A Short Treatise on the Life of Imam Ali (‘a)


Book Description

Classification of Historical events Analysis of historical events can be classified into two major types: 1. Analysis of events such that veracity (objectivity and correctness) of the analysis only affects our understanding of a particular minor issue. In this case correctness or incorrectness of the analysis does not benefit or harm our understanding of social issues overall and does not affect anything beyond that particular event itself. Let us assume for example that we commit a mistake in identifying Napoleon’s neighbor from a historic perspective in the following sense: The color of the cap of the Napoleon’s neighbor was brown and we identify it mistakenly to be blue. In this situation we know that this in no way will affect our understanding of the true personality of Napoleon, about whom study can be socially beneficial for us. Whether Napoleon had a neighbor or not and whether his neighbor wore a blue cap or a brown one, has no relation whatsoever to Napoleon’s personality. It is even possible that some other events in his life were also of this nature and had no role in the formation of his personality. So, even if we commit a genuine mistake or commit a mistake intentionally, in identifying or analyzing these events, or in other words, if we manipulate these events according to our personal inclinations, we have not compromised the final purpose itself because even after reaching such wrong conclusion ...




History of Hadith Compilation


Book Description

Today, hadith books are taken for granted, but, in the first century after the Prophet (S), it was by no means certain that the Prophet’s words would be transcribed. Why were the early Muslims so ambivalent about recording the hadith, and did the ban on writing hadith mean that no hadith manuscripts survived? This new study explores the approach of the Prophet and the twelve Imams to the writing of hadith. It uncovers numerous Companions of the Prophet and students of the twelve Imams who are said to have left behind hadith manuscripts. Special attention is given to the Four Hundred books considered foundational to Twelver Shi‘ism, as well as the famed ‘Book of Ali’ (Kitab Ali) and ‘Scroll of Fatimah’ (Mushaf Fatimah). This is a succinct, insightful overview of the history of hadith in early Islam.




The Lives of Muhammad


Book Description

Kecia Ali delves into the many ways the Prophet’s life story has been told from the earliest days of Islam to the present, by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Emphasizing the major transformations since the nineteenth century, she shows that far from being mutually opposed, these various perspectives have become increasingly interdependent.




The Sources for Early Bābī Doctrine and History


Book Description

The religious movement known as Bābism profoundly affected Iranian society during the 1840s. After a lengthy hiatus, academic study of the sect has entered a new phase with the appearance of several important books, articles, and theses. The present work surveys Persian and Arabic manuscripts relating to the history and doctrines of the sect. Part one examines the writings of the Bāb and his followers. Part two analyses primary and secondary sources for Bābī history, with a discussion of the controversial Kitāb-i Nuqṭat al-kāf. Discussion of each title is followed by a comprehensive listing of known MS copies. An appendix contains an index of first lines and titles for works of the Bāb. This is the first study to examine the large corpus of Bābī writing and will help scholars identify texts and find manuscripts in Europe and the Middle East.




Four Californian Lectures


Book Description

The transcript of four lectures delivered by Allamah Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi in California regarding Islam's true nature and it's perception in the West. It also includes a lecture about the culture of Muslims in India.




The Prophet's Heir


Book Description

The life and legacy of one of Mohammad’s closest confidants and Islam’s patron saint: Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib is arguably the single most important spiritual and intellectual authority in Islam after prophet Mohammad. Through his teachings and leadership as fourth caliph, Ali nourished Islam. But Muslims are divided on whether he was supposed to be Mohammad’s political successor—and he continues to be a polarizing figure in Islamic history. Hassan Abbas provides a nuanced, compelling portrait of this towering yet divisive figure and the origins of sectarian division within Islam. Abbas reveals how, after Mohammad, Ali assumed the spiritual mantle of Islam to spearhead the movement that the prophet had led. While Ali’s teachings about wisdom, justice, and selflessness continue to be cherished by both Shia and Sunni Muslims, his pluralist ideas have been buried under sectarian agendas and power politics. Today, Abbas argues, Ali’s legacy and message stands against that of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Taliban.




Bibliotheca Indica


Book Description




Global Marxism


Book Description

A cutting-edge exploration of how Marx’s ideas have been adopted and adapted by revolutionary thinkers in the Global South. For much of the twentieth century, the ideas of Karl Marx provided the backbone for social justice around the world. But today the legacy of Marxism is contested, with some seeing it as Eurocentric and irrelevant to the wider global struggle. In Global Marxism, Simin Fadaee argues that Marxism remains a living tradition and the cornerstone of revolutionary theory and practice in the Global South. She explores the lives, ideas and legacies of a group of revolutionaries who played an exceptional role in contributing to counter-hegemonic change. Figures such as Ho Chi Minh, Kwame Nkrumah, Ali Shariati and Subcomandante Marcos did not simply accept the version of Marxism that was given to them – they adapted it to local conditions and contexts. In doing this they demonstrated that Marxism is not a rigid set of propositions but an evolving force whose transformative potential remains enormous. This global Marxism has much to teach us in the never-ending task of grasping the changing historical conditions of capitalism and the complex world in which we live.