You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
The Hand of Fatima traces the development and symbolism ascribed to the hand motif in the Arab and Islamic world, and beyond. Richly illustrated, it details the many types of khamsas produced historically and today – such as khamsas with swords, and khamsas with eagles – and the many objects on which khamsas appear, such as on amulets and flags. It traces the journey of the khamsa into the contemporary world of social and fine art, including museum highlights. Special sections are dedicated to the khamsa in Algeria; cultural crossover in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil; and the symbol of the hand in Shiʿism.
Since its completion in the seventeenth century, this book has been lauded as a valuable textbook on Islamic spirituality and ethics as well as a spiritually enlightening read. This ground-breaking translation brings to light how Fayd Kashani engages with the Sunni Sufi tradition – particularly the ideas of al-Ghazzali – for the benefit of a Shi‘a audience. In addition to presenting the inner mysteries of Islamic ritual practices, Fayd also explains the nature of the human character and how to cultivate, balance, and eliminate various traits. Fayd Kashani centres his discussion on verses of the Qur’an and narrations (hadiths) from the Prophet Muhammad (S) and the twelve Imams (A). Serving as a useful reference work, this book includes the original Arabic narrations for the reader’s convenience. ‘This is a masterpiece…a must read book for all those who value spiritual morality.’ - Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour ‘ICAS Press is to be greatly thanked for making this key work on ethics by this important Safavid-period scholar available in such a fine translation, together with such a useful introduction and notes.’ - Andrew Newman, University of Edinburgh
A Luminous Intellect—a nod to the expression al-ʿaql al-munawwar, used by the Persian poet Jāmī—is a tribute to the vast scholarly output of one of the pioneers of Islamic studies, Hamid Algar. In an era of rapid cultural, intellectual, and political change, Algar’s scholarship brought fresh perspectives to the study of Shiʿism, Sufism, and Islamic intellectual history, bridging worlds of language, thought, and spirituality and combining acute analyses of contemporary events with a respect for tradition. This festschrift features essays by leading scholars who engage with the themes of Algar’s intellectual legacy. From Shiʿi theology and Qur’anic exegesis, to the poetics of Ḥāfiẓ and the metaphysics of Ibn ʿArabī; from the untold stories of Naqshbandī shaykhs and the evolution of Islamic knowledge in Qom, to the early history of Islam and Arabic literature in the Americas, these chapters offer both tribute and fresh scholarship. At once a celebration and a scholarly contribution in its own right, A Luminous Intellect is a unique volume featuring original, innovative pieces for anyone interested in the living legacy of Islamic thought.
This collection of case studies, covering the period from classical Islam to the present, and taken from across the Shi?i Islamic world, reflects on the roles that women have played in exercising religious authority across time and space. Comparative reflection on the case studies allows for the formulation of hypotheses regarding the conditions and developments - whether theological, jurisprudential, social, economic or political - that enhanced or stifled the flourishing of female religious authority in Shi?i Islam.
The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS), established in 1984, is a quarterly, double blind peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary journal, published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), and distributed worldwide. The journal showcases a wide variety of scholarly research on all facets of Islam and the Muslim world including subjects such as anthropology, history, philosophy and metaphysics, politics, psychology, religious law, and traditional Islam.
This issue of the American Journal of Islam and Society comprises three primary research articles, which respectively engage the themes of political obedience, the relationship between religiosity and sustainable behavior, and the interpretation of texts. First, we have Bachar Bakour’s article, “Reconceptualizing Political Obedience in Islamic Thought: An Analytical study of Ḥadīth Literature.” Bakour examines the highly important question – both historically and today – of obedience to the ruler in the Islamic tradition. Next, we have the intriguing and exhaustively researched work by Sahibzada Muhammad Hamza and Nasim Shah Shirazi, “The Role of Religiosity in Shaping Sustain...
The Annual International Conference on Shi‘i Studies is organised by the Research and Publications Department of The Islamic College, London. The conference aims to provide a broad platform for scholars working in the field of Shi‘i Studies to present their latest research and explore diverse opinions on Shi‘i thought, practice, and heritage. This book comprises a selection of papers from the eighth conference held on 13 May 2023.
The authenticity of the information in Nahjul Balagha is rarely challenged. The present book aims to challenge the authenticity of some of the passages present in Nahjul Balagha regarding women through three means: a traditional approach, textual criticism and comparing texts regarding the treatment of women. There is a belief that some material may have been attributed to Imam Ali (as) posthumously, thus painting him as a misogynist
What is the nature and social role of women? In today's Shi'ism, these questions are often answered through the "separate-but- equal" ideology which emphasizes the role of women as wives and mothers, and places men in authority. But is this the only ideology which can be derived from Shi'i scriptural sources? This book takes a more nuanced approach to that question by exploring how women are portrayed in hadith on ancient sacred narrative - the stories of the prophets. It shows far more diverse views on what it means to be a woman (and, by extension, a man) - and that early Shi'is held competing views about ideals for women.
A pioneer in the study of Shi‘ism and contemporary Iran, Hamid Algar’s work is marked by precise attention to detail, a near-unparalleled grasp of languages, and a forthright honesty. Thus he offers scholarship, a key to understanding Shi‘ism, Iran, and the Revolution as relevant today as it was when the essays were first written. Rather than projecting Shi‘ism as a historical monolith, this book takes the reader on a journey through the developments in Shi‘ism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, discussing the debates over religious authority and modern political technologies. Rooting the development of the Revolution in a broader historical context, it also offers biograp...