Twelver Shi'ism

Abstract:

In Iran, the giving of food for a religious purpose is a widespread act among Shiite believers, which can be observed daily in the city and in the villages, in both affluent and popular milieus. In order to understand the social, material and spiritual virtues of such food in the everyday life and worldview of Shiite devotees, this article proposes to analyse the process of preparation and sacredness of such food, and to study some important occasions of votive food giving in the lives of believers. The information in this article comes from previous research carried out in Iranian popular milieus, in some Shiite shrines and at the Behesht Zahra cemetery in Tehran, as well as from interviews conducted for this specific purpose.


Résumé:

En Iran, le don de nourriture pour une intention religieuse est un acte très répandu chez les croyants chiites, que l'on peut observer quotidiennement en ville comme à la campagne, dans les milieux aisés comme dans les milieux populaires. Pour comprendre les vertus sociales, matérielles et spirituelles d'une telle nourriture dans la vie pratique et la vision du monde des pieux chiites, cet article propose d'analyser le processus de préparation et de sacralisation de cette nourriture, et d'étudier quelques occasions importantes de don de nourriture votive dans la vie des croyants. Les données de cet article proviennent de recherches précédemment effectuées dans les milieux populaires iraniens, dans quelques sanctuaires chiites et au cimetière de Behesht Zahra de Téhéran, ainsi que d'entretiens réalisés à cette fin précise.

در حالیکه محدثان و محدث متکلمان کوفه و قم، قول به حیات پیشین اهل البیت (علیهم السلام) و عموم انسانها را پذیرفته بودند متکلمان بغداد و مشخصا شیخ مفید، سید مرتضی و شیخ طوسی موضعی منفی در قبال این قول اتخاذ کرده اند. پرسش این مقاله آن است که عوامل نظری رویگردانی ایشان از موضع مثبت محدثان و محدث متکلمان در باره حیات پیشین و اتخاذ موضع منفی در این باره چیست؟ برای پاسخ بدین سوال، در این مقاله تلاش شده که بر اساس آنچه خود این متکلمان به تصریح یا تلویح بیان کرده اند، عوامل نظری مخالفت ایشان با قول به حیات پیشین استنتاج گردد. این مقاله نشان می دهد که اتخاذ رویکر تاویلی به روایت، قول به عدم حجیت خبر واحد، و عارضی بودن و قائم به نفس نبودن روح،  بطلان غلو، بطلان تناسخ که لازمه قول به حیات پیشین است، و یادنیاوردن ماجرای حیات پیشین مبانی و ادله ای بوده اند که بغدادیان را به انکار حیات پیشین سوق داده اند.
کلیدواژگان: مکتب بغداد، حیات پیشین، اشباح، ذر، ارواح.

لقد كرّست اهتمامي في السنين الأخيرة لمطالعة وتصحيح تفسير الوزير المغربي المسمّى بـ: المصابيح في تفسير القرآن، وكتبت بعض المقالات في هذا الخصوص، وقد تطرّقت في مقالتي هذه إلى وصف النسخ الثلاث الموجودة منه، ومناقشة الأخطاء والنواقص التي وردت في تصحيح نسخ هذا الكتاب والتي جاءت في إطار رسالة الدكتوراه المقدّمة من قبل الدكتور عبدالكريم بن صالح الزهراني والتي تمّ الدفاع عنها في جامعة أمِّ القرى في مكّة المكرّمة سنة (2000 ميلادي)، علماً بأنّ هذه الرسالة موجودة على صفحات الشبكة المعلوماتية (الإنترنيت) بالرغم من أنّه لم يتمّ نشرها رسميّاً ولم تطبع بعد.

"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
"

To be a “Shi‘at Ali” means to follow closely in the footsteps of ‘Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. For Shi‘is, ‘Ali was the rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad and the first Imam. Shi‘ism is the second largest denomination in Islam after Sunnism. Shi‘is constitute roughly 10–20% of all Muslims in the world. This chapter provides an overview of contemporary Shi‘is doctrines, bodily pious habits, as well as quotidian and annual rituals.

One of the main ways to understanding historical reports is to Investigate and identify historical discourses in which that reports produced. In other words, we must understand reports in their historical perspective. Tafsīr bir-ray traditions are might be considered as one of the most controversial group of historical statements regarding their meaning. This paper investigates the viewpoint of Allameh Tabatabai regarding Tafsīr bir-ray firstly. Then, the paper by analyzing of Tafsir discourse in early Islamic community tries to trace back the most historical picture of Tafsīr bir-ray in Thought of early Muslims. Afterwards, the author compares his historical reading with standpoint of Allameh Tabatabai and demonstrates the contradiction between these two opinions. It seems that Allameh Tabatabai’s viewpoint about Tafsīr bir-ray is derived from his stance toward Tafsīr al-Quran bil-Quran.
This study tries to get its aims by analysis of Shiite and Sunny primary sources as well as Tabatabai’s writings.

Recipient of the Inaugural South Asian Muslim Studies Association Book Award 2021

Centering Pakistan in a story of transnational Islam stretching from South Asia to the Middle East, Simon Wolfgang Fuchs offers the first in-depth ethnographic history of the intellectual production of Shi'is and their religious competitors in this “Land of the Pure.” The notion of Pakistan as the pinnacle of modern global Muslim aspiration forms a crucial component of this story. It has empowered Shi'is, who form about 20 percent of the country’s population, to advance alternative conceptions of their religious hierarchy while claiming the support of towering grand ayatollahs in Iran and Iraq.

Fuchs shows how popular Pakistani preachers and scholars have boldly tapped into the esoteric potential of Shi'ism, occupying a creative and at times disruptive role as brokers, translators, and self-confident pioneers of contemporary Islamic thought. They have indigenized the Iranian Revolution and formulated their own ideas for fulfilling the original promise of Pakistan. Challenging typical views of Pakistan as a mere Shi'i backwater, Fuchs argues that its complex religious landscape represents how a local, South Asian Islam may open up space for new intellectual contributions to global Islam. Yet religious ideology has also turned Pakistan into a deadly battlefield: sectarian groups since the 1980s have been bent on excluding Shi'is as harmful to their own vision of an exemplary Islamic state.

For more info and reviews:
https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469649795/in-a-pure-muslim-land/

A South Asian edition is published by Speaking Tiger in Delhi: https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/shop/non-fiction/in-a-pure-muslim-land/

This brief article provides an overview of the development of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri community from its emergence in mid-19th century colonial India, via the beginnings of its missionary activities in East Africa
a century later, to its current role in Shia proselytization in Latin America.

Ahmad al-Katib is an Iraqi Shiʿi dissident intellectual and an interesting
voice in the religious, intellectual, social and political discourse of the Shiʿite world today. He is a fairly well-known figure in Shiʿite circles but
is virtually unknown to western academic research. This paper examines
al-Katib’s life and writings and attempts to understand how a devout Shiʿi came to question the axioms upon which he was educated and raised. The doctrine of the Rule of the Jurisprudent is discussed, the criticism of it reviewed and al-Katib’s claims for it are evaluated. The ecumenical dialogue between Shiʿa and Sunna in al-Katib’s writings is discussed and the theoretical and practical aspects of his approach are reviewed. This will be followed by a discussion of al-Katib’s “Shi’ite Manifesto”, and an examination of the problems in al-Katib’s thought.

The present work is a translation of al-Shahid al-Thani’s Munyat al-Murid fi Adab al-Mufid wa al-Mustafid. The original Arabic work, written in 954 AH/1547 CE, quickly established  itself as a core text in the Islamic seminaries, and it has long been an important source of reference for anyone interested in Islamic education and spiritual development.

Now available in English for the first time, this classic work will be a valuable addition to the core reading lists of courses on Islamic ethics and spirituality. The current edition also contains an insightful introduction consisting of a biography of the author, an overview of the body of his work, a survey of his predecessors’ views on education, a study of his ideas on education, and an examination of his methodology of education.

Edited by Mohammad Mehdi Baghi and Mohammed Ali Ismail, with an introduction by Mohammad Mehdi Baghi.

Course Material Prepared for Harvard Divinity School (HDS) Course 3221.4x (“Islam through Its Scriptures”)

This article was prepared as introductory educational material for the non-academic reader. The article summarizes some of the current and upcoming research of the author. Please contact the author directly (khalil_andani@mail.harvard.edu) for any inquiries.

Throughout Ismaili history, the ta’wil of the Qur’an was often taught by Ismaili thinkers and teachers, called da‘is, who were appointed by the Ismaili Imam of the time to instruct the believers. Thus, Ismaili ta’wil or spiritual interpretation has taken many different forms and articulations through history and has been practiced in a variety of intellectual and cultural contexts. The Ismaili ta’wil of the Six Days of Creation is a consistent theme among numerous Ismaili thinkers throughout history. What follows is a summary of the Ismaili ta’wil or esoteric interpretation of the Qur’anic verses about God creating the heavens and the earth in “Six Days” as mainly presented in the writings of two major Ismaili thinkers – Nasir-i Khusraw (d. 1088) and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274), although this general schema is found among multiple Ismaili Muslim authors.

The focus of this paper will be a text known as the Kiṭāb Maqtal al-Ḥusayn (from here on in referred to as the Kiṭāb); a compilation of reports surrounding the death of the third Shi'i Imam Ḥusayn ibn. Ali ibn. Abū Talib, who was martyred on the plains of Kerbala on the tenth day of Muharram, 680 C.E. The historian responsible for the Kiṭāb was a Kufan man by the name of Abū Mikhnaf (d.774) and this paper will assess the milieu which gave rise to the Kiṭāb and attempt to show how the Kiṭāb was a product of the time in which it was compiled.

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.

Tasbih is one of the easiest methods of communication with Rabb Taala Subhanahu. Tasbih spiritually connects Insan with his Lord where he receives blessings of Aalam ul-Ibda (the eternal universe of creation). It is the most acceptable manner of ‘ibadah containing unimaginable amounts of Ajr and benefits in Duniya and A’akhirah. Life is demanding and diverts our attention from Ibadah; Tasbih is a way to rectify this through forming a constant and loving bond with Allah. Tasbih is also a means of seeking Taubah and Istaghfar from Allah and being purified of sins. The act of Tasbih focuses the mind towards Allah. It also has an instant feeling of Itmin’an (mental peace and tranquility), and removes negative energy from our mind and body. Tasbih focuses our mind solely on Allah, and inspires us to think of what else we can do to sincerely please Allah, thus developing sincerity in Ibadah. Tasbih nullifies the negative forces of Shayt’an, including the removal of the most formidable Wasaavis of “Khannas” from the heart. If done properly and regularly, Tasbih can protect from Waba, Bala, Afaat and Masa’ib and fulfill Haj’at and grant Rizaq of Duniya and A’akhirah with Sadaat. In short, Tasbih is one of the righteous acts of Ibadah through which one can achieve Naj’at from physical as well as spiritual pains. It is the practice of Anbiya, Awsiya, Aimmah, Du’at and Awliya and therefore an ardent believer should practice this.

Si la religion imamite s'est construite en situation minoritaire, c'est que les imams et leurs partisans furent les vaincus des violences politiques des débuts de l'islam. D'où le problème qui se pose à l'islamologie générale comme à l'étude du shi'isme en particulier. Comment les imams shi'ites ont-ils vécu et pensé le "combat sacré" (jihâd) évoqué dans le Coran? Comment ces vaincus de l'histoire sont-ils devenus des guides divins pour toute une communauté jusqu'à nos jours? Cet article tente d'y répondre en se fondant sur les recueils de hadiths shi'ites qui, par leur ancienneté, peuvent être tenus pour reflétant l'enseignement authentique des imams, mais encore pour un témoignage digne de considération sur l'histoire des débuts de l'islam.

One of the most controversial Shi'i texts today is a sermon in Nahj al-Balaghah (an early eleventh century collection of materials attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib) describing women as deficient in faith and intellect. This is only one of several passages in Nahj al-Balaghah which come across as unfavourable to women. While, in the Shi'i tradition, the authenticity of materials in Nahj al-Balaghah is rarely challenged, this paper challenges the authenticity of these passages about women through three means: (a) a traditional approach based on alternative sources and chains of narration; (b) textual criticism, including the suggestion that the notion of women being ‘deficient’ was actually taken from Aristotle, not Imam 'Ali; and (c) comparing the treatment of women in Nahj al-Balaghah with the treatment of women in Kitab Sulaym ibn Qays, the earliest extant Shi’i text. This will be done under the premise that if the portrayals significantly conflict, the material in Nahj al-Balaghah may reflect a later set of cultural-religious norms and have been attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib posthumously. Additionally, it argues against the common view that some of these passages were addressed specifically to 'A'ishah (as opposed to all women) due to her participation in the Battle of the Camel by a deeper examination of the alternative textual sources. It also highlights the ethical problems involved in attacking women through their gender – which is often done in Shi'i historical narrative with respect to 'A'ishah – and considers the persistence of these ideas about the nature of women in contemporary Shi'i ideologies of gender.

This is an essay in comparative modernisms. It is observed that these two works follow certain "literary laws": Joyce's Ulysses, based on the Odyssey and the Báb's  Qayyúm al-asmá, based on the Qur'an, pose questions to the reader about the relationship between tradition and innovation, text and commentary, the notion of the hero and the father-son relation. Surprising and instructive structural and thematic similarities between these two otherwise incomparable literary works emerge.

This paper provides the Islamic perspective on maintaining sexual relationship after marriage. These guidelines could assist Muslims to uphold sexual morality and be faithful to one's spouse, in proper dressing, marrying early, lowering of the gaze/modesty, and the concept of adultery. Islam considers sex as one of the essential human needs that must be properly satisfied. It is a necessity that requires favourable consideration. Islam treats "Zina" not only as a great sin but also as an act which opens the gate for many other shameful acts. These destroy the very basis of the family, lead to several crimes, damage reputation, destroy properties and also spread numerous diseases-both physical and spiritual. It is recommended that Muslims marry as early as they are able to, and not fear financial crises as a result of marriage. I have discussed some important aspects of sexual ethics of Islam whose ignorance has turned this act Har'am while there is Saw'ab for spouses who meet while adhering to the Talim of Islam. Lastly, it is pertinent to note that homosexuality, lesbianism, celibacy and monasticism are all prohibited in Islam.

This is a Teaching and Learning Guide about Ismaili Muslim History and Thought for lay readers, students and instructors. Inside you will find a recommended list of books and a sample 12 week course syllabus on the Ismailis. This guide accompanies the following articles: Khalil Andani, A Survey of Ismaili Studies Part 1: Early Ismailism and Fatimid
Ismailism. Religion Compass 10/8 (2016): 191–206, DOI 10.1111/rec3.12205 and A Survey of Ismaili Studies Part 2: Post‐
Fatimid and Modern Ismailism. Religion Compass 10/11 (2016): 269–282. DOI: 10.1111/rec3.12222

This chapter treats the Persian cultural influences on India and interactions between India and Iran in the centuries from 1500 to 1900. It surveys the place of the Persian languag e in Indian government, chancery practice, and imperial decrees, and the manner in which state adoption of it created a very large class of Persian-speaking bureaucrats, scribes, translators, and other intellectuals in the subcontinent. It is argued that in theM ughal period perhaps seven times as many readers of Persian lived in India as in Iran. The chapter looks at Indo-Persian travel writing, works on comparative religion, and the impact of religious groups with strong ties to Persian-speaking Iran, whether Twelver Shi 'is or the much smaller Isma ' iii and Zoroastrian communities. It pays special attention to the Shi 'i-ruled kingdoms that were , common in India in the early modern period.

Islamic Approaches to Symbolism (2017)
by Christopher Buck

Published online August 8, 2017: Burhan Institute

Islamic Approaches to Symbolism
by Christopher Buck

ABSTRACT
“Islamic Approaches to Symbolism”—Chapter Three of Symbolic Quranic Exegesis (Master’s thesis, University of Calgary, 1991, pp. 69–137)—was supervised by Canada’s renowned Islamicist, the late Andrew Rippin (d. 2016), in whose memory this study is respectfully dedicated. Now published in 2017, “Islamic Approaches to Symbolism” surveys interpretations (tafsīr) of “ambiguous” (mutashābihāt) verses of the Qur’an (Q. 3:7) and offers a five-fold topology: (1) rhetorical exegesis (§ 2.0, infra); (2) theological exegesis (§ 3.0); (3) philosophical exegesis (§ 4.0); (4) mystical exegesis (§ 5.0); and (5) sectarian exegesis (§ 6.0). Fine scholarly monographs notwithstanding, no typology, to the best of the author’s knowledge, has been offered as an overview of Islamic approaches to passages in the Qur’an that are figurative, and possibly symbolic.
__________

Muslim disunity is a direct result of not realizing Prophet's will by the early elites of the Umayyads. The Prophet's last will was to be written and it was to mention his successors and many other things, as indicated by many hadiths and Quranic texts. The last will was to establish the imamate of twelve leaders much like the twelve judges of the Israelites, having religious and political powers.

This article analyzes the Aga Khan's discourse on pluralism and cosmopolitan ethics, arguing that these ideals are rooted in and expressive of his Muslim theological vision and constitute his interpretation of Islam. The Aga Khan is the forty-ninth hereditary Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims and a public Muslim intellectual. Whereas many theorists' approaches to pluralism are premised on the religious diversity of America, the Aga Khan pragmatically situates pluralism as a prerequisite for humanitarian development in a global context and as an antidote to dangers posed by both political tribalism and globalism. In common with the scholar of religion Diana Eck, the Aga Khan defines pluralism as a personal and civic orientation toward human diversity that actively embraces difference while also emphasizing commonality without overriding differences. At the same time, he presents pluralism as a divine imperative for humans in responding to God-given diversity and attaining self-knowledge. The theological underpinnings of the Aga Khan's pluralistic vision are the integration of Faith (dīn) and World (dunyā) and a theology of “mono-realism” (waḥdat al-wujūd) stressing God's continuous manifestation through diversity. Certain dimensions of this pluralism are rooted in the pre-modern Ismaili theological heritage. The Aga Khan also presents a concept of cosmopolitan ethics as a necessary concomitant of applied pluralism. Rejecting both moral relativism and a hegemonic universalism, the Aga Khan defines cosmopolitan ethics as universal virtue ethics informed by multiple religious traditions that can also accommodate a pluralism of values in local contexts. The Aga Khan theologically roots cosmopolitan ethics in the Qur'ānic vision of humankind as created from a single soul (Q 4:1).

Updated version posted on June 1, 2024.

Posted with permission of author and publisher, Kalimát Press. Thesis topic originally recommended by Todd Lawson. Scanned by Duane Troxel. Proofread by Jonah Winters and Lynn Jaluvka, with additional proofing by Bobbi Lyons. Formatted for the web by Jonah Winters. Corrections by Shahrokh Monjazeb. Critically read, from cover-to-cover, with recommendations, including several emendations, by Sohrab Kourosh. Please support this online re-printing by ordering a copy of the book.

See also the following published, academic reviews of Symbol & Secret:

•  Moojan Momen, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Third Series) 7.2 (July 1997): 290–91. “Christopher Buck’s book represents the first book-length attempt in the English language to analyse one of the major works of Bahā’u’llāh. … One main theme that Buck explores in this book is the question of whether the text of the Īqān contains hints by Bahā’u’llāh of his future claim. Some have expressed doubt as to whether any such hints exist but Buck demonstrates, conclusively I think, that there are many covert and even overt indications of what he calls ‘Bahā’u’llāh’s messianic secret’. … Buck has created a good starting point for what one would anticipate will be a new genre: critical analyses of the writings of Bahā’u’llāh.”

•  Frank Lewis, Baha’i Studies Review 6 (1996): 76–91 [16-page extended review]. “Buck’s analysis of Bahaullah’s [sic: Baha’u’llah’s] appeal to Koran 33:44 promising attainment to the divine Presence on the Day of Resurrection (itself allegorically interpreted by Bahaullah as the advent day of a new prophet), as a counter-argument to the nearby verse (33:40) about the ‘Seal of the Prophets’ is simply brilliant.” … “Symbol and Secret is a ground-breaking study, setting a standard for and describing the agenda of the exegesis of Bahai texts for some time to come.”

•  John Hatcher, Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Bulletin 30.1 (July 1996): 70–71. “Buck offers insightful analysis of Bahā’u’llāh’s exegetical technique.”

•  Jonah Winters, Iranian Studies 32.1 (Winter 1999): 141–145. “Buck has undertaken a project that is to be commended on many fronts. This study is daring in that it is the first extended analysis of the Islamic context and content of Baha’ullah’s thought and writings. The rigor with which Buck has treated his topics is a model for anyone engaging in textual scholarship: his research is broad, his attention to detail thorough, and his coverage of the topics exhaustive. Finally, many of his conclusions, the light he throws on the Íqán and its content, and in places even his methods are frankly brilliant.” DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00210869908701948.

•  Jonah Winters, Journal of Bahá’í Studies 9.3 (September 1999): 69–75. “Christopher Buck’s Symbol and Secret: Qur’an Commentary in Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitáb-i Íqán (Studies in the Bábí and Bahá’í Religions, volume 7) can be seen as a work of genius: it is ground-breaking—daring, innovative, and even brilliant. … As Symbol and Secret is the first work written in English to examine Bahá’í scripture and hermeneutics in any analytical depth, Buck’s work can without exaggeration be declared seminal.

[…] First, this study is daring in that it is the first extended analysis of the Islamic context and content of Bahá’u’lláh’s thought and writings. Buck’s tangential self-defense on pages 260–261 indicates that he, too, is well aware of the daringness of the topic and of his academic approach to it. Second, the rigour with which Buck has treated his topics is a model for anyone engaging in textual scholarship: his research is broad, his attention to detail thorough, and his coverage of the topics exhaustive. Finally, many of his conclusions, the light he throws on the Íqán and its content, and in places even his methods are frankly brilliant.” DOI: https://doi.org/10.31581/jbs-9.3(1999).

This introduction provides an overview of the significance of the Symposium on Islam and evolution that results from a conference hosted by the Leiden University Shīʿī Studies Initiative (LUSSI) in July 2021. The objective of this conference was to stimulate further research in the area. Scientists, theologians and philosophers participated in the conference to discuss the topic from various angles. The selected articles that were accepted for this thematic section are summarized.

Consider the significance of Dua al-Khidr (also known as Dua al-Kumail) as Amir al-Mumineen Ali (as) exclusively selected one of his beloved disciples Sayyidi Kumail (ra) to teach this great Dua. The Dua al-Kumail is specifically recited for Hifazat, increasing and extending the doors of Rizaq, fulfillment of Haj’at, removal of Afaat and for numerous purposes as it is the Ja’ame (multifaceted) Dua which is the heart of the Sahifah Alaviyy’ah (Collection of the Adiy’ah (sing: Dua) of Amir al-Mumineen Ali (as). The Dua al-Kumail should be recited specially during the 15th of Shab’an and every Thursday evening. Sufis used to recite it as per an old tradition. Aqaid of Islam are discussed in this Dua beautifully. In short, Dua al-Kumail is the nucleus of Al-Sahifah al-Alaviyyah, just as Surah Yasin is the heart of the Qur’an.

This chapter examines how the Arab Spring was gradually sectarianized, leading to the emergence of much more rigid and puritanical sect-based identities and inter-communal conflicts across the Middle East and extending even further outside of the region and across the Muslim-majority world.  Using the social movement theory concept of ‘framing,’ it considers how the various political and armed actors involved in the Syrian civil war and the conflict in Iraq, including regional actors such as the Iranian government, Hizbullah, Sunni and Salafi actors in the Arab Gulf states, and Sunni rebel and other militant jihadi organizations such as Jabhat al-Nusra/Jabhat Fath al-Sham, Islamic State, Jaysh al-Islam, and Ahrar al-Sham, have drawn on competing historical narratives and memory in combination with contemporary events to produce a thoroughly modern but also selectively ‘historicised’ social mobilization narrative meant to encourage activism from their target audiences.  The ways in which clashing historical memory and narratives are deployed in regional conflicts, which constitutes a form of re-fighting the past in the present, are analyzed.  Specific historical references, such as the invocation of Shi‘i legendary heroes of Karbala such as Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, which are today deployed as rhetorical weapons in geopolitical contests over power and political dominance, are also considered in detail.

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/jihadism-transformed-9780190650292?cc=us&lang=en&#

Cet article entend exposer et analyser la représentation particulière des juifs et des chrétiens dans la tradition ésotérique šīʿite imamite telle qu’elle s’est perpétuée des origines du šīʿisme jusqu’à l’aube de la modernité. Cette représentation paradoxale, radicalement différente de celle du sunnisme, est au cœur d’une conception de l’histoire sainte comme cyclique et téléologique tout à la fois, une historiosophie liée à une théologie particulière des Écritures. La première partie porte sur le schéma général de cette historiosophie, l’idée d’une histoire sainte répétitive récusant toute supériorité de l’islam en soi. La deuxième partie porte sur le rôle de juifs et de chrétiens considérés comme des alliés des šīʿites imamites aux trois périodes-clés de l’histoire sainte : avant l’islam, à l’avènement de l’islam et du vivant des Imams, à la veille de la fin des temps. Enfin, une dernière partie étudie comment l’exégèse imamite du Coran, conformément à cette historiosophie, interprète les versets apparemment hostiles aux juifs et aux chrétiens. Nous conclurons sur l’importance déterminante de cette représentation des autres dans la définition de soi du šīʿisme imamite, en nous interrogeant sur ses conditions historiques d’émergence.

Islam ed Esoterismo: un astro brillante acceso da un sacro ulivo, che non è orientale, né occidentale/Islam and Esotericism: a shining star kindled from a blessed olive tree, neither of the East nor of the West, eds. Claudio Bonvecchio, Michele Olzi, and Lisa Pizzighella, La Rosa di Paracelso no. 2 (2020 [2022]): 27-51.

http://www.larosadiparacelso.com/index.php/rosa/issue/view/11

Traduction, introduite et annotée, d'Ibn Taymiyya, « Minhâj al-sunnat al-nabawiyya », édition M. R. SÂLIM, t. VI, p. 382-442, section (faṣl) dans laquelle l'auteur entend réfuter la thèse de la nécessité d'un imâm infaillible avancée par al-Ḥillî dans son « Minhâj al-karâma ».

Introduction The history of the development of the Jafarī Shia Islamic legal school has always fascinated me, all the more so when I continuously observed that existing academic works in the English language purporting to discuss the origins and development of the Islamic legal schools almost always ignored discussions of the inception and development of this school. This is even though Imam al-ādiq (d. 148 AH / 765 AD) and the other Shia Imams both prior to and succeeding him, who contributed to the Jafarī madhhab's development, were well known and respected contemporaries of the scores of legists who formed personal schools of law during the first and second century of the hijrah, many of which schools are now defunct except for the four existing Sunni schools. Indeed many of these early legists including the eponyms of the four existing Sunni legal schools had scholarly interactions with and transmitted from the Imams Alī ibn al-usayn (d. 95 AH / 713 AD), Muammad ibn Alī (d. 114 AH / 743 AD), Jafar ibn Muammad, and Alī ibn Mūsā (d. 203 AH / 818 AD), as will be shown during the course of this essay, and held them in high repute. Yet even though the four Sunni legal schools had and continue to have many areas of differences between them, with some of them rejecting the tools of legal deduction prominently used by another, their development tends to be discussed together in one volume and mention will even be made of those legists whose legal schools are non-existent today, yet Imam al-ādiq or al-Bāqir will hardly get a passing mention! Indeed, I was surprised at how studiously Wael Hallaq avoided mentioning Imam al-ādiq or al-Bāqir throughout his otherwise worthy book on the history of Islamic law.