Ronen A. Cohen is a lecturer in the Department of Israel and Middle Eastern Studies, Ariel University Center, Israel.

'Highly original, rich in detail, and timely.' - Anoushiravan Ehteshami, ESRC Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, Durham University, UK

• Preface PART I: THE SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND TO THE IMMATE SHI'A: ITHNA A'SHARIYYAH AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY The Story of the Shi'a. The Revival of the Shi'a after the Qajars PART II: THE BAHA'I FAITH AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE HOJJATIYEH The Baha'i Faith and its Origins in Shi'a Islam and Despair The Hojjatiyeh Society PART III: POST-REVOLUTION ERA AND THE HOJJATIYEH AS COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARIES MOVEMENT Danger Ahead – Challenging Khomeini Conclusions