Abstract

The Beh Afrid uprising (129–131 AH / 746–749 AD) was one of the first Iranian religious reform movements during the transitional period from the Umayyads to the Abbasids, taking shape in Khorasan (specifically the regions of Zuzan, Khaf, and the area between Nishapur and Herat). This movement emerged under the influence of temporal conditions (political chaos following the fall of the Umayyads, the uprising of Abu Muslim, and pressure on Zoroastrians) and spatial characteristics (Khorasan as a center of Iranian resistance and the intersection of Zoroastrian culture with emerging Islam). By combining Zoroastrian elements with Islamic teachings, Beh Afrid presented a reformist ritual aimed at preserving Iranian identity and resisting Arab domination. This article demonstrates how temporal-spatial structures provided the basis for the movement's formation; however, the conflict with the interests of Abu Muslim and the traditional Zoroastrian clergy, together with the concentration of Abbasid military power in Khorasan, led to its rapid suppression. This case exemplifies the mutual influence of time and space on socio-religious movements in post-Islamic Iran. The research findings indicate that the movement of Beh Afrid was not simply a religious heresy, but a direct product of the specific temporal (Umayyad–Abbasid transition) and spatial (Khorasan) conditions. Its suppression was likewise a result of those same structures: when Abu Muslim needed an alliance with traditional Zoroastrian elements for the final victory against the Umayyads, Beh Afrid’s reformist movement became a threat to the unity of the front. This study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of formation and failure of socio-religious movements in the early history of Islamic Iran and emphasizes the importance of simultaneously analyzing temporal and spatial factors.

Keywords: Beh Afrid, Khorasan, time and place, reform movement, Abu Muslim Khorasani, Umayyad–Abbasid period