In nineteenth-century Iran, the Shi'a ulama flourished independently of the government, in part due to the monetary gains made in collecting on the religious donation known as

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Zakat is a religious donation required of Muslims, and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. In nineteenth-century Iran, the Shi'a ulama, or religious scholars, were able to thrive independently of the government, in part because they were able to collect zakat from the faithful. This gave them a degree of financial independence that allowed them to maintain their influence over Iranian society.

In Nineteenth-Century Iran, the Shi'a Ulama Flourished Independently of the Government