DEPARTMENT OF ISLAMIC STUDIES

BAHA-UD-DIN ZIKIRIA UNIVERSITY MULTAN

TO WHOM IT MAY BE CONCERNED

It is certified that Mr. Khalid Iqbal Raza S/O Rasheed Muhammad Raza has
completed his research under my supervision on the topic of

I am fully satisfied with the standard of the research work conducted by the student
and allow him submission of his thesis for the degree of Ph.D Islamic Studies.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram Rana

Chairman
Department of the Islamic Studies
Baha-ud-Din Zikiria University
Multan.

DECLARATION
I, Muhammad Khalid Iqbal Raza S/O Rasheed Muhammad Raza at Baha-ud-Din
Zikiria University Multan do hereby solemnly declare that the thesis entitleds

Submitted by me in partial fulfillment of Ph.D degree in Islamic Studies is my

original work and has not been submitted or published earlier and shall not in
future be submitted by me for obtaining any degree from this or another university
or institution.

Signature: _____________________

Muhammad Khalid Iqbal Raza

Chairman
Department of the Islamic Studies
Govt. S.E. College
Bahawalpur

iii
Abstract
From the study of history, it comes up that Hazrat Abbas (God
be pleased with him), despite being not the real uncle, had a great
regard and love for the Holly Prophet (peace be upon him). It is due to
this very reason that Hazrat Abbas was seen standing shoulder to
shoulder with the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) at every moment.
Seeing this, the Caliphs showered respect and honour on Hazrat
Abbas as the real uncle of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Hazrat Umar Farooq and Hazrat Usman were in such a trance
that, being caliphs, whenever they passed through the colony of
Hazrat Abbas, used to descend their vehicles in his honour. In Islamic
history, from the point of tenure expansion, the spread of civilization
and knowledge, the Abbasid Caliphate is of the greatest importance
and distinction.
Therefore, I have attempted to analyze their religious trends
during the one hundred & fifteen years (132H 247H) tenure of the
Abbasids, because the dignified caliphs like Abu Jafar Mansoor,
Haroon-ur-Rasheed, Mamoon-ul- Rasheed and Muatasim Billah have
been in the same age. Whereas the rest of the four centuries indicate
their demise.
If seen from an objective glass, it comes to be known that the
Abbasid demise had started in the age of Muatasim because the
Turks had dominated the state affairs heavily. Then the Arab
domination ended by posting, the Iranians and the Turks on high
administrative offices. Nevertheless, much authority remained with
the Abbasi caliphs because their orders were valid in the state affairs.
These Abbasid Caliphs took the shelter of religion to create harmony

iv
between the state institutions and the state affairs. If these caliphs did
not do the same, the Caliphate neither could have survived for five
countries nor they could have got respect and importance among the
masses. Although the Abbasids adopted such religious ideas mercly to
serve the demands of time and under the influence of surroundings,
yet soon these religious trends became their need.

Similarly, when the expansions of the Islamic government

reached the avenues of Caesar of Rome and Khusrao of Iran,
consequent upon which, the society of the New Muslims and the
Zimmis came into being, these new Muslims and the zimmis were
primarily, unaware of the religious boundaries and the blessings of the
religious system, secondly, they did not seem ready to quiet their
inheritance. Thereupon, the Abbasid Caliphs searched out such a way,
to entertain the new Muslims, as could conform with both the
systems. The Abbasids, devised a new strategy after being impressed
ideologically and practically by the Iranians. After holding the reigns
of rule, these Abbasid Caliphs considered their peacefulness in
moulding the government in the guise of religious robes, on the
pattern of Imam so as to bestow it an eternal life. For the same cause,
the Abbasids attempted to be popular by wearing the robes of
Immamat (The religious and spiritual bliss) from the day first, and
they claimed that the Caliphate will remain in their family till the
second coming of the Christ. Therefore, the end of their Caliphate
would be synonymous with the destruction of the universe.
Therefore, to show themselves the real heir of the Holy
Prophet, they turned the title of this famous hadith Al Aema minal

v
Quraesh into Al aema minal Abbas. As the Abbasids came aided
by the Iranians, therefore, under Iranian impression, they presented
the theory of Divine Right for Kingship. They claimed that this
caliphate was bestowed upon them through God, therefore, they were
God-gifted, thereupon, through this rule, they were not answerable to
anyone but God.
Mutawakil, went far ahead in these ideologies, than the other
Caliphs, and he presented the idea of Niyabat-e-Allah instead of
Niyabat-e-Rasool, and coined for the Caliphs the term Zil-ul-Allah
(Caliph is the shadow of God on earth). The purpose of such coinage
was to enhance the dignity of the Caliph to the maximum. For the
enhancement of the same, the Abbasid Caliphs decorated the
grandiose court life with the necessities / requisites of Imamat.
Keeping all the background in view, they started wearing black
turban. They used to wear the Holly Robes of the Holy Prophet (Peace
be upon Him), they used to keep the Holy Stick in hand, nay, by
keeping MusHaff-e-Usmani in view, they tried to impress upon that
those (Abbasid Caliphs) were of the realm of supernatural, therefore,
the masses considered them as the custodians of Islam, hence, kissing
their hands and bowing the look/heads in-front of them was taken as a
bliss.
These Abbasid Caliphs tried their level best for the cultivation,
spread and zenith of Islam. The Roman empire had always been a
hard nut for them. Whenever the Romans got a chance, they assaulted,
attacked, looted and imprisoned the Muslims. The Abbasids always
did give preference to the release of the Muslims; sometimes by virtue
of war, sometimes by offering Fidiya, and sometimes by signing the

vi
pact of peace. Nevertheless, far greater danger lay within the country
for the Abbasids from the rise of secular / irreligious movements.
Amongst these irreligious movements, the Zanarqa, Kharmiya and
Muqaniya were the most important.
Lacs of Muslims had to offer their lives for to quiet such
irreligious movements. Had the Abbasid Caliphs shown a bit of
flexibility or softness, Islam would have witnessed such a danger and
loss, that the compensation of which could not have been possible for
centuries.
But despite all this, the other side of the personality of these
Caliphs is not worthy of pride. Not only these people accepted the
Muatazali ideas, but they also played their part for the idea of creation
of the Quran and against Rooat-e-Bari Tala. To popularize their
Muatazali ideas, they exercised tortures and cruelties on the religious
scholars. Even great people like Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal were not
spare from their cruelties. The worthy Imam was not only tortured
physically but was also killed horribly. Consequently, there started
generating the feelings of severe disgust among the masses against
these Abaasid Caliphs.
For the achievement of power, the Abbasids were busy
shoulder to shoulder with the Alvis. When the Abbasids were
successful in achieving the power, the Alvis were the only danger for
them. They feared lest the Alvis demand the caliphate. Keeping these
dangers in view, the Abbasids gave heavy tolls of punishment to the
Alvis. According to them the ummayids could have been forgiven but
the very name of the Alvis was intolerable for them. Therefore, they
left no stone unturned in crushing the Alvis.

vii
In this way the change which appeared in the religious circle
due to the difference of the government was not real but an appearant
one. Because contrary to the Alvis the Abbasids did adopt the guise of
religion and apparently, they preached their religiosity but actually
they did not prove less religious than the ummayids. Therefore, if
there is any difference between the ummayids and Abbasid caliphate,
it is only in that the ummayids sultanate was purely Arab sultanate
whereas the Abbasi sultanate was that of the new Muslims and in its
racial ingredients the Arabs have the status of one ingredient.

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