Critical Typology of Views on the Appearance and History of Shiism

The history and appearance of Shiism have been studied by Muslim theologians and historians and orientals. During recent years some other views have been presented in written and multimedia sources with nonscientific motivations. Shiite scholars with regard to the link of the problem to their identity have studied the views critically. This paper, using typological techniques and having classified the views in the field, has criticized them and proposed its chosen view. The view of the paper, relying on the distinction between the existence of a thought and its social currency has known Shiite foundation of thought with its vital relationship to Imamate as an inseparable part of Islamic teachings brought about at the same time of the appearance of Islam and Prophetic tradition and its social currency occurred the time of Imams gradually.