Islamic groups: Shi’ah, Shi’ite Books

Book SynopsisOne of the most prosperous and influential dynasties of the Muslim world, the Fatimids (909–1171) were distinguished by their Imam-caliphs, who asserted religious as well as political authority in direct descent from the family of the Prophet. Their conquest of Egypt in 969 marked the inception of a burgeoning Mediterranean empire. From there, they refined their systems of administration, judiciary, and governance, instilling principles of inclusion which contributed to stability during their caliphate. Fatimid Cairo flourished as a vibrant cultural and intellectual centre through patronage of the arts, architecture, and scholarship. This book continues the story of the Fatimids from their newly founded capital of Cairo. Introducing the figures who moulded the empire, Shainool Jiwa charts the Fatimids’ expansion, the reasons behind their ultimate fall by the hand of Saladin, and the legacy that continues with the living Ismaili communities today. This lively and engaging work, including maps and colour images, draws on a broad range of primary sources to lead readers through two centuries that witnessed the triumphs and trials of the only sustained Shi’i caliphate to rule across the medieval Islamic world.Trade ReviewPithy, comprehensive and clearly expressed, this book brings together diverse strands of Fatimid cultural, religious and political history in a cohesive account. Books that speak to both general readers and experts are rare in academia. In achieving this feat with erudition and aplomb, Jiwa’s book is an invaluable addition to the library of Fatimid studies. * Dr Fozia Bora, University of Leeds, UK *Having founded Cairo in 969, the Fatimids inaugurated an age marked by tolerance as well as brilliance in artistic and learning patronage. Dealing with the vicissitudes of the Fatimids and their empire, this book covers a lot of ground in a succinct, accessible way without compromising on academic rigour. * Dr Delia Cortese, Middlesex University, UK *This is an accessible volume from a leading scholar in the field of Fatimid studies. Based on primary sources research and including images and maps that will help readers understand the two centuries of Fatimid presence in Egypt, alongside The Fatimids 1. The Rise of a Muslim Empire, it forms a two-volume complete history of the only sustained Mediterranean Shi‘i caliphate * Prof Ayman Fuad Sayyid, al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt *The book was difficult to put down … The author has woven a clear yet complex tapestry of fascinating human stories drawing upon political and religious, as well as cultural history, that engagingly reveal the quality and range of the intellectual and artistic patronage extended by these rulers in creating the cultural wonder that was the Fatimid Empire. * Raj Isar, Aga Khan Trust for Culture *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: The Arrival of the Fatimids in Egypt Chapter Two: The Cosmopolitanism of Empire Chapter Three: The Pillars of Justice and Law Chapter Four: Public Life and Learning in Cairo Chapter Five: The Empire of the Seas Chapter Six: Fluctuations of Fatimid Rule Chapter Seven: The Heirs of Empire Conclusion: Glimpses of the Fatimid Legacy

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Book SynopsisAjami resurrects the Shia's neglected history, both distant and recent, and interweaves the life and work of Musa al Sadr with the larger strands of the Shia past.Trade ReviewThe questions Ajami raises are likely to remain central; he is challenging some of the fundamental assumptions with which many Arab and Western students of Arab history and politics have worked in recent decades. -- Itamar Rabinovich * New Republic *The Vanished Imam offers much more than a utilitarian account of recent developments in Lebanon. It takes the raw stuff of daily politics and turns it into a classic account of human achievement and strife. The details are localbut Mr. Ajami endows the story with a universal significance. His tale of the stranger who transforms a people and thenwhen his work is donereenacts its most sacred dramahas the literary power of a masterpiece. -- Daniel Pipes * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisA superb, authoritatively written insider’s account of Iran, one of the most mysterious but significant and powerful nations in the world.Trade Review'A mixture of history, reportage and analysis, this book helps to understand the "enigma inside a puzzle" that is Iran today … fascinating' Financial Times 'Riveting … I was intrigued and impressed … de Bellaigue has done his research well and reports meticulously' Literary Review

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Book SynopsisI.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies This is the first English translation of the final philosophical work of the great eleventh-century Ismaili thinker, poet, and Fatimid emissary, N?sir-i Khusraw. Appointed from Cairo by command of the Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mustansir to serve first as a d?'?, and then as the hujjat, for the entire region of Khur?s?n, he maintained his allegiance both to his mission and his Imam-caliph for the rest of his life, even when threatened and driven into exile. Written during his exile in Badakhsh?n in the year 1070, N?sir-i Khusraw here develops a powerful presentation of both Aristotelian philosophy and Ismaili exegesis, or ta'w?l, and strives to show that they are ultimately in harmony. The work is presented as a learned commentary on a long philosophical poem, written in the previous century and sent to N?sir by the am?r of Badakhsh?n, 'Al? b. al-Asad, who copied the poem out in his own hand from memory and asked the poet-philosopher to explicate it. In doing so, N?sir ranges over a huge span of topics from logic and language to the nature of the physical world, from the spheres of the highest heavens to the plants and animals of the earthly realm, and, most importantly, hidden spiritual realities: the esoteric (b?tin) as well as the exoteric (z?hir) realms. He thus discusses the nature of God, the creation of human beings, and the mysteries concealed in the physical world, itself a reflection of a higher, transcendent realm. Between Reason and Revelation: Twin Wisdoms Reconciled is an annotated translation of the Persian text prepared by Henry Corbin and Mohammed Mu'?n based on the single surviving manuscript of the work, now in the Süleymaniye Mosque Library in Istanbul. It is a work of great philosophical and spiritual insight, which is also a pioneering attempt to tackle difficult intellectual problems in the Persian language; it is at once lucid and lyrical, precise and speculative. N?sir’s influence has been immense as both a poet and a thinker, and the Kit?b-i J?mi' al-hikmatayn is his crowning work.

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Book SynopsisThe second largest branch of Islam, with between 130 and 190 million adherents across the globe, Shi'i Islam is becoming an increasingly significant force in contemporary politics, especially in the Middle East. This makes an informed understanding of its fundamental spiritual beliefs and practices both necessary and timely. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi is one of the most distinguished scholars of Shi'i history and theology, and in this volume he offers a wide-ranging and engaging survey of the core texts of Shi'i Islam. Examining in turn the origins and later developments of Shi'i spirituality, the author reveals the profoundly esoteric nature of the beliefs which accrued to the figures of the early Imams, and which became associated with their interaction between the material and spiritual worlds. Many of these beliefs have remained much misunderstood even within the wider Muslim world. Furthermore, Western scholarship has tended to follow the lead of the earlier orientalists and critics, viewing Shi'i teachings as marginal. In this study the author shows, by contrast, how central and creative the very nature of spirituality was to the development of Shi'i Islam, as well as to classical Muslim civilisation as a whole. In this comprehensive treatment, the esoteric nature of Shi'i spirituality emerges as an essential phenomenon for understanding Shi'i Islam.

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Book SynopsisOffers a set of new comparative perspectives on the experiences of Shi'a Muslim minorities outside the 'Muslim heartland' (Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Asia) and discusses the challenges these communities face as 'a minority within a minority'.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn popular and media portrayals of Islam, images of fundamentalism and global terrorism obscure more everyday understandings of the varied lives of Muslims around the world. Mara Leichtman's engaging book on Shi'ism in Senegal is a refreshing antidote. * American Ethnologist *This book provides an original and timely analysis of the dynamics of religion and race in transnational migration. . . . Leichtman's book is sure to make an impact on African studies but should be read by non- Africanists as well. * Journal of West African History *This book is highly recommended for anyone with interest in African and Middle Eastern Affairs, Islam and Religious Studies, and Peace Studies. * African Studies Quarterly *[Leichtman's] volume is a theoretically packed, historically grounded and ethnographically rich exploration into minority religious communities and their migrations. * Journal of Modern African Studies *Table of ContentsPreface: Islam and Politics AcknowledgmentsNote on Transliteration Introduction: Locating Cosmopolitan Shi'i Islamic Movements in Senegal Part I. The Making of a Lebanese Community in SenegalIntroduction to Part I.1. French Colonial Manipulation and Lebanese Survival 2. Senegalese Independence and the Question of Belonging 3. Shi'i Islam Comes to Town: A Biography of Shaykh al-Zayn 4. Bringing Lebanese "Back" to Shi'i Islam Part II. Senegalese Conversion to Shi'i Islam5. The Vernacularization of Shi'i Islam: Competition and Conflict 6. Migrating from One's Parents' Traditions: Narrating Conversion Experiences Interlude: 'Umar: Converting to an "Intellectual Islam" 7. The Creation of a Senegalese Shi'i Islam Coda: On Shi'i Islam, Anthropology, and Cosmopolitanism Glossary Notes References

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn popular and media portrayals of Islam, images of fundamentalism and global terrorism obscure more everyday understandings of the varied lives of Muslims around the world. Mara Leichtman's engaging book on Shi'ism in Senegal is a refreshing antidote. * American Ethnologist *This book provides an original and timely analysis of the dynamics of religion and race in transnational migration. . . . Leichtman's book is sure to make an impact on African studies but should be read by non- Africanists as well. * Journal of West African History *This book is highly recommended for anyone with interest in African and Middle Eastern Affairs, Islam and Religious Studies, and Peace Studies. * African Studies Quarterly *[Leichtman's] volume is a theoretically packed, historically grounded and ethnographically rich exploration into minority religious communities and their migrations. * Journal of Modern African Studies *Table of ContentsPreface: Islam and Politics AcknowledgmentsNote on Transliteration Introduction: Locating Cosmopolitan Shi'i Islamic Movements in Senegal Part I. The Making of a Lebanese Community in SenegalIntroduction to Part I.1. French Colonial Manipulation and Lebanese Survival 2. Senegalese Independence and the Question of Belonging 3. Shi'i Islam Comes to Town: A Biography of Shaykh al-Zayn 4. Bringing Lebanese "Back" to Shi'i Islam Part II. Senegalese Conversion to Shi'i Islam5. The Vernacularization of Shi'i Islam: Competition and Conflict 6. Migrating from One's Parents' Traditions: Narrating Conversion Experiences Interlude: 'Umar: Converting to an "Intellectual Islam" 7. The Creation of a Senegalese Shi'i Islam Coda: On Shi'i Islam, Anthropology, and Cosmopolitanism Glossary Notes References

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Book SynopsisTraces the role of the Shi'is in the struggle raging among Muslims for the soul of Islam. This book shows that in contrast to the growing militancy among Sunni groups since the 1990s, Shi'is have shifted their focus from confrontation to accommodation with the West. It addresses the crucial importance of Shi'is to US endeavors.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2006 "Yitzhak Nakash's book, based on a vast array of sources in Arabic, is a precious guide to understanding the real stakes in the conflicts among different religious and political tendencies in Arab countries."--Gilles Kepel, American Prospect Reaching for Power is more than just the best recent introduction to Shi'i politics in the Arab world. By basing his study on mainly Arab sources, he offers a rare insight into the Shi'i political thought and their ways of commemorating their past."--Guido Steinberg, International Affairs "Well-written, timely, and generally accessible... Reaching for Power is timely and highly relevant. It is clearly suitable for a course on Middle East politics, and should make the recommended reading list for policy pundits and US government officials contemplating the future of Iraq."--Lara Deeb, Middle East Journal "In this quietly optimistic work, Nakash sees Shi'ism as taking a lead in inspiring reform in the Arab world."--Fiona Capp, The Age "Nakash predicted that Iraq could descend into civil war or could lead the way to revolutionary change throughout the Arab world. Unfortunately, the pessimistic view has, to date, proven correct... Nakash has written a book that will be eminently useful for professors and students who want to update the received wisdom that 'real' Islam is Sunni and Shi'i Islam is a minority sect mostly associated with Iran. It is clear that scholars and general readers need to learn more about yet another transformation within the Arab world, and this concise book is the place to start."--Nancy E. Gallagher, Digest of Middle East StudiesTable of ContentsPreface ix A Note on Transliteration xiii Prologue A Shi'i-Led Reformation 1 Chapter 1: The Burden of the Past 16 Chapter 2: Containment Politics in the Persian Gulf 42 Chapter 3: The Struggle for Power in Iraq 72 Chapter 4: The Revival of Shi'ism in Lebanon 99 Chapter 5: Between Aspirations and Reality 129 Conclusion 158 Abbreviations 165 Notes 167 Further Reading 207 Acknowledgments 211 Index 213

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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