مریم ولایتی کبابیان

Shurṭat al-Khamīs was a military unit composed of elite soldiers loyal to Imam Ali (AS). This force was active at the beginning of his caliphate, before Kūfa became the administrative capital, between 35 and 40 AH. Although several studies have examined Shurṭat al-Khamīs , further research into its concept, instances, and functions is necessary to provide a clearer, more precise understanding of the institution. The present study aims to elucidate the nature and rationale of this term's naming, aiming to offer a more accurate understanding of this institution through process tracing. Among those identified as members of Shurṭat al-Khamīs are Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta, Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh , and Mālik al-Ashtar . The most significant functions of this institution include: "Protecting the Imam’s life, monitoring and supervising the marketplace, supporting military operations, pursuing criminals, enforcing legal punishments, boosting morale and assisting other military units, guarding the public treasury, combating internal security threats, and maintaining order in Kūfa." An examination of hadith, exegetical, and historical sources, alongside an analysis of the semantic range of the term, reveals that Shurṭat al-Khamīs does not refer merely to a military unit. Its policing and administrative dimensions are even more prominent, as several members possessed both military and non-military roles. By combining military and administrative duties, this institution often functioned as an executive arm of the government of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), playing a significant role in managing political and social crises.

Discourse analysis is an effective method in historical research that leads to a better understanding of the origins of a thought and the ups and downs associated with it. Ancient hadith data serves as a rich source for discovering earlier discourses. The present study, using the historical reports of Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta as narrated by Imam Ali (AS), aims to uncover and extract the prominent discourse of this period. The research findings indicate that Aṣbagh ibn Nubāta , as one of the close companions of Imam Ali (AS), was from the very beginning a crucial pillar in transmitting Shia-based discourses such as Imamate and Wiṣāyat (Caliphate and Succession), considering his personality traits and concerns. He distinguished between these two concepts based on Imam Ali’s epistemological framework. Furthermore, the movement of Imam Ḥusayn (AS) also aimed to consolidate this discourse, and it can be stated that based on the theory of "Contradictory Voice of Bakhtin," the widespread reflection of the components of the succession concept in the historical reports of Aṣbagh and his significant attention to the discourse of Alawi Wiṣāyat was purposeful. It was formed in a dialectical interaction with the rival discourse that sought to institutionalize the theory of the Saqīfa Caliphate in society. In other words, Aṣbagh aimed to normalize the notion that Imamate is not equivalent to Caliphate; rather, succession is one of the important dimensions of Imamate.