Shariati tried to bridge this chasm by presenting Islam as a total system which included the essential elements of both religiosity and of socio-political activism. In the process he opened himself open to misunderstanding and criticism from many quarters. For the traditional ulama, Shariati appeared guilty of questioning their long-established interpretations of Islam.
It did not help that Shariati was prone to basic errors in his presentation of Islamic history and doctrine; but even without handing the ulama that ammunition, Shariati would have been attacked for criticising the scholars’ restrictive interpretations of Islam and political quiescence. At the same time, some ulama were more balanced in their responses. Khomeini, for example — who himself criticised some of his fellow ulama on similar grounds — found nothing objectionable in his writings and appreciated his contribution to the Islamic movement.
