Download or read book The Book of Unveiling written by Fârès Gillon and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-05-02 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies. The Kitab al-Kashf is one of the earliest Ismaili texts to have reached the present day. Transmitted by the Tayybi Ismaili tradition, it is composed of six treatises, most of which, as this open access study and first English translation argues, go back to the early years of the Fatimid rule. The importance of this work is predicated upon the unique insight it offers on the early stages of the elaboration of Ismaili doctrine. A number of parallels with Twelver Shi'i, as well as ghulat and Nusayri sources, are highlighted throughout this study, which, by contrast, allow for the identification of specifically Ismaili themes and doctrines, before and after the rise to power of the Fatimids. The Kashf is thus an essential witness to the way early Ismailism, while drawing from a pool of themes common to several Shi'i trends, nevertheless formed its own distinctive identity. Since it was edited by Rudolf Strothmann for the first time in 1952, the Kashf has attracted the attention of several generations of scholars, but did not benefit from a full annotated translation and extensive study highlighting its structure and aims until now. The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by The Institute of Ismaili Studies.

Download or read book Affirming the Imamate Early Fatimid Teachings in the Islamic West written by Wilferd Madelung and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-02-25 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The two sermons edited and translated here for the first time are primary material from the years before the establishment of the Fatimid caliphate in 297/909. The authors have been identified as Abu 'Abd Allah al-Shi'i and Abu'l-'Abbas Muhammad, two brothers who were central to the success of the Ismaili da'wa in North Africa. Da'wa, a term used to describe how Muslims teach others about the beliefs and practices of their Islamic faith, therefore provide a unique view of the nature and development of Islam throughout history. In this case, the primary texts shed light on the development of Islam among the Berbers of the Maghreb. The first text by Abu 'Abd Allah al-Shi'i shows how the arguments for belief in the 'imamate' of the family of the Prophet, that is, the Shi'a belief that all imams should be spiritual descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and his household, were developed and presented to bring new adherents to the cause. The Book of the Keys to Grace by his elder brother Abu'l-'Abbas, too, concerns not only the centrality of the imam in the faith but also sheds light on the hierarchy of the da'wa in this early period and its organisational sophistication. Both texts also reveal the contemporary theology propagated by the Ismaili da'wa, including for instance, the powerful analogy of Moses/Aaron and Muhammad/'Ali, the awareness of a variety of religious traditions and the use of detailed Qur'anic quotations and a wide range of hadith. As such they constitute primary source material of interest not only for Ismaili history but for this early period of Islam in general.

Download or read book Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire written by Jamel Velji and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2016-08-04 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the role of apocalyptic symbolism in the formation and maintenance of a medieval Islamic empireHow can religion transform a society? This book investigates the ways in which a medieval Islamic movement harnessed Quranic visions of utopia to construct one of the most brilliant and lasting empires in Islamic history (979-1171). The Fatimids apocalyptic vision of their central place in an imminent utopia played a critical role in transfiguring the intellectual and political terrains of North Africa in the early tenth century. Yet the realities that they faced on the ground often challenged their status as the custodians of a pristine Islam at the end of time.Through a detailed examination of some of the structural features of the Fatimid revolution, as well as early works of ta'wil, or symbolic interpretation, Jamel Velji illustrates how the Fatimids conceived of their mission as one that would bring about an imminent utopia. He then examines how the Fatimids reinterpreted their place in history when the expected end never materialised. The book ends with an extensive discussion of another apocalyptic event linked to a Fatimid lineage: the Nizari Ismaili declaration of the end of time on August 8, 1164.Key featuresIntroduces selected themes, texts and theoretical problems in early Fatimid history and thought to those unfamiliar with Islam or the Shia tradition Explores the nature of apocalyptic rhetoric, what constitutes an apocalypse and how apocalyptic prophecies can be reinterpretedUses techniques from religious studies and rhetorical analysis on data from the Fatimid tradition, showing how Islam can contribute to broader discussions in the history of religionsContains extensive translations from two Fatimid texts, including: the Kitab al-Kashf (Book of unveiling), and Qadi l-Nu'mans Ta'wil al-da'a'im (Symbolic interpretation of his Pillars of Islam)

Download or read book Roads to Paradise Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam 2 vols written by Sebastian Günther and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2017-02-20 with total page 1549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam offers a multi-disciplinary study of Muslim thought on paradise, death, and the hereafter. It promises to become the definitive reference work on Islamic eschatology.

Download or read book The Fatimids written by Shainool Jiwa and published by I.B. Tauris. This book was released on 2018-02-18 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emerging from a period of long seclusion, the leader of the burgeoning community of Ismaili Shi'i Muslims was declared the first Fatimid Imam-caliph in the year 909. Abd Allah al-Mahdi founded the only sustained Shi'i dynasty (909-1171) to rule over substantial parts of the medieval Muslim world, rivalling both the Umayyads of Spain and the Abbasids. At its peak, the Fatimid Empire extended from the Atlantic shores of North Africa, across the southern Mediterranean and down both sides of the Red Sea, covering also Mecca and Medina. This accessible history, the first of two volumes, tells the story of the birth and expansion of the Fatimid Empire in the 10th century. Drawing upon eyewitness accounts, Shainool Jiwa introduces the first four generations of Fatimid Imam-caliphs -- al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Mansur, and al-Mu'izz -- as well as the people who served them and those they struggled against. Readers are taken on a journey through the Fatimid capitals of Qayrawan, Mahdiyya, and Mansuriyya and on to the founding of Cairo. In this lively and comprehensive introduction, readers will discover various milestones in Fatimid history and the political and cultural achievements that continue to resonate today.

Download or read book The Ismailis in the Middle Ages written by Shafique N. Virani and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-04-19 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "None of that people should be spared, not even the babe in its cradle." With these chilling words, the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan declared his intention to destroy the Ismailis, one of the most intellectually and politically significant Muslim communities of medieval Islamdom. The massacres that followed convinced observers that this powerful voice of Shi'i Islam had been forever silenced. Little was heard of these people for centuries, until their recent and dramatic emergence from obscurity. Today they exist as a dynamic and thriving community established in over twenty-five countries. Yet the interval between what appeared to have been their total annihilation, and their modern, seemingly phoenix-like renaissance, has remained shrouded in mystery. Drawing on an astonishing array of sources gathered from many countries around the globe, The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation is a richly nuanced and compelling study of the murkiest portion of this era. In probing the period from the dark days when the Ismaili fortresses in Iran fell before the marauding Mongol hordes, to the emergence at Anjudan of the Ismaili Imams who provided a spiritual centre to a scattered community, this work explores the motivations, passions and presumptions of historical actors. With penetrating insight, Shafique N. Virani examines the rich esoteric thought that animated the Ismailis and enabled them to persevere. A work of remarkable erudition, this landmark book is essential reading for scholars of Islamic history and spirituality, Shi'ism and Iran. Both specialists and informed lay readers will take pleasure not only in its scholarly perception, but in its lively anecdotes, quotations of delightful poetry, and gripping narrative style. This is an extraordinary book of historical beauty and spiritual vision.

Download or read book An Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire written by Jamel A. Velji and published by Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Apocalypticism and Eschatology. This book was released on 2018-02-22 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the ways in which a medieval Islamic movement harnessed Quranic visions of utopia to construct one of the most brilliant and lasting empires in Islamic history (979-1171).

Download or read book An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia Vol 2 written by S. H. Nasr and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09-30 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tradition of philosophy in the Persian-speaking world is extraordinarily rich, creative and diverse. This anthology, which is divided into three volumes, aims to communicate something of that richness and diversity. The term 'philosophy' is understood to in its widest sense to include theological debate, philosophical Sufism and philosophical hermeneutics (ta'wil). Extending over a period of more than two millennia, and showcasing translations by well-established scholars, the anthology offers full bibliographical references throughout. For anyone interested in exploring, in all their varied manifestations, the fascinating philosophical traditions of Persia, such a wide-ranging and ambitious work will be an indispensable resource. Volume 2 covers five centuries of Ismaili philosophy, and includes extracts from outstanding Ismaili works including the "Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa" ("Treatises of the Brethren of Purity") and the philosophical odes of Nasir Khusraw. It is of great siginificance that, in the early centuries of Islam, philosophers were influenced by Pythagorean and Hermetic ideas, which are usually associated with Shi'i thought in general and Ismailism in particular. Ismaili philosophy at this time was able to integrate strands of Greco-Alexandrian thought such as Hermeticism and Neo-Pythagoreanism, as well as aspects of Mazdaeism and Manichaeism. It also showed marked interest in Neo-platonism.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy written by Henrik Lagerlund and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 1448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first reference ever devoted to medieval philosophy. It covers all areas of the field from 500-1500 including philosophers, philosophies, key terms and concepts. It also provides analyses of particular theories plus cultural and social contexts.

Download or read book THE INTRODUCTION OF IBN KHALDOUN written by AL-IMAM ABDULRAHMAN IBN MOHAMMED IBN KHALDOUN and published by Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World written by Marshall Cavendish Reference and published by Marshall Cavendish. This book was released on 2011 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The three books comprising the Muslim World series provide a rich and balanced view of all aspects of Islamic religion and its varied manifestations through time and around the world, with emphasis on understanding modern Muslim society today. Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World contains hundreds of short entries on Islamic concepts, religious practices, historical events and personalities, geographical places, and fact files of nations with large Muslim populations. Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures begins with 14 chapters introducing the ideas promoted by the religion's founder in the seventh century and tracking their development into new doctrines, schools of thought, and philosophical, literary, and cultural traditions as diverse as recitation of scripture in madrassas in Egypt to gift giving at holiday time in the United States. Among the numerous special features are those examining the meanings of jihad, the persistence of mystical Islam, and stand-up comedy addressing the cultural divides surrounding muslims today. Modern Muslim Societies, with a total of twenty-three chapters, devotes nine to subjects such as family life, marriage, law, human rights, and Muslim extremism before turning to fourteen regional surveys on manifestations of Islam around the world, including the United States and Canada, Iran, Southeast Asia, Africa, and everywhere else Islam has flourished. From the women around Muhammad to pop stars of today, from medieval caliphates to breakthroughs in science and medicine, from love poetry to suicide, no aspect of a rich and diverse story goes unnoticed in the three books of Muslim World. Religion, philosophy, politics, economy, society, law, history, visual arts, architecture, literature -- all sides of Islamic thought and Muslim ways of life receive attention in this uniquely organized presentation for students and interested general readers. - Publisher.

Download or read book Intellectual Interactions in the Islamic World written by Orkhan Mir-Kasimov and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-12-26 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How has the Ismaili branch of Shi'i Islam interacted with other Islamic communities throughout history? The groups and movements that make up Islamic civilisation are diverse and varied yet, while scholarship has analysed many branches of Islam in isolation, the exchanges and mutual influences between them has not been sufficiently recognised. This book traces the interactions between Ismaili intellectual thought and the philosophies of other Islamic groups to shed light on the complex and interwoven nature of Islamic civilisation. Based on a broad range of primary sources from the early medieval to the late nineteenth century, the book brings together different disciplines within Islamic Studies to cover polemical and doctrinal literature, law, mysticism, rituals and philosophy. The main Ismaili groups, such as the Fatimids, Nizaris and Tayyibis, are represented, as well as lesser known traditions such as that associated with the mountain region of Badakhshan in Central Asia. Religious syncretism, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and in Yemen, is considered alongside cultural interactions as reflected in the circulation of books in Fatimid markets, and various literary and mythical traditions, some still little explored. The chapters include contributions from leading experts in the field shed new light on the close and complex relationships very different Islamic groups and movements have enjoyed throughout the centuries.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis written by Farhad Daftary and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2011-12-30 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ismaili Muslims, who belong to the Shia branch of Islam, live in over 25 different countries around the world, mainly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Their history has typically been linked to the history of the various countries in which they live, but the worldwide community is united under Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader and 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. Few fields of Islamic studies have witnessed as drastic a change as Ismaili studies, due in part to the recent discovery of numerous historical texts, and author Farhad Daftary makes extensive use of these new sources in the Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis. This comprehensive new reference work is the first of its kind on the Ismailis and presents a summary of the findings of modern scholarship on the Ismaili Shia Muslims and different facets of their heritage. The dictionary covers all phases of Ismaili history as well as the main doctrines of the community. It includes an introductory chapter, which provides a broad historical survey of the Ismailis, followed by alphabetical entries on all major aspects of the community, such as key figures, institutions, traditions, and doctrines. It also contains a chronology, genealogical tables, a glossary, and a substantial bibliography. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Ismailis.

Download or read book A History of Shi i Islam written by Farhad Daftary and published by I.B. Tauris. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies Shi'i Muslims have played a crucial role, proportionally greater than their relative size, in furthering the civilizational achievements of Islam. Indeed, the Shi'i scholars and literati of various branches and regions, including scientists, philosophers, theologians, jurists and poets, have made seminal contributions to Islamic thought and culture. There have also been numerous Shi'i dynasties, families or individual rulers who patronized scholars, poets and artists as well as various institutions of learning in Islam. In spite of its significance, however, Shi'i Islam has received little scholarly attention in the West, and when it has been discussed, whether in general or in terms of some of its subdivisions, it has normally been treated marginally as a 'sect' or a 'heterodoxy'. The present book draws on the scattered findings of modern scholarship in the field, attempting to explain the formative era of Shi'i Islam, when a multitude of Muslim groups and schools of thought were elaborating their doctrinal positions. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the history of the Ithna'asharis, or Twelvers, the Ismailis, the Zaydis and the Nusayris (now more commonly known in Syria as the Alawis), the four communities that account for almost the entirety of the Shi'i Muslim population of the world. The result is a comprehensive survey of Shi'i Islam that will serve as an accessible work of reference for academics in both Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, as well as the broader field of the History of Religions, and also more general, non-specialist readers.

Download or read book Islamic Art and Architecture 650 1250 written by Richard Ettinghausen and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2003-07-11 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This richly illustrated book provides an unsurpassed overview of Islamic art and architecture from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries, a time of the formation of a new artistic culture and its first, medieval, flowering in the vast area from the Atlantic to India. Inspired by Ettinghausen and Grabar’s original text, this book has been completely rewritten and updated to take into account recent information and methodological advances. The volume focuses special attention on the development of numerous regional centers of art in Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as the western and northeastern provinces of Iran. It traces the cultural and artistic evolution of such centers in the seminal early Islamic period and examines the wealth of different ways of creating a beautiful environment. The book approaches the arts with new classifications of architecture and architectural decoration, the art of the object, and the art of the book. With many new illustrations, often in color, this volume broadens the picture of Islamic artistic production and discusses objects in a wide range of media, including textiles, ceramics, metal, and wood. The book incorporates extensive accounts of the cultural contexts of the arts and defines the originality of each period. A final chapter explores the impact of Islamic art on the creativity of non-Muslims within the Islamic realm and in areas surrounding the Muslim world.

Download or read book Islam Literature and Society in Mongol Anatolia written by A. C. S. Peacock and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-10-17 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new understanding of the transformation of Anatolia to a Muslim society in the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries based on previously unpublished sources.

Download or read book Temple Contemplation written by Corbin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-28 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1986. This volume brings together five lectures which were originally delivered at different sessions of the famous Eranos Conferences in Ascona, Switzer□land. Henry Corbin himself had outlined the plan for this book, whose title suggests that these diverse studies converge on a common spiritual centre.