Foreword

All praise is for Allah, we glorify Him, seek His assistance, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evil of ourselves and actions. Whoever is guided by Allah, cannot be led astray and whoever is led astray cannot be guided. I testify that there is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنُوْا ٱتَّقُوْا ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوْتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].[1]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِىْ خَلَقَكُم مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيْرًا وَّنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوْا ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِيْ تَسَآءَلُوْنَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيْبًا

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.[2]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنُوْا ٱتَّقُوْا ٱللَّهَ وَقُوْلُوْا قَوْلًا سَدِيْدًا يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَـالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُّطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيْمًا

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.[3]

After the fall of Baghdad at the hands of the Americans, the term ‘Safavids’ and ‘New-age Safavids’ appeared on the television, radio, and in the papers.

It should be noted that most, if not all, intellectual and other segments of the Muslim society were unaware of this term. Some thought the Safavids were a party or the name of a militia in Iraq. They assumed Isma’il al Safawi was someone like ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al Hakim and Muqtada al Sadr.[4]

I thus wished to present a study that would clarify this term and contextualize it in a historical backdrop. Drawing on Arab, Iranian, Turkish, and other foreign sources I have compiled this book, omitting replications that appeared across the board. This study is in reality a book that I have opted to summarize in order to assist the reader in uncovering the truth. It will also draw attention to the happenings of present-day Iraq, Lebanon, and the rest of the region. And the pleasure of Allah is the ultimate aim and He guides to the straight path.

‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn Salih al Mahmud.

Jumad al Akhirah 1428 AH.

NEXT⇒ Safavid Origins

[1] Surah Al ‘Imran: 102.

[2] Surah al Nisa’: 1.

[3] Surah al Ahzab: 70.

[4] Translators note: Both Iraqi politicians.

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