Anwar-e Ma`rifat

Hussein b. Mansur Hallāj is one of famous personages of Islamic mysticism and Sufism. A significant part of Islamic and international works is dedicated to discussions on his personality. There have also been different attitudes towards him in Shiʻah society. The present paper studies Hallāj's personality from the view point of Twelfth Imam's letter. Since a long time ago, especially at the time when social atmosphere was against Sufism and mysticism, it was taken for granted that twelfth Imam had cursed and rejected Hallāj in his letter which has been issued later by his third special deputy, Hussein b. Ruh. Some scholars has used this to criticize Islamic Sufism and mysticism altogether. Scrutinizing the issue, the present paper proves that not only there is no implicit or explicit reference to Hallāj and his mystical dimensions in Imam's letter but also it seems that Imam had very delicately separated these dimensions from doctrinal deviations and conducts of such individuals as Shalmaghāni.