The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (403 page)

1706–92 (AH 1118–1207)).
Shi‘ite scholar and definer of the U
l
system of jurisprudence. In contrast to the traditionalist Akhb
r
s (who required precedent for all decisions), he recognized the legitimacy of
ijtih
d
and of the work of the mujt
hid
n, who apply principles to current issues and arrive at novel and unprecedented decisions. Aggressive in the extreme, he declared the Akhb
r
s to be
k
firs
(expelling them to a marginal existence in such places as S. Iraq), and he employed a religious police (
mirghadabs
, ‘executors of wrath’) to enforce his views— a kind of precursor of the Revolutionary Guards. He also greatly strengthened the authority of the ‘ulam
, allowing the
Mullas
to follow his example and to declare themselves Mujt
hids and representatives of the Hidden
Im
m