Machine generated contents note: CHAPTER ONE: The View from Baghdad: The ShT'a in the Early -- Third/Ninth Century -- The ShT'i/Mu'tazili and Court Alliance During the Caliphate of -- al-Ma'mun -- Shl'ism and 'Popular' Rebellion in the Umayyad and Early -- Abbasid Periods -- The Anarchy of the Second Civil War and Further ShT'i Uprisings -- CHAPTER TWO: The View from Baghdad: The ShT'a at the Turn -- of the Third/Ninth Century -- The Shi'i Resurgence -- The Shi'i Vizierates and the Rise of the Banu Nawbakht -- The Conditionality of ImamT Rationalism: The Achievements of -- the BanO Nawbakht -- Summary and Conclusion -- CHAPTER THREE: Pockets of Believers: The View from the ShT'T -- City-State of Qum -- Sunnism in Iran: Traditionism and Egalitarianism -- The Sht'a in Third/Ninth Century Iran -- The Twelver Sht'a in Iran: Between Centres and Peripheries -- A Shi'i Haven: Qum and the Ash'art Tribe -- Tribe and City -- Ash'ari Qum and Abbasid Baghdad -- CHAPTER FOUR: Al-Barqi and the Beginnings of the QummT/ -- Ash'arT Association with the Traditions -- Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Barqi: the Mawla Traditionist -- Al-Barqi and al-Mahsin -- Summary and Conclusion -- CHAPTER FIVE: Al-Saffar's Basa'ir al-Darajat: Theological -- Discourse As Encouragement -- Basa'ir as Qummi Discourse -- The Importance of 'Ilm and Its Possessors -- The Miraculous Nature, Substance and Transmission of the Imams' 'Ilm -- The Unique Nature of the Imams and their Sht'a -- The Unique Abilities of the Imams -- Summary and Conclusions -- CHAPTER SIX: Al-KulaynT's al-Kaff: The Qummi Response to -- Baghdadi Rationalism -- Al-KulaynT on al-Kafti2 Baghdad's Rationalist Discourse on the Edge -- The Centrality of al-'Aql and al-'Ilm: the Repudiation of Rationalism -- The Grace of al-'Ilm -- Summary and Conclusion -- CHAPTER SEVEN: Al-Saffar and al-KulaynT on the Imams and the -- Imamate: Twelver Theology Between Qum and Baghdad -- The Qummi/Ash'ari Connection to Twelver Traditionist Theology -- The Theology of al-Kafi Kitab al-Tawhfd -- Twelver Theology Between Qum and Baghdad: Al-Kaft's Kitab al- Hujja -- The Imamology in Basa'ir and al-Kaft's Kitab al-, Huja: a Comparative -- Approach -- Special Effects and Possessions Possessed by the Imams -- Their Special Personages -- The Unique Abilities of the Imams -- Al-Kulayni's Excisions -- CHAPTER EIGHT: AI-Kafi From Theology to Practice -- The Practical Nature of al-Usil's Traditions -- The Traditions of al-Furd' as QummT Discourse on Points of Practice -- The Collection and Obligations of al-Khums -- The Collection and Distribution of Alms -- 'Fle Obligation and Conduct of Congregational Prayer -- Overt Confrontation with Authority -- Al-Amr and al-Nahy -- The Permitted Scope of Personal Relations, and Confrontation, -- With Authority -- The Implementation of al-. Hudzud During the Occultation -- Judicial Arbitration in the Absence of the Imam -- The Imams and al-Jawr in al-Kafi -- CHAPTER NINE: Summary and Conclusions -- Bibliography -- Index of Qur'anic verses cited -- Index.