, reincarnation, transmigration, union, ibāhah,

Abstract :

Khurramdīnīyyah is one of the greatest religious, political and socialmovements in Iran in the 9th century C.E. Although this movement ismore important than other sectarian movements of that era and thereare relatively considerable sources available about it, its true nature isnot clear, primarily due to the fact that these sources mainly speakabout it with hostility and disagreement. Moreover, these sourcespresent a confused picture of Khurramdīnīyyah which is sometimesmingled with the elements from other sects of that period.Mazdakīyyah– a heterodox sect of Sassanid period– probably exerciseda powerful influence on Khurramdīnīyyah. It has also been assertedthat the latter was the continuation of the former. In fact, after thesuppression of Mazdakism by Sassanind kings, the teachings ofMazdak did not disappeared. On the contrary, through the efforts of hiswife and some of his followers who survived from the massacre, theseteaching lived on and secretly scattered. It is more likely thatMazdakian teachings were revitalized under the name ofKhurramdīnīyyah more than two century later. A dualist belief in twoprinciples, as well as, reincarnation and transmigration are the maindoctrines which Khurramdīnīyyah promoted. Moreover an extremistform of communal life is attributed to them, based on sharingproperties– even their spouses. The lack of a central church and exactreligious leadership and the diffusion of the believers in different partsof Iran led Khurramdīnīyyah into dispersion. Several sub-sects, withdifferent names and doctrines, emerged from it, which caused a clearconfusion in accounts of Islamic sources about them.