Editing History of Iran (section)

==== Sunnism and Shiism in pre-Safavid Iran ====
{{Main|Islam in Iran}}
[[File:Imam reza shrine in Mashhad.jpg|thumb|[[Imam Reza shrine]], the tomb of the eighth Imam of the twelver Shiites]]
Prior to the rise of the Safavid Empire, Sunni Islam was the dominant religion, accounting for around 90% of the population at the time. According to [[Mortaza Motahhari]] the majority of Iranian scholars and masses remained Sunni until the time of the Safavids.<ref name="Motahhari">{{cite web|url=http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/iran/mutual.htm|title=Islam and Iran: A Historical Study of Mutual Services|work=Al islam|date=2013-03-13|access-date=2007-07-09|archive-date=2013-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730231845/http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/iran/mutual.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The domination of Sunnis did not mean Shia were rootless in Iran. The writers of [[The Four Books]] of Shia were Iranian, as well as many other great Shia scholars.

The domination of the Sunni creed during the first nine Islamic centuries characterized the religious history of Iran during this period. There were however some exceptions to this general domination which emerged in the form of the [[Zaidiyyah|Zaydīs]] of [[Tabaristan]] (see [[Alid dynasties of northern Iran]]), the [[Buyids]], the [[Kakuyids]], the rule of [[Öljeitü|Sultan Muhammad Khudabandah]] (r. Shawwal 703-Shawwal 716/1304–1316) and the [[Sarbedaran]].<ref name="al-islam.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.al-islam.org/mot/iraqishiism/|title=Four Centuries of Influence of Iraqi Shiism on Pre-Safavid Iran|work=Al islam|date=2013-02-27|access-date=2007-07-09|archive-date=2013-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904232915/http://www.al-islam.org/mot/iraqishiism/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Apart from this domination there existed, firstly, throughout these nine centuries, Shia inclinations among many Sunnis of this land and, secondly, original [[Twelvers|Imami Shiism]] as well as [[Zaidiyyah|Zaydī Shiism]] had prevalence in some parts of Iran. During this period, Shia in Iran were nourished from [[Kufa]]h, [[Baghdad]] and later from [[Najaf]] and [[Hillah]].<ref name="al-islam.org"/> Shiism was the dominant sect in [[Tabaristan]], [[Qom]], [[Kashan]], [[Avaj]] and [[Sabzevar]]. In many other areas merged population of Shia and Sunni lived together.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

During the 10th and 11th centuries, [[Fatimids]] sent [[Ismailis]] [[Dawah|Da'i (missioners)]] to Iran as well as other Muslim lands. When Ismailis divided into two sects, [[Nizari]]s established their base in Iran. [[Hassan-i Sabbah]] conquered fortresses and captured [[Alamut]] in 1090 AD. Nizaris used this fortress until a Mongol raid in 1256.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

After the Mongol raid and fall of the Abbasids, Sunni hierarchies faltered. Not only did they lose the caliphate but also the status of official [[madhhab]]. Their loss was the gain of Shia, whose centre wasn't in Iran at that time. Several local Shia dynasties like [[Sarbadars]] were established during this time.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

The main change occurred in the beginning of the 16th century, when [[Ismail I]] founded the [[Safavid dynasty]] and initiated a religious policy to [[Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism|recognize Shi'a Islam as the official religion]] of the [[Safavid Empire]], and the fact that modern Iran remains an officially Shi'ite state is a direct result of Ismail's actions.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}