The Caliph and the Imam

The Caliph and the Imam PDF Author: Toby Matthiesen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019068948X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 961

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Book Description
The authoritative account of Islam's schism that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the Prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. Most Muslims argued that the leader of Islam should be elected by the community's elite and rule as Caliph. They would later become the Sunnis. Otherswho would become known as the Shiabelieved that Muhammad had designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali as his successor, and that henceforth Ali's offspring should lead as Imams. This dispute over who should guide Muslims, the Caliph or the Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to the present day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islam's two main branches, and how Muslim Empires embraced specific sectarian identities. Focussing on connections between the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, it reveals how colonial rule and the modern state institutionalised sectarian divisions and at the same time led to pan-Islamic resistance and Sunni and Shii revivalism. It then focuses on the fall-out from the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US-led military intervention in Iraq. As Matthiesen shows, however, though Sunnism and Shiism have had a long and antagonistic history, most Muslims have led lives characterised by confessional ambiguity and peaceful co-existence. Tensions arise when sectarian identity becomes linked to politics. Based on a synthesis of decades of scholarship in numerous languages, The Caliph and the Imam will become the standard text for readers looking for a deeper understanding of contemporary sectarian conflict and its historical roots.

The Caliph and the Imam

The Caliph and the Imam PDF Author: Toby Matthiesen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019068948X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 961

Get Book Here

Book Description
The authoritative account of Islam's schism that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the Prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. Most Muslims argued that the leader of Islam should be elected by the community's elite and rule as Caliph. They would later become the Sunnis. Otherswho would become known as the Shiabelieved that Muhammad had designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali as his successor, and that henceforth Ali's offspring should lead as Imams. This dispute over who should guide Muslims, the Caliph or the Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to the present day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islam's two main branches, and how Muslim Empires embraced specific sectarian identities. Focussing on connections between the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, it reveals how colonial rule and the modern state institutionalised sectarian divisions and at the same time led to pan-Islamic resistance and Sunni and Shii revivalism. It then focuses on the fall-out from the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US-led military intervention in Iraq. As Matthiesen shows, however, though Sunnism and Shiism have had a long and antagonistic history, most Muslims have led lives characterised by confessional ambiguity and peaceful co-existence. Tensions arise when sectarian identity becomes linked to politics. Based on a synthesis of decades of scholarship in numerous languages, The Caliph and the Imam will become the standard text for readers looking for a deeper understanding of contemporary sectarian conflict and its historical roots.

Shi'a Islam

Shi'a Islam PDF Author: Heinz Halm
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Attempts to explain the bewildering events in the Middle East.

The Shi'i Imamate

The Shi'i Imamate PDF Author: Sāmī Nasīb Makārim
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780755608454
Category : Imamate
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
The Tathbit al-imama attributed to the Fatimid Caliph-imam al-Manur (334-341/946-953) is an important early ismaili treatise on the legitimacy of the imamate of Ali b. Abi Talib and that of the ismaili imams from among his progeny. As one of the earliest ismaili works on this crucial and fundamental Shi'i subject it can thus be considered a major treatise on the doctrine of the imamate. The Tathbit al-imama does not deal with the metaphysical significance of the imamate. rather, it concentrates on its legal and historical aspects, using proofs derived from the Quran, Hadith and logical arguments. in this regard, it is directed at the islamic public in all its different religious affiliations. in the way it discusses the necessity of the imamate itself, the right of the imams to the vicegerency of the Prophet, and the validity of divine designation in contrast to election by the umma, it is likely that the Tathbi al-imama could have also meant to serve as a guide book for the ismailis in legitimising the Alid state ruled by the Fatimid Caliph-imams. This edition has been compiled from two manuscripts of the Tathb?t, both of which are now in the collections of the library of The institute of ismaili Studies, with the Arabic text carefully translated into idiomatic English to retain the character and flavour of the original text as much as possible--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Islamic Messianism

Islamic Messianism PDF Author: Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 9780873954426
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The first comprehensive study of the idea of the Mahdi, or divinely guided messianic leader.

Shi'i Islam

Shi'i Islam PDF Author: Najam Haider
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107031435
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
This book examines the development of Shi'i Islam through the lenses of belief, narrative, and memory.

The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam

The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam PDF Author: Husain M. Jafri
Publisher: Stacey International
ISBN: 9781905299362
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Being such an undeniably relevant topic at the moment, this book provides an un-biased and academic study of the development of Shi'a Islam. In this way, it would be well received by anyone wanting an in-depth academic study of the topic, from keen enthusiasts to academics.

Shia Islam and Politics

Shia Islam and Politics PDF Author: Jon Armajani
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1793621365
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
This book argues that ever since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, which established a Shia Islamic government in Iran, that country’s religious and political leaders have used Shia Islam as a crucial way of expanding Iran’s objectives in the Middle East and beyond. Since 1979, Iran’s religious and political leaders have been concerned about Iran’s security in the face of the hostility and expansionism of the United States and other western countries, and the threats from powerful neighboring Sunni leaders and countries. While Iran’s government has attempted to align itself with Shia Muslims in various countries, such as Iraq and Lebanon, against American and Sunni expansionism, the Iranian government has attempted to religiously nourish and politically mobilize those Shias as a matter of principle, not only because of the Iranian government’s desires to protect Iran from external threats. The book analyzes Shia Islam and politics in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon which have among the largest proportional Shia populations in the Middle East and are vibrant centers of Shia intellectual life. The book's clear and jargon-free approach make it especially accessible for students and general readers who would like an introduction to the book's topics.

Islam Beyond Borders

Islam Beyond Borders PDF Author: James Piscatori
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108481256
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 229

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Book Description
Revealing how the one community of the faith in the Qur'an, the umma, affects competing politics of identity in the Muslim world.

The Succession to Muhammad

The Succession to Muhammad PDF Author: Wilferd Madelung
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521646963
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
In a comprehensive study of early Islamic history, Wilferd Madelung examines the conflict which developed after Muhammad's death for the leadership of the Muslim community. He pursues the history of this conflict through the reign of the four 'Rightly Guided' caliphs to its climax in the first inter-Muslim war. The outcome of the war, which marked the demise of the reign of the Early Companions, resulted in the lasting schism between Sunnite and Shi'ite Islam. Contrary to recent scholarly trends, the author brings out Ali's early claim to legitimate succession, which gained support from the Shi'a, and offers a convincing reinterpretation of early Islamic history. This book will make a major contribution to the debate over succession. Wilferd Madelung's book The Succession to Muhammad has been awarded the Best Book of the Year prize by the Islamic Republic of Iran for the year 1997.

A Shi'ite Anthology

A Shi'ite Anthology PDF Author: William C. Chittick
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 9780873955102
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
Created by the Prophet Muhammad and his twelve Imams, the Hadith is an ancient and profoundly influential body of religious texts in Shi'ite Muslim literature, second in importance only to the Holy Koran itself. Texts on the practical aspects of life and pure metaphysics are included in this first English translations of excerpts from the Hadith. Especially selected for the Western reader by the renowned Islamic scholar Tabataba'i, the passages from the Hadith shed light on the culture, history, law, and theology of the Shi'ite community and provide direct translations of some of the most famous of Islamic prayers.