Book Description

The present work is a summarized version of Shi‘i Islam: Origins, Faith and Practices (2003, ICAS Press) by the same author. This shorter version aims to briefly address main issues related to Islam in general, and Shi‘i Islam in particular. These two works represent a modest attempt to fill some of the gaps that exist in the field of Islamic studies in general, and Shi‘i studies in particular. Though simply and clearly written, they are outcomes of more than twenty years of involvement in Islamic studies, and based to some extent on two series of lectures about Shi‘i Islam delivered to English-speaking audiences: a first set of some fifty lectures delivered at Jami‘at al-Zahra (a prominent Islamic seminary for women) in Qum, Iran in 1995 and 1996, and a second set of some thirty lectures delivered at the Manchester Islamic Institute and the Shi‘a Welfare Centre in Manchester, England in 1998 and 1999. The first chapter begins by expounding both the literal and technical meanings of the term “Shi‘a”, and references are made to statements of famous scholars in this regard. Then it proceeds to study the origins of Shi‘i Islam and how it became established. The second chapter studies the sources of Shi‘i thought, i.e. the Qur’an, the Sunnah, reason and consensus. Discussing 6 the status of the Qur’an, the chapter goes on to establish that the Shi‘a like other Muslims believe that the Qur’an which is present today is an embodiment of divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. The chapter continues by explaining the second most important source, i.e. the Sunnah, which includes the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an itself asks Muslims to take the Prophet as their role model, to refer to him to judge and settle their conflicts, and speaks of the Prophet as the one who recites, teaches and explains the Qur’an. In this chapter there is also a discussion about the household of the Prophet (Ahlul Bayt) and their role in presenting the Sunnah. Then there follows a discussion about the importance of reason and its role in understanding Islamic beliefs, values and practical laws. Finally there is a discussion about legal consensus and how it is viewed with respect to the Sunnah in the Shi‘i teachings. The third chapter studies fundamental doctrines of the Shi‘i faith. Along with Unity of God, prophethood and resurrection which constitute the principles of religion for Islam and other divine religions, some important additional doctrines such as divine justice and imamate are studied. These doctrines may partly be shared by other Muslims, but the Shi‘a are those who believe in all of them. The fourth chapter is a very brief account of Shi‘i practices along with brief references to the objectives and principles underlying them. These practices are in principle shared by all Muslims, though there may be some differences in particulars among different Islamic schools. The fifth and final chapter is a short discussion about the Shi‘a world today. This chapter starts with a brief account of 7 the latest statistics about the present Muslim and Shi‘i population of the world. There is also a breakdown of religious affiliations of some countries with a long history of Shi‘i presence. Although there are no accurate and approved statistics on the current Shi‘a population in the world, efforts have been made here to collect the best available.