Seyed Salman Safavi
London Academy of Iranian Studies
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of I.R. Iran, gave a speech on 3 Mordad, 1379 (24 July 2000) in Ardabil about the great personality and importance of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili (1252/3 – 1334). Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili is the founder of the Safavid Sufi order. Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili was the ancestor of the Safavid dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1501 to 1736. From the point of view of the Ayatollah Khamenei, the intellectual and practical mysticism of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili and the Safavid movement has been authentic Islamic mysticism based on the Qur’an, the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). The Safavid mystical movement played an incomparable role in the flourishing history of Islam, Shiism, and Iran, whose works are still ongoing.* Here is the translation of his statements :**
“In the course of history, during the dawn of the Safavid era, the region of Ardabil was able to provide two great services to the country (Iran).
Firstly, it transformed a land fragmented by internal conflicts and divisions into a united, powerful, and influential nation. Before the rise of the Safavids, following the Seljuk period, Iran was a country where each region acted independently, and there was no sign of Iran’s former dignity and grandeur. The Safavids restored this dignity, and they emerged from Ardabil, with the mystical and resilient family of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili laying the foundation for a future in which their descendants would present Iran as a united, powerful, proud, and advanced nation to the entire world of their time.
The second service was a spiritual force that essentially supported the first: the revival of Shia Islam, the faith of the Prophet’s family, and the reverence for the Prophet’s lineage.
The people of Ardabil—the courageous tribes and devoted communities—went forth in the name of Imam Ali, Imam Husain, the martyrs of Karbala, and the holy Imams (peace be upon them), establishing the remembrance of God, the reverence of the Prophet’s family, and the solid Ja’fari jurisprudence across the land. This unified, resilient, and powerful nation emerged from the spiritual influence of religion and the teachings of the Prophet’s family.
The distinguished individuals who grew in Ardabil over the centuries lead towards this straight path.
Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, contrary to common assumptions, was not merely a Sufi as some claim, but was rather a religious scholar(‘Alim), mystic(‘Arif), exegete (Mufassir Quran), and hadith expert (Mohadith).
According to Allama Majlisi’s account, Sheikh Safi al-Din was akin to the esteemed figures such as Sayyed Ibn Tawus and Ibn Fahd al-Hilli—scholars who were both jurists and mystics. He, alongside Allama Hilli, fostered the early seeds of Shia jurisprudence with in the court of Shah KhodaBandeh in the seventh and eighth centuries, establishing a solid and reasoned foundation in the scholarly circles.
Later, his descendants were devoted mystics and valiant fighters, giving Ardabil the title of “Dar al-Irshad” (the abode of spiritual guidance). Here, the focus was not on typical Sufi practices, but rather on the spirituality of the Shia faith and the teachings of the Prophet’s family. By the early Safavid era, in the tenth century, Ardabil produced the brilliant luminary of Shia jurisprudence, Mulla Ahmad al-Ardabili—the first distinguished jurist from Iran in centuries to shine in the world of Islamic jurisprudence. Until then, Shia scholars largely hailed from regions like Lebanon, Syria, Hilla, and Iraq, with few prominent Iranian scholars joining their ranks. Mulla Ahmad al-Ardabili, an esteemed scholar, ascetic, mystic, and researcher, was the first to step into this field from Iran.
Even before the Safavid era, the people of Ardabil were among the few communities in Iran that twice defeated the Mongol forces, which had previously intimidated and forced other populations to retreat. Here, however, the Mongol armies faced resistance, ultimately retreating twice after defeat by the people of Ardabil. Later, these brave tribes and faithful people used this region as a foundation to establish the powerful and Shia-led nation of Iran during the Safavid period.
Although let me tell you that during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, however, the Safavid legacy was viewed with resentment, and Ardabil was neglected. As much as the Safavids supported Ardabil, the Qajar and later the Pahlavi governments disregarded this distant border region. Consequently, this verdant, fertile, and resource-rich area—with potential for agriculture, industry, and healthy foreign trade—became one of the impoverished and deprived areas. This neglect can be attributed to the rulers who, after the Safavid period, harboured resentment towards this region, its people, and the Qizilbash tribes, some of whom resided in Ardabil.”***
Reference
Safavi, Seyed Salman, Thaqalain ‘Irfan (Mysticism): Theoretical and Practical Principles of ‘Irfan and Safaviyya Spiritual Path, London, London Academy of Iranian Studies Press (LAIS), 2013. ISBN: 9781909538009. Pp 21-23.
https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=3017
* I have analysed his point of view in the following book: Safavi, Seyed Salman, Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili in the Mirror of Sufism, Art and Politics, London, London Academy of Iranian Studies, 2015. pp 23-36.
** Translated by Nargis Alee, for London Academy of Iranian Studies.
*** https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=3017
