Shiism Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

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- Pilgrimage, Islamic Studies, Sacred Space, Shiism

The formative period of Imāmī law is generally placed in Buwayhid Baghdad. However, by the end of the Buwayhid era, Imāmī law had not yet developed all of the features that would enable future scholars to elaborate the law along particular methodological lines. In particular, it was not until the 7th/13th century that Imāmī scholars invented a typology to systematize the use of ḥadīth as an independent source of law. Because the bulk of substantive law rests on the Sunnah, and because the main source of Muslims’ knowledge of the Sunnah is ḥadīth, it is argued that the moment when ḥadīth come to be regarded as an independent source of law is a strong indication of its formative period. While some scholars have tried to locate this development in an earlier stage of the development of Imāmī law, a careful examination of key passages in the relevant texts demonstrate that their argument is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of early bio-bibliographical writing as well as a misunderstanding of the arguments of critics of the typology.

- by Turkish Journal of Shiite Studies
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- Shi'ism, Histori of Imami Shiism, History of Shia Islam, Shiism

The distinctively Shiʿi conception of non-Muslims as bearers of a contagious form of impurity emerges gradually, reaching its classical form only in the 5th/11th century. Contrary to common scholarly presumptions, Q. 9.28 does not constitute the point of origin for this conception but rather serves as retroactive justification for its validity. This essay utilizes ḥadīth collections and works of law from the 2nd/8th through 5th/11th centuries to trace the emergence of Shiʿi notions regarding the impurity of non-Muslims and the parallel emergence of distinctively Shiʿi norms regarding the meat of animals slaughtered by non-Muslims. It concludes by suggesting that the differences between Sunni and Shiʿi notions regarding the food and impurity of non-Muslims reflect the different ways in which Sunnis and Shiʿi conceive of the Islamic community itself.

The death of the Prophet Muhammad in 10/632 left a vacuum of authority in the early Muslim community. Ever since, Muslims of various sectarian persuasions have produced conflicting versions of the events which took place in the wake of Muhammad’s death and the behaviour of certain prominent personalities. This dissertation examines the role played by the surviving daughter of the Prophet, Fatima, during this early, tumultuous period. The objective is not to present a ‘historical’ reconstruction of events, but rather to explore how the formative Islamic histories (2nd-4th/8th-10th centuries) and Shiite hadith (2nd-6th/8th-12th centuries) creatively shaped the image of Fatima in her conflict with the first caliph and successor to Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and his allies. For Sunnites, Abu Bakr was a wise leader who aimed to safeguard the unity of the Muslim community even if that entailed Fatima’s dissatisfaction. For Shiites, on the other hand, Abu Bakr and Umar (the second caliph and a key advocate of Abu Bakr’s leadership) were usurpers who marginalized and even viciously assaulted the daughter of the Prophet. In the making of both images, gender is at play. For the Shiites, Abu Bakr and above all Umar betray ideals of maleness by bullying a defenceless woman who is portrayed, somewhat against conventional views of the feminine, as sagacious and strong. The Shiite image of Fatima also draws on the idea of women as emotional to make her into a righteous sufferer and mourner on a cosmic scale. In the Sunnite-leaning histories, on the other hand, Fatima conforms to stereotypes of femininity by exhibiting excessive emotion and irrationality, while Abu Bakr plays the role of a wise, indulgent, paternal male. Western scholars have tended to view Fatima as a marginal figure; but an examination of the early sources shows her image to be key to the development of sectarian views and competing Sunnite and Shiite appraisals of the companions of Muhammad.

- by Vinay Khetia
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- Islamic Studies, Islamic History, Religious Studies, Islamic Historiography

The following article surveys a few treatises regarding the salvation of the Prophet Muḥammad’s uncle, Abū Ṭālib b. ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib (d. circa 619 CE). The controversy concerning Abū Ṭālib’s place in the hereafter stems from a wealth of reports condemning him to hell due to his refusal to convert to Islam and others which testify to his lifelong belief in God and the prophethood of Muḥammad. The first group of reports was canonized in the collections of Bukhārī and Muslim, while the second group largely appeared in sīra and Shī‘ī ḥadīth literature. Although Shī‘ī thinkers have upheld the faith and salvation of Abū Ṭālib from the earliest periods of Islamic history, very few Sunnīs shared this opinion despite transmitting some of the same proof-texts cited in Shī‘ī works. According to most Sunnīs, these proof-texts were either inconclusive or insufficient in proving Abū Ṭālib's conversion to Islam or his salvation. However, there is a remarkable shift in the sensibilities of some Sunnīs after the ninth century hijrī (fifteenth century CE). In contrast to early Sunnīs who considered such a possibility to be unlikely or flatly denied it, a few Sunnīs over the past five centuries have joined their Shī‘ī co-religionists in their commitment to the salvation of Abū Ṭālib. This article introduces the relevant proof-texts and theological arguments that classical Shī‘ī and modern Sunnī writers have utilized to advocate the belief in Abū Ṭālib’s salvation.

- by Nebil Husayn
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- Quranic Studies, Islamic Studies, Hadith Studies, Islamic History

Здійснюється аналіз процесів модернізації політичної системи Ісламської Республіки Іран, її специфічних рис. Досліджується вплив соціокультурних чинників на темпи, форми і результати трансформації сучасних політичних інститутів Ірану, визначається ступень їхньої ефективності у підтриманні функціонування суспільства та його захисті від зовнішнього тиску. Ключові слова: Іран, модернізація, політична система, соціальна політика, шиїзм. Пророченко Н. А. Иранский опыт модернизации: общественно-политический аспект. Анализируются процессы модернизации политической системы Исламской Республики Иран, ее специфических черт. Исследуется влияние социокультурных факторов на темпы, формы и результаты трансформации современных политических институтов Ирана, определяется степень их эффективности в поддержании функционирования общества и его защите от внешнего давления.

- by Nataliia Prorochenko
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- Modernization, Iran, Political System, Social Politic
- by Abed Kanaaneh
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- Middle East Studies, Lebanese History, Lebanon, Hezbollah

Ismaili traditions of devotional poetry continued to flourish after the Mongol conquests, although much of it has been little known until recently. The period of the Imam Mustansir bi'llah II of Anjudan (d. 885/1480) and his successors saw a flowering of Ismaili devotional poetry. The poet Muhammad b. Husam b. Shams al-Din Muhammad Khusfi (d. in either 875/1470 or 893/1488) is associated with the village of Khusf in Khurasan. He became well known for a genre of praise poetry dedicated to the Prophet and Imam Ali, and his poems are found in both Ismaili and non-Ismaili collections. "The Season of Orisons" is a piece that urges devotion to the Imam of the Time.

- by Shafique Virani
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- Persian Literature, Poetry, Spirituality, Islamic Mysticism

"شهر سامراء پس از اقامت آية الله ميرزا محمدحسن حسيني شيرازي و برپايي حوزه¬ي فقهي او، به¬تدريج از شهري سني¬نشين به پايتخت معنوي جهان تشيع تبديل شد. حوزه¬ي علميه¬ي سامراء که در وجود علمي و معنوي ميرزاي شيرازي نمود مي¬يافت، از جهاتي چند در تاريخ معاصر شيعه اثرگذار بوده است. اين مقاله بر آن است تا سه مورد از آن¬ آثار را بررسي کند. نخست، بسط و گسترش انديشه¬ي مهدويت؛ دوم، جلوگيري ميرزاي شيرازي از اجراي قرارداد رژي (انحصار خريد و فروش توتون و تنباکو)؛ سوم، مخالفت جدي ميرزاي شيرازي با انديشه¬ي اتّحاد اسلام سيد جمال¬الدين افغاني (اسدآبادي).
كليدواژه: حوزه علميه سامرا، ميرزاي شيرازي، انديشه‌ي مهدويّت، قرارداد رژي، سيدجمال‌الدين
"

- by S. M. Hadi Gerami
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- Islamic Studies, Shi'ism, Twelver Shi'ism, Histori of Imami Shiism
- by Tahera Qutbuddin
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- Religion, Arabic Literature, Arabic, Virtue Ethics

In his work ʿUmdat al-ʿārifīn, Šayḫ al-Ašrafānī, a Druze scholar living in Syria in the 11th/17th century, composed a Druze history of origins for the entire community. This universal history portrays Druzism as an inherent part of human history, like the other monotheistic doctrines. The author thus offers a theological account of the birth of Druzism by tracing a linear discourse of world history from Adam to the Druze daʿwa (preaching) in the 5th/11th century. Al-Ašrafānī also attributes an Islamic character to Druzism by drawing on the Druze sacred text as well as exegetical literature from the late 9th/15th century, while highlighting the Islamic nature of Druzism and its pre-eminence. This rewriting of history in the 11th/17th century contributed to the popularization of Druzism, as attested in other texts from the same period. While al-Ašrafānī did not greatly influence his contemporaries, his work was of considerable importance in the Druze communities of Bilād al-Šām afterwards. Indeed, ʿUmdat al-ʿārifīn had such a substantial impact on Druze historiography that it became a historical source for writing and rewriting the Druze history of origins. Despite being quoted extensively by modern Druze historians, it remains unpublished, being kept secret in the community.

- by Wissam H . Halawi
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- Cultural History, Islamic Philosophy, Kalam (Islamic Theology), Islamic Studies

This work examines the enduring legacy of early Muslims who were hostile to Islam's fourth caliph, Ali, and his descendants.

- by Tahera Qutbuddin
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- Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Arabic Literature, Women's History

ذه الباقة من المحاضرات، التي ألقاها حامد الگار في المعهد الإسلامي بلندن، بدعوة من خالد الذكر كليم صديقي، بعد انتصار الثورة الإسلامية بأشهر قليلة (أغسطس 1979م)؛ توفِّر نقطة انطلاق عظيمة الفائدة لفهم ما جرى. فما من أحد خارج إيران يعرف جذور الثورة الإسلامية كما يعرفها الگار. فهو عقلٌ بصير، ومعرفته بموضوعه هي المزيج الصحيح بين الدقة الأكاديمية والالتزام الإسلامي. إن السرديَّة التي تتكشَّف ها هُنا لها عدَّة أبعاد. وهي في بُعدها الأكثر بساطة دليل مُبسَّط وتأسيسي لفهم الحدث الذي ربما كان الأكثر أهمية في التاريخ الحديث.

- by Abdurrhman Abouzekry عبد الرحمن أبو ذكري and +1
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- Political Philosophy, Revolutions, Islamic Contemporary Studies, Iranian Studies

The second presentation of my doctoral thesis

- by Amir Yahya Ayatollahi
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- Reformation History, Iranian Studies, Conservatism, Islamic Studies

Pir Sadr al-Din (Sadardin in Indic languages) played a key role in systematizing and consolidating the Nizari Ismaili da'wa in South Asia from the late 8th/14th century. He is chiefly associated with Uchch in southern Sind. Those who accepted his preaching and expressed allegiance to the Imam were granted the title of Khwaja or Khoja after entering the Ismaili fold. His shrine is in Jetpur, near Uchch. The compositions of Pir Sadr al-Din, known as Ginans, represent a substantial portion of the tradition. These works continue to have great importance for the Ismailis.

- by Shafique Virani
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- Hindi Literature, South Asian Studies, Spirituality, Islamic Studies

Rencontre - Interview de Wissam Halawi, nouveau professeur à la FTSR

- by Wissam H . Halawi
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- Islamic Law, Gender Studies, Sex and Gender, Gender and Sexuality

A brief exploration of the Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman's "Book of the Master and the Disciple."

- by Shafique Virani
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- Arabic Literature, Dramatic Literature, Spirituality, Islamic Studies
- by Bishara Ebeid
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- Shi'ism, Islamic History, Islam, Shiism, Shiite Islam, Shii Islam
- by Piro Rexhepi
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- Islamic Studies, Shiism
- by Juan Cole
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- Iraqi History, Iraq War, Shiism, Shiite Islam
- by Muhammed Enes Topgül
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- Islamic Studies, Hadith Studies, Islamic History, Early Islam

This study seeks to discuss the problem of intra-Muslim prejudice among Muslims in Singapore, namely towards the Shiite and liberal Muslims. These Muslims are perceived to be the deviant Other. Such prejudices point towards an increasingly exclusivist Muslim community in Singapore, who are largely influenced by regional experiences and sentiments. The prejudice stems from the belief that these groups are deviant and are threats to the Muslims from within. I aim to demonstrate how the growing exclusivism, manifested through such prejudices, point to the deeper problem of the fundamentalist religious orientation among contemporary Malay-Muslims in Singapore. This study thus seeks to understand the problem of fundamentalism through the traits of the prejudiced personality, such as authoritarianism, institutionalism and the need for definiteness. It will be argued that religious fundamentalism, as manifested through the traits of the prejudiced personality, reflect the deeper insecurities within the Malay-Muslim community.

Eponym of the Nusayri-'Alawi sect

- by Yaron Friedman
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- Iraqi History, History of Islamic Sects, Nuṣayrī -ʿAlawī Studies, Shiism
- by Suleyman Uygun
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- Islam, Byzantine, Alevilik, Shiism
- by peyman ünügür t.
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- Ottoman Empire, Shiism, Sunni and shia, Ulumul Hadith

علم الجرح والتعديل من أهم علوم الحديث وتكمن أهميته في تمييز الحديث الصحيح من السقيم، فيرجع من يريد أن يصل إلى نتيجة صحيحة إلى كتب الرجال التي تتحدث عن أوصاف ومراتب الرواة، ومن يتأمل أصول الشيعة الإمامية في هذا العلم يجد تأثير عقيدة الإمامة في علم الرجال والجرح والتعديل من حيث توثيق الرواة وتجريحهم وألفاظ الجرح والتعديل عندهم. وتعبّر ألفاظ التعديل والمدح للرواة عند الشيعة الإمامية عن تعصّب وانحياز واضح لعقيدة الإمامة، حيث يتناولون الراوي بالجرح والتعديل بحسب عقيدته، ونتيجة لذلك تمايز الرواة الإماميون بعقيدتهم في هذا المجال عن غيرهم. وأما ألفاظ الجرح والقدح عند الشيعة الإمامية فأكثرها ناشئٌ عن السياسة أو الاعتقاد، حيث يكفي لذم الراوي أن يكون من مذهب آخر، أو يكون من قرابة الخليفة، أو عماله، أو يكون من بني أمية التي ذُم صلبها، وهذا كله مرتبط بأهمية الإمامة ومناصبها العالية وصفاتها المميزة عند الشيعة الإمامية؛ لأنّ أصولهم كلها تتوقف على هذه العقيدة كما تتوقف عقيدة الإمامة على سمات الإمام وقوة حضوره.
وفي هذه الدراسة قمت بإظهار أثر هذه العقيدة في منهج الشيعة الإمامية في نقد الرجال من حيث الجرح والتعديل.

- by Yusuf Oktan
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- Qur'anic Studies, Hadith Studies, Hadith, History of Shia Islam
- by Mohammed Rustom
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- Religion, Theology, Islamic Philosophy, Qur'anic Studies
- by Mushegh Asatryan
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- Intellectual History, Late Antiquity, Islamic Studies, Islamic History
- by Juan Cole
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- Iraqi History, Iranian Studies, Modern Indian History, Indian History
- by Betül Yurtalan
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- Islamic Studies, History of Islamic Sects, Shiism, Shia studies

Pir Sabzali (Sabz 'Ali) Ramzanali (d. 1938) grew up in Mumbai. His widowed
mother, worried about her teenage son's waywardness, sent him to Gwadar, on the
coast of Balochistan, to apprentice with the learned Varas Muhammad Remu. Under
the latter's tutelage, his character began to change and he soon became known
as one of the most dynamic volunteers and gifted orators in the Ismaili community.
In 1923, the Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III sent Pir Sabzali on a difficult
mission to Central Asia to contact the isolated Ismaili communities in that
mountainous region. Sabzali kept a diary in Gujarati of this harrowing journey,
first serialized in The Ismaili from 1924 to 1926. Below are Episodes 10 and 23 from
his fascinating travelogue in which he describes his travels through Chitral, now in
Pakistan. In Episode 10, written in a literary style, Pir Sabzali relates his thoughts
about the mission ahead and his complete trust in and reliance on the imam. In
Episode 23, Sabzali encounters large numbers of Mawlais, Central Asian Ismailis,
in the mountains of Badakhshan. He marvels at their dedication in the harshest of
circumstances, revels in their all-night spiritual assembly and fervent recitation of
the poetry of Nasir-i Khusraw, comments on their eagerness to hear the farmans,
i.e. the commands, blessings and instructions of their imam, and expresses his
admiration at the devotion of even their youngest children.

- by Shafique Virani
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- Pakistan, Islamic Studies, Central Asia, Ismailism

While much is made of the military capacity of the all-Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade as an Iranian militia and proxy force in Syria, less attention has been devoted to how its fighters and their experiences have been integrated into Iranian society following deployment. As Afghans of the Fatemiyoun Brigade return to Iraneither as veterans or as bodies of martyrsthey have been incorporated into existing national frameworks of Shiʿi identity and martyrdom. Through the analysis of media reports, funeral processions, and visual iconography, this article demonstrates how state and non-state actors in Iran have used the example of Afghan "shrine defenders" as an occasion to re-invigorate the central importance of state narratives around Shiʿism and national sacrifice. Such practices have elicited new perceptions across government and media of Afghan contributions to the history of the Islamic Republic and have been accompanied by new mobilities and modalities for Afghans in Iranian society. While the experiences of Fatemiyoun fighters are not monolithic, and the reasons for enlisting varied, Afghans affiliated with the brigade are increasingly taking on citizenship characteristics, despite their non-citizenship status. In addition to fighting on behalf of the nation and Shiʿa community, Afghan members and veterans of the Fatemiyoun engage in civic acts of solidarity. Families of fallen fighters receive the financial benefits and cultural status accorded to "martyrs families." Accordingly, the experience of the Fatemiyoun Brigade and its increased visibility in Iranian society raise questions about the future citizenship prospects of Afghans in Iran as well as notions of citizenship in the Islamic Republic more generally.

- by Kevin Schwartz
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- Iranian Studies, Afghanistan, Martyrdom, Shiism

The Fatimid jurist and author al-Qadi Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man (d. 363/974) served the Fatimids over the reigns of four imams, achieving his greatest prominence under the Imam al-Mu'izz (d. 365/975). While best known for his contributions to jurisprudence, al-Nu'man was also a poet, a historian and the author of works on esoteric matters. The selection below is from his Asas al-ta'wil (The Foundation of Spiritual Hermeneutics). In common with other Ismaili scholars, al-Nu'man affirmed that the Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions have an exoteric as well as an esoteric dimension. In this work, he brings out the inner, spiritual meanings of the tales of the prophets, as in the ta'wil of the story of Job (Ayyub).

- by Shafique Virani
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- Arabic Literature, Quranic Studies, Islamic Studies, Fatimids

In the mid-90s, Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and the Iranian Ayatollah Khamene’i both banned bloody forms of self-flagellation such as tatbir (cutting the forehead with a sword), calling them backward and un-Islamic. They argued that Shi‘a Muslims ought to imitate Husayn by actively fighting against oppressors rather than passively mourning Husayn’s martyrdom. This prohibition has not been unanimously applied in all Muslim
countries, including Syria, where such practices persisted until the Arab Spring (when virtually all Shi‘a Muslims left the shrine-town where these practices were performed). By closely reading the linguistic, conceptual, and juridical discourses that circulated in Syria in order to justify this position, the paper shows that the performers of tatbir conceived of these rituals in revolutionary, rather than reactionary, terms. By examining the performance and reception of flagellation processions in terms of differing modalities of affect, the paper opens up spaces for rethinking ‘revolution’ and ‘redemption’ in contemporary Twelver Shi‘ism.

- by Edith Szanto
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- Critical Theory, Religion, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology