An Assessment of Historical Evidences of Shiite Belief in "Obligatory Obeyance from Imam" (A Case Study of Early Three Centuries)

The idea of passive obedience from Imam is among the beliefs
that Shiite has always been attached to since the earliest days on,
and has divulged it through different historical periods in various
forms. The evidences that bespeak of the history of emergence of
Imamate in Muslim society show that the belief in obedience from
Imam had invariably dominated Shiite minds throughout all Shiite
Imams Imamate. Even the deviations seen from Shiism are not
related to the essence of this belief; rather they are concerned with
extensions of application of this belief. Thus, this idea has been
exposed to various vicissitudes due to socio-political circumstances
that have led to its various divulgences while it remains intact in its
essence. This essay seeks to substantiate this latter claim through
available evidences.