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The primary purpose of this article is to reconstruct the date, location, and significance of Ayutthaya's Shi'ite enclave within the former Siamese capital during the seventeenth century. This reassessment is based on a mixture of Persian, Thai, and European sources that clarify the confused picture generated by European cartographers that has for too long cast a shadow over Muslim studies in Thailand. Following a summary of extant explanations and a description of my primary sources and methodological approach, I summarise two aspects of Muslim presence in Ayutthaya. First, I introduce readers to connections between the incremental growth of the Muslim presence in Ayutthaya during the sixteenth century with geopolitical developments on the eastern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. Second, I present the range of accounts provided in primary sources specifically mentioning Ayutthaya's Muslim enclave. Having orientated readers to the origins of the Muslim presence within Ayutthaya's citadel, I incrementally introduce annotated portions of Thai and European maps. These clarify confusion about where and when this Shi'ite mosque was constructed. I conclude with comments about how this reassessment brings into focus the presence of Shi'ite 'alid piety, Shi'ite polemics about local Sunnis, Siamese conversion to Shi'ism, and distinctions between these "Moors" and "Malays." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMuhammad: The Messenger of God (Majid Majidi 2015) is a major contribution to the discourses on and representations of the Prophet. Endorsed by Iran’s highest political authority, the supreme leader, the project’s ambitions far exceed the film’s limit, the multiple significances of which are examined here. The mammoth undertaking in the construction of the movie set, the Cinematic City of Nur, is an assertion of religious legitimacy as well as superiority in the preservation of Muslim sacred sites, history, and heritage. The film attempts to rectify the “falsification” of the narratives of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad both in western depictions as well as by Muslim extremists. Majidi employs various approaches in negotiating the three, at times contradictory, demands of the medium’s need for dramatization, the religious desiderata, and the film’s claims to authenticity, which I outline here. Even though set 1400 years ago, the film highlights the relevance of the Prophet’s narrative in a continuum that both precedes and extends beyond his own lifetime. The Prophet is relevant to the past before him as he is presented as the true heir to Judaism and Christianity. His narrative is relevant to the present as the story of his suffering resonates with the challenges that contemporary Iranians face as history repeats itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the littérateur and theologian al-Jāḥiẓ (d. 869) portrayed the Imāmī community (Rāfiḍa) in terms of both its theological views and its social practices. In addition to their early date and unique beauty, Jāḥiẓ's texts are unparalleled records of doctrinal debates and sociological insights. What emerges from his writings on the Rāfiḍa is an image of a community of simple-minded fanatics. On the one hand, the Imāmīs adhere to anthropomorphic and deterministic beliefs and are blind followers of authority. On the other hand, they are passionate believers who strongly stand in solidarity with one another. This, for Jāḥiẓ, explains their coalition with the superficial traditionalists against the rationalist Muʿtazila. The article is a stage in a larger monograph project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (d. 40/661)—a revered figure in Islamic history as both the first Shiʿi imam and the fourth caliph—serves as a significant image of sacral power in the Persianate world and beyond. ʿAlī's authority underwent a profound reimagining in the early modern era as he emerged as a captivating imperial emblem from the Timurid renaissance to the Safavid revolution, rivalling other prominent figures of political authority such as Chinggis Khan (d. 1227), and becoming a symbol of human perfection for both Sunni and Shiʿi intellectuals alike. ʿAlī transcended his role as a Shiʿi imam to assume the status of a cosmic figure, gradually becoming an ideal symbol for imperial branding. However, there is little scholarly knowledge and appreciation of his changing role in this period. This article examines how al-Ḥāfiẓ Rajab al-Bursī's (d. circa 814/1411) Mashāriq al-anwār , which has remained highly popular throughout the Persianate and Shiʿi world, contributed to the reshaping of ʿAlī's image, portraying him as the quintessential archetype of sacral power and unmatched authoritative feats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general autonomy of Central European authors from a Western power agenda as postulated by the mainstream critique of Orientalism is well known. At the same time, scholars have paid much less attention to the attitude of the modern Hungarian, Czech, Polish, and Slovenian corpus vis-à-vis Shi’ism,a narrow branch of the subject of Orientalism. This study argues that a certain bias in this context can be identified on the part of regional academics of the twentieth century, which might be explained by personal preferences for Sunni Orthodoxy. Simultaneously, this paper seeks to explore the reasons for such a tendency within the context of specific historical development at the frontiers. To this end, it presents case studies that juxtapose the relevant experiences with the classic Orientalist criticism of Western intellectual life introduced by scholars such as Edward Said, Talal Asad, Joseph Massad, and Mahmood Mamdani.

This article delves into the impact of anti-modern convictions on the doctrinal evolutions of Shi‘ism among Italian converts, employing a synergy between history and sociology. To illustrate this impact, the digital and paper publications of select converts have been analysed. Editorial initiatives serve as primary channels through which converts express their intellectual inclinations and impart a new cultural dimension to Shi‘ism. This new cultural dimension is shaped by the motivations that have driven converts toward religious mobility. In this framework, Shi‘a tenets and its relations with other religions have been redefined based on converts’ socio-psychological needs. As a result, Italian Shi‘ism, with its anti-modern substructure, has acquired certain traits that align it with the pre-political manifestations of the religion. Notably, converts exhibit a preference for metaphysical perspectives over juridical and sociological developments within Shi‘ism, delineating a distinct trajectory in their engagement with the faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the provinces and cities of Iran, Qazvin has been very important in terms of the history of religious developments, and Zoroastrians, Mazdakians and followers of Judaism and Christianity have been there since a long time ago. The main issue of the present research is how Qazvin became Islamized. The ongoing research was conducted by a historical method and by a descriptive-analytical approach, and based on that, it becomes clear that the Zoroastrians in Qazvin, who first had professed Islam only because they refused to pay jizya, rebelled against the conquerors at the first possible opportunity; but then the city was conquered by the Arab Muslims for the second time and this time was opened by violence. However, many Zoroastrians were still following their religion there, as they were able to perform their religious ceremonies until the end of the third century of Hijri. In the Islamic period, up to the 6th century, along with the Shi'ite minority, the majority of Qazvin Muslims followed the Shafi'i cult. The occasional presences of the Isma'ilis as well as the 'Alevis and the Boyeh in Qazvin have also had some effects on the religious tendencies in Qazvin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces Islamic apocalyptic jurisprudence (theories of final law that will govern humanity in the End Times) to academic study. Section 1 considers why the topic has remained unexamined and suggests a basic taxonomy. Section 2 exposes the apocalyptic jurisprudence of two case studies, representing the "reversionist" and "progressivist" poles of Sunni discourses: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ("ISIS"), and Dāwūd and his "Awaited Mahdī" movement in Egypt. Section 3 considers two further case studies, representing the "revanchist" and "idealist" orientations in Shi'i discourses: the Islamic Republic of Iran, and al-Ṣadr, a theorist of the Iraqi Ṣadrist movement. Throughout, the following aspects of the final legal system are considered: sources of law; conflicts between Islamic, Jewish, Christian, and international laws; the jurist's role; changes to classical Islamic legal theory, including qiyas and ijtihad; the legitimacy of legal schools; and new positive laws, policies, and rules of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I show how a group of Iranian Muslims in Trump-era rural Kentucky conceptualize their Islamic practices in relation to the dominant American social, political, racial, and economic norms to compromise Americanness with Muslimness in order to claim cultural citizenship. Drawing on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork involving participant observation and in-depth interviews conducted with Iranian-American Muslims in rural Kentucky, I develop an argument regarding how these individuals conceive of Islam differently from the monolithic Islam promoted by both Islamic clerics and the post-9/11 dominant discourse that has racialized Muslims. By examining a theoretical and analytical category that can conceptualize the unauthorized practices of Islam, I explore how Iranian Americans in rural Kentucky negotiate some of the most established Shi'i practices independent from clerics and reconcile their Islamic practices with the sociocultural and religious norms and values of the South rather than pursuing orthodox or heterodox Islam. Iranian Muslims in Kentucky are surrounded by multiple transnational Muslim communities that have created a diasporic condition, empowering them to foster a collective identity not by conforming to homogeneity, but rather by developing a nuanced web of intersecting bonds that unifies them through differentiation while confronting Islamophobia and the Muslim experiences of racialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epistemological and theological framework constructed by the sect in the historical process offers its members a certain perception of religion and the world. This perception affects all of their intellectual and social activities. Tafsīr is one of the scholarly activities in which sectarian affiliation is effective. However, the activity of tafsīr often emerges as a product of the social framework and the mufassir's position within it. The phenomenon of sect is one of the most dominant factors at this point. Because it serves as an important framework that shapes Muslims' interpretation of verses and their perception of the Qur'an. The members of the sects resort to justifying their views on many issues with the Qur'an, even if they often do not carry a religious content and are essentially the product of sociopolitical rivalry. In this context the verses can be reconstructed by the members of the sect in a way that justifies the goals of the sect and can be subjected to different interpretations from other on the axis of the sect's understanding of religion. Tafsīr, theology (kalam) and fiqh books are filled with dozens of interpretations of verses and hadiths in this context. The same verse and hadith can be presented to members of different sects with very different interpretations. The structure of the Qur'anic language, which is suitable for justifying some beliefs in line with sectarian affiliation, has made the work of sectarians easier. However, in our opinion, the main problem in this matter is the determining effect of sectarian affiliation rather than the structure of the verses that can be understood differently. This article has tried to concretise the abstract issues mentioned above through the different interpretations of some verses associated with raj'a directly or indirectly. In this context, Imamite and Sunnite scholars were chosen as examples, and it was analysed how the same verse could be subjected to different interpretations by them due to the influence of sectarian affiliation. Ayyāshī, Abū al-Hasan al-Qummī, Abū Ja'far al-Tūsī, Abū 'Ali al-Tabersī, Shaykh Sadūq and Shaykh al-Mufīd are the Imamite scholars whose interpretations about raj'a are focused on. From Ahl al-Sunnah, the interpretations of Abū Mansūr al-Maturīdī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī have been analyzed. The fact that the number of Sunnī scholars who criticize the Imāmiyya with verses on the issue of raj'a is very small has led us to focus more on the interpretations of these two scholars. However, we have also tried to identify the interpretations of the few other scholars who have expressed an opinion on this issue and to present a more holistic picture. It has been observed that both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have resorted to various means to provide Qur'ānic evidence for their beliefs in the rec'a, such as "associating some verses with other verses that support their views, establishing an absolute uniformity between the past and the present through hadiths of questionable authenticity, conducting linguistic, contextual, and historical analyses within the framework of presuppositions, and expanding or narrowing the meanings of verses through subjective inferences." The most common evidence used by both Sunnī and Imāmī scholars to legitimize their sectarian views on the raj'a with the Qur'ān is exegesis of the Qur'ān with the Qur'ān. However, the scholars of both sects made serious methodological mistakes such as not paying attention to the internal unity of the verses, taking only a part of the verse, not looking at the siyāq and sibāq of the verses, ignoring other related verses, and sometimes linking verses to each other even though they are not related to the same subject. Similar problems were observed in the method of interpreting the verse with hadith. They used hadiths of doubtful authenticity as evidence and detached the hadith from its verbal and historical context. Both the Imāmī and Sunnī scholars have seen no harm in going beyond the literal meaning of the verse from time to time in order to justify themselves on the issue of raj'a. In other words, when the meaning of the verse contradicted the views advocated by a sect, the scholars of both sects put the views of their sects at the center and tried to adapt the verse to their own systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shiite presence in Iraq is linked to a series of important events throughout history. Periods such as the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Buwayhids, the Seljuks, the Mongols and the Safavids shaped the religious and political structure of the region. In particular, the Safavids’ adoption of Shi’ism as the official sect and their efforts to spread this sect were influential in the transformation of the sectarian structure in the region. During the Ottoman period, the policies of Abd al-Hamīd II aimed to consolidate Islamic unity and the authority of the Ottoman caliphate. However, the presence and influence of the Shiite population caused some difficulties in the implementation of these policies in Iraq. The reasons for the spread of Shi’ism in Iraq include demographic changes, the influence of the Safavids, Qajars and regional religious dynamics. In addition, the lack of education in the region and some policies of the Ottoman administration also paved the way for the spread of Shi’ism. In this context, the attempts to prevent the spread of Shi’ism in Iraq during the reign of Abd al-Hamīd II have an important place in understanding the Ottoman Empire’s efforts to direct the religious and sectarian structure in the region, and a detailed examination of this situation constitutes the main purpose of our research. The scope of the research covers the period of Abd al-Hamīd II’s reign (1876-1909) and focuses specifically on the demographic, social and religious changes in Iraq. The research utilizes primary sources from the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives and contemporary literature on Shi’ism. The methodology is based on document analysis and historical interpretation. Overall, the study reveals Ottoman efforts to manage religious diversity in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to explore the relationship between cosmo-anthropogony and the imamology of Shi'ism through its earliest sources in the pre-Buyid Hadith corpus. It shows that the figure of the Divine Guide is the axis around which creation revolves. Early Shi'ism thus appears to be heir to some of the great doctrines of the spiritual and intellectual traditions of late Antiquity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Shiʿi clerics are among the most influential political actors in the Middle East today, there remains insufficient understanding of the network of relationships that links them together and shapes their politics. This article argues that understanding the influence of Shiʿi clerical elites in the region requires a more systematic exploration of their internal dynamics, including how individuals within the clerical elite ascend through the hierarchy and the legacy they carry. Without this knowledge, comprehending where, when, and how new leaders (maraji') will emerge, as well as the impact they are likely to have on the politics of their societies and beyond, remains challenging. To illuminate these dynamics and better understand the influence of this important group of actors, this article proposes an approach that aims to map the interconnected world of the Shiʿi clergy using quantitative network analysis. It argues that network analysis can complement existing qualitative studies by illuminating latent connections among the Shiʿi clergy; and, ultimately, can offer a more authoritative foundation for forecasting the identity and politics of future Shiʿi marjaʿiyya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores archetypes of femininity associated with Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ in Twelver Shi'i hagiography through consideration of a broad range of archetypes found in the study of narrative and mythology. Many archetypes associated with goddesses of antiquity recur in portrayals of Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, suggesting either cultural influence or universal archetypes. For instance, Fāṭimah embodies a youthful, innocent, virginal goddess; Jung's light and dark mother figure; and the lamenting goddess. Similar archetypes are projected onto other sacred women in Shi'ism, such as Zaynab bint ʿAlī and Fāṭimah al-Maʿṣūmah. However, other feminine archetypes are absent, some are sublimated onto male figures, and some are banalized through translating the esoteric into the exoteric. This leaves gaps in the narrative models available to faithful women. Furthermore, embodying archetypes like lamenting and suffering may be undesirable. While reformist portrayals of Fāṭimah have attempted to present her as a model for female activism, historical and hagiographical archetypes of Fāṭimah inherently clash and are difficult to disentangle. Nonetheless, considering how hagiography differs from history can help understand how the mythic does not always translate well to the mundane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates trends of continuity and differentiability between primarily Italian Shiʿa communities online and offline. Here, "online community" is adopted for groups formed on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom, both before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. The similarity and differences between Shiʿa activities in the online and offline spheres are investigated in three main areas: interreligious relations, gender roles, and relations with religious authorities. These fields have been selected because they are where Shiʿas face significant life challenges in a non-Islamic context. Online ethnography and interviews with members of Shiʿa communities were employed to gather data. The results confirm that women's issues remain resistant to change, even in the online sphere, whereas relations with out-groups, as well as relations with Shiʿa religious authorities, reveal elements of novelty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an in-depth analysis of two interrelated topics, namely Italians’ conversions to Shiʿism and their contribution to disseminating knowledge about Twelver Shiʿism in Italy. Employing a combination of historical and sociological methods, the article explores the underlying motivations driving this religious mobility, with a particular focus on the influence of Traditionalist authors such as René Guénon and Julius Evola and the Iranian Revolution on the digital and paper publications of converts. Moreover, the paper investigates the converts’ proclivity for editorial initiatives and social visibility, which can be attributed to their penchant for social engagement and political activism. To conduct this investigation, semi-structured interviews, literature analysis, and historical sources were adopted. This research establishes a strong correlation between the reasons for conversion and the portrayal of Shiʿism in the converts’ literary works. In summary, the distinct characteristics of Italian Shiʿism are intricately intertwined with the factors influencing conversion to this religion.

The objective of this article is to explore how political Sufism, in conjunction with political Shī'ism, influences contemporary Iranian internal and external affairs, the decision-making process, and the future political ideology. While religion has consistently been an integral part of Iranian state and culture, the primary faith has not always played a definitive role in political decisions throughout history, particularly in recent decades. To gain a deeper understanding of Iranian politics and its future trajectory, it is essential to comprehend the role of Sufi elements within it. This work elucidates the core political Sufi ideas and their persistence and development within Persian borders up to the present day, despite facing substantial opposition from the ulama. Furthermore, in order to identify these Sufi elements within the current Iranian political landscape, the article analyzes all presidential administrations since the Revolution and highlights how political Sufism has become ingrained in both the decision-making process and political propaganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a Twelver Shīʿī defence of human evolution. It was written in dialogue with Shoaib Ahmed Malik's, Islam and Evolution: Al-Ghāzālī and the Modern Evolution Paradigm. It synthesises classical Twelver Shīʿī exegesis, hadith, doctrines, and philosophy with contemporary exegesis and scientific thought. Rather than taking the approach of scientific exegesis, it focuses on the origins of the human being in the immaterial realm, and is one of the few Islamic defences of evolution to be hadith-based. It also considers the possible role of hadith as cultural memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a study based on ten semi-structured interviews to show how mut'a , known as temporary, pleasure marriage, is practised in seven different ways in present-day Denmark. Continuous conversations with Danish Shi'i women provide a rare insight into the discourses and emotions behind making sense of a world of love, relationships and social norms formulated as divine intentions. The practices vary from relationships, dating and online relations, to tools in therapeutic settings. Mut'a is articulated as a formalised tool to navigate a highly gender segregated world and is only practised by individuals who hold rigid views regarding gender regulations. The study demonstrates noticeable differences between cultural interpretations of related concepts such as mahr and 'idda , thus leading to a conversation about what constitutes Muslim law and practices. The findings contribute to a wider study of how contextual settings, such as individual experience, world-making and cognitions, aid inductive productions of social norms within Muslim law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is one of the defining factors in the Middle East political arena. The Islamic world's division into Shiite and Sunni is often considered a factor affecting bilateral relations between Tehran and Riyadh. Iran positions itself as the center of gravity for all the Shiites in the region, while Saudi Arabia seeks to form an anti-Iranian alliance on a Sunni basis. This article assesses the impact of the doctrinal tensions between these two branches of Islam on the Iranian approach towards its relations with Saudi Arabia. For this purpose, the author analyses the rhetoric of Iranian officials, clerics, and state-run media in the context of the main concepts of the Iranian contemporary religious ideology. The author concludes that criticism of Saudi Arabia has lost its religious connotation and Tehran does not position its confrontation with Riyadh as a fight against the enemies of Islam or apostates. The traditional epithets classifying their holders as supporters of the forces of darkness and actively used against the Western countries and Israel are not cited by critics of the Saudi dynasty. Moreover, the criticism of Wahhabism as a religious movement is not linked to the kingdom's current political leadership. On the contrary, the Iranian criticism of the Saudi foreign and domestic policies focuses on condemning the Saudi authorities' infringement on human rights and media freedom, supporting the protest movement in Iran, and fighting the Houthis. Even the persecution of Shiites in Saudi Arabia, to which the Iranian press has devoted considerable attention, is viewed from the perspective of the global concept of human rights, rather than as the struggle of one religious group against another. The kingdom itself is not considered an ideological enemy of Iran, which since the Islamic Revolution has been the US and Israel. The statements by some representatives of the Iranian political establishment on the need for peaceful coexistence between the two countries, along with the March 2023 agreements on normalizing bilateral relations indicate Tehran's pragmatic approach to interaction with Riyadh which is not affected by the ShiaSunni controversy in its dogmatic and religious dimensions.

In recent years, the number of publications on Shiism in Saudi Arabia and on Wahhabism in Iran has increased significantly. Since it would be beyond the scope of this study to deal with all of these publications, in this article, we will only present the publications on Wahhabism in the field of traditional and modern religious sciences in Iran. First of all, it should be noted that the large number of publications on Wahhabism in Iran makes it very difficult to scan the sources in scienti-fic research on this subject. This situation makes it compulsory to carry out biographical studies on the subject. For this reason, in this article, we first mentioned the importance of bibliographical studies in academic researches, and then pointed out that the systematic gathering of sources according to the subjects enables easy access to the works in question, which facilitates the activation of information sharing. In this study, we aimed to bring together the bibliographical works on Wahhabism, which numbered hundreds in Iran, by taking bibliographical studies in the field of History of Islamic Sects as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the philosophy of martyrdom, heroism, and death, with reference to Islam in general and Shiʿism in particular. This paper will be divided into two parts; the first will highlight the etymological and philosophical significance of the Arabic term martyrdom (istishhād) and its interrelation with the notion of testimony (shahāda), allowing for the clarification of the complexity of the existential privation of death and the communality of heroic martyrdom. The second part will move beyond the observation of Qurʾanic canonical sources by traversing traditional Shiʿi references and narratives, allowing for a reflection on the articulation of the ontology of martyrdom, such as its temporal horizon and mortality. Consequently, the state of affairs surrounding the phenomenon of heroic martyrdom embodies testimonies of both love and hate, of belongingness and enmity, and of devotion and hostility. Yet, the identification of such heroism is, in practice, coupled with a tacit sense of a Heideggerian 'fall' due to its inseparability from the pull of religious, social, and communal violence and aggression. Thus, in both theory and practice, a phenomenology of heroic martyrdom and death takes into account the ideological and societal contexts of the use of violence and the concrete rituals in its mediation of aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of the formation of the Imāmite madhhab (doctrinal school of law) has been less invested by historians than that of the Sunni legal schools. Notable developments have, however, taken place in recent decades. This essay examines the various theories advanced by scholars to describe the development of legal hermeneutics and substantive law (fiqh) specific to the Twelver community. Three key periods are analyzed: that of the historical imāms, the masters of Islamic esotericism for some, the first founders of a Shīʿite legal doctrine for others. We then focus on the Bouyid period when a proper Imāmite madhhab was born under the leadership of rationalist Shīʿite scholars, in particular al-Shaykh al-Mufīd (d. 413/1022). The question of the "orthodoxization" of Shīʿism is also posed, by integrating the Sunni principle of ijmāʿ (consensus) but also by adopting, over the centuries, personal opinion (raʾy) and analogy (qiyās). Particular attention is finally paid to the aḥkām al-arbaʿa (Four Precepts) in Imāmite law, which distinguish Twelver legal doctrine from Sunni fiqh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkish–Islamic Synthesis has been an influential doctrine since the 1970s in Turkey. It emerged as a national/cultural reaction against the rising influence of the leftist and radical Islamist movements and has been discussed within these contexts. This study will expand the scope of the concept and offer Iran/Shi'ism as a threat to Turkey's national/religious integrity within the context of Turkish–Islamic Synthesis. The historical/ideological rivalry between the Sunni/Shi'a and Turks/Iranians reached its peak after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. This study, which examines the issue with regards to the otherness and friend/enemy distinction perspectives, aims to include Iran and Shi'ism in the discourse on Turkish–Islamic Synthesis and will use primary sources on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dinbilimleri Journal is the property of Dinbilimleri Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although the Bahāʾī Faith was born in a Shīʿī Islamic cultural milieu it has clearly gone beyond the "gravitational pull" of Islām and assumed a distinctive social, scriptural, and religious identity. Bahāʾīs revere Islām as "the source and background of their Faith" and consider the Qurʾān the only authentic, uncorrupted scripture apart from their own. However, Bahāʾī teachings insist that this new religious movement is more than a sectarian development. It represents a distinctive—if you will "autonomous"—religious dispensation along the lines of the development of Christianity out of its original Jewish setting. This assertion and trajectory is clear in the very earliest scriptures of the new religion revealed by the Bāb and runs through subsequent Bahāʾī writings. A key term, badīʿ, used dozens of times by the Bāb in his annunciatory composition, the Qayyūm al-Asmāʾ, denotes this sense of the "wondrously new", something that is simultaneously ancient and unprecedented. It is suggested here that this term is a central and pivotal idea in the Bāb's vision and that it had a major role in generating the imaginative and kerygmatic cultural energy that would eventually result in the above-mentioned escape from an Islamic orbit. The word badīʿ eventually acquires a life of its own in Bahāʾī thought and practice. It is the word used to designate the new calendar whose current year is 180 B.E., "Bahāʾī Era" or "Badīʿ Era". It is used in the title of one of Bahāʾuʾllāh's major books, the Kitāb-i Badīʿ. It is given as a name for one of the young heroes of the Bahāʾī Faith who was tortured and killed because he dared to attempt to communicate directly with the Shah of Iran to testify to the truth of Bahāʾuʾllāh's mission. It is a word encountered frequently throughout the Bahāʾī writings and translated various ways. It functions as an emblem and symbol of the Bahāʾī ethos and message. The main focus here is the Qayyūm al-Asmāʾ, the Bāb's proclamatory summons, disguised as a Qurʾān commentary, in which he claimed to be in immediate and intimate contact with the hidden Imām and, therefore, the centre of all authority (walāya) whether political or spiritual. The clarion message of the Qayyūm al-Asmāʾ, in which the much repeated Arabic word badīʿ is a powerful and vibrant symbol of "the new", is that a profound and radical covenantal renewal—as distinct from "revivification/tajdīd"—is at hand, a renewal that would evolve into a distinctive Bahāʾī communal identity that is simultaneously–and therefore wondrously–new and primordial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkey Journal of Theological Studies is the property of Turkey Journal of Theological Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores archetypes of femininity associated with Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ in Twelver Shi‘i hagiography through consideration of a broad range of archetypes found in the study of narrative and mythology. Many archetypes associated with goddesses of antiquity recur in portrayals of Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, suggesting either cultural influence or universal archetypes. For instance, Fāṭimah embodies a youthful, innocent, virginal goddess; Jung’s light and dark mother figure; and the lamenting goddess. Similar archetypes are projected onto other sacred women in Shi‘ism, such as Zaynab bint ʿAlī and Fāṭimah al-Maʿṣūmah. However, other feminine archetypes are absent, some are sublimated onto male figures, and some are banalized through translating the esoteric into the exoteric. This leaves gaps in the narrative models available to faithful women. Furthermore, embodying archetypes like lamenting and suffering may be undesirable. While reformist portrayals of Fāṭimah have attempted to present her as a model for female activism, historical and hagiographical archetypes of Fāṭimah inherently clash and are difficult to disentangle. Nonetheless, considering how hagiography differs from history can help understand how the mythic does not always translate well to the mundane.

Justice and the guardianship of the jurist (vilayat-i faqih) have been the two ideological pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran ever since the 1979 Revolution. Unlike vilayat-i faqih , the meaning and essence of justice in post-revolutionary Shiʿi-Iranian thought has not received due attention in the scholarly debate. The hegemonic Shiʿi discourse in Iran defines justice as based on three principles: awarding every person their due rights according to the law; 'setting everything in its place', and the elimination of tyranny and oppression. It maintains that true justice can be realized only within an Islamic system ruled by the 'fully qualified jurist'. This formula has elicited additional debate, especially since 2011, over the reciprocal status and dependence of the two concepts. The debate was triggered by intra-elite tensions, and subsequently by the need to respond to public disaffection over the deficiencies in the implementation of social justice in Iran. It culminated in subordinating the ideal of justice to clerical authority and to the principle of expediency as determined by that clergy. Thus, vilayat-i faqih has been transformed from the means to implement justice to the ultimate self-serving end-goal of the regime's ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instead of arguing whether or not Sayyid ʿAlī Muḥammad Shīrāzī (the Bāb, 1819–1850) and his writings are Islamic, this paper suggests that they are simultaneously Islamic and post-Islamic. The Bāb's Qayyūm al-asmāʾ, written at the outset of the Bābī movement in 1844, can be understood as a commentary on the Quran, the original Quran, and divine revelation. Although the Bāb gradually disclosed his identity to the public, his status (associated with the Imām, Muḥammad, and a manifestation of God) is present in the Qayyūm al-asmāʾ, in which he refers to himself as the Gate (Bāb), Remembrance (Dhikr), Point (Nuqṭah), ʿAlī, and Muḥammad. The Bāb participates in the long tradition of Islamic literary culture by creating meaning through metaphorical, symbolic, and paradoxical language, which for the Bāb ultimately point to post-Islamic revelation. The simultaneous absence and presence of Islam in the Bāb's writings created a real-world division between the Bāb's followers and his critics, many of whom were Muslim scholars. By focusing on multiple meanings in the Bāb's texts, this paper analyzes the interplay between the Bāb's identity and his writings as they relate to Islam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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How do we explain change in political transnationalism over time? In what way does this change affect diasporic identities? And how does this change alter the relationship and power of diasporic actors towards their homeland states? This paper addresses these questions in relation to Iraqi Shi'a political transnationalism between London and Iraq pre and post-2003. I argue that the confluence of political opportunity structures and temporality, as experienced by political actors, shapes transnational practices. As political events in Iraq unfolded over time, Shi'a diaspora mobilisation patterns changed in line with political opportunities/threats in the homeland structural context. Simultaneously, stressing the agency of actors, the temporal contexts of each period emphasised different Shi'a identities due to the interpretation of time by diasporic actors. Consequently as opportunities and temporalities shifted, political transnationalism towards Iraq also changed empowering different actors and causes. This relationship previously marked by a long-distance nationalism (Anderson 1992) evolved to a transnationalism rooted in different ontologies. Observing political transnationalism over time therefore reveals the changing actors, shifting power dynamics, transnational identity politics and the relationship between diasporic actors and their homeland state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the mutation of three aspects of Shi’a online communities before and during the pandemic. These aspects are the Shi’a relationship with their religious authorities, their relations with other faith communities and their gender relations. The article shows that gender relations have undergone relatively smaller changes. For the fulfilment of this enquiry, online ethnography and interviews with members of the online communities were adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an ethnographic study of non-conformist mosques, this article demonstrates how Muslims may adopt a Sunni or Shiʿa identity while navigating spaces that are institutionalised as such but give much less importance to this identity – if any – when occupying less structured spaces. It may, for example, have little influence on what religious literature they read, which preachers they follow on social media, and how they practise religion in everyday life. The article argues that research methodologies must be properly sensitised to this. Otherwise, they risk making the Sunni–Shiʿa identity hypervisible, thus producing the divide rather than investigating it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shiʿa Muslims constitute 10–15% of Danish Muslims, but until recently they lacked public visibility. Within the last decade, the number of Shiʿa mosques and other places of worship in Denmark has doubled, but the change in terms of the group's public presence is even more significant than this. This article compares Denmark's leading Shiʿa organisation with its Sunni counterpart in terms of the physical presence of places of worship and participation in public life. It discusses based on the concept of public religion (Casanova 1994) how Shiʿa Muslims have become the most visible representative of Islam in Denmark due to a mix of factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 177-verse Arabic Poem of the Intellect (Qaṣīdat al-ʿAql) composed by the Indian Fatimid-Ṭayyibī Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq Sayyidna Taher Saifuddin (d. 1385/1965) breaks new ground in substance and form. In form, the poem creatively amalgamates the genres of qaṣīdah (poem), risālah (treatise), and waṣiyyah (testament) to produce an eloquent and innovative hybrid text. In content, it uniquely combines a philosophical exposition on Islamic theology and ethics with a road map to living a Pure Life. After an opening frame that provides a philosophical foundation, the poem's three large thematic sections draw on the Qurʾan, the Prophet's Hadith, and the sermons of Imam ʿAlī to describe principles of belief and approach, articles of character and deeds, and the grounding of both—abstract philosophy and concrete instructions—in love for and allegiance to the divine guides, the Imams and Dāʿīs, who are "God's rope." It has a gentle tone, preaching harmony between all people on earth, tranquility in one's life, cheerfulness and positivity, and an atmosphere of love and caring. The closing section brings the poet directly into the frame of reference, stating that he, as the incumbent Dāʿī, is himself the manifestation of God's rope in the current time, and those who follow his guidance will return to Paradise. The present article provides a window into Sayyidna Taher Saifuddin's remarkable poem, translating and analyzing it against the backdrop of Fatimid and Ṭayyibī theological works and, briefly, the colonial and post-colonial fabric of early 20th century India, to explore a significant and largely unknown chapter of Arabic poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the scholarly discussions on the nexus between secular worldview and discourse on Islam have depicted a rather homogeneous image of 'postsecular Islam' by overlooking the heterogeneity and changing nature of communications on Islam. In most cases, the postsecular rhetoric of minority sects in Islam, such as Shia Islam, is rarely mentioned. This study aims to offer a more empirical and context-oriented understanding of the emerging postsecular turn in the contemporary narratives of Shia Islam due to its encounter with secular ideologies, digital media, and popular culture. To do so, it examines dominant discursive features of a transnational Shia religious network – 'Who is Hussain'. The analysis focuses on exploring new interpretations and representations of Shi'i messages online. Four main types of narrative features were found: a postsecular contextualization of Shi'i religious events, a secular call for action infused with Shi'i moral motivations, promoting postsecular humanitarian responses, and translating Shi'i religiosity into citizenry engagement. The language deployed by the Facebook page of this network to translate religious ideas denotes a high degree of malleability. This open hermeneutic margin, this study finds, allows the knowledge producers to develop a postsecular narrative of Shi'ism that has the potential to travel beyond the confines of religious boundaries by animating new debates internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Review / İslam Tetkikleri Dergisi is the property of Journal of Islamic Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mahmoud M. Ayoub has developed an Islamic model of redemption in his works particularly in the Redemptive Suffering in Islam. Assuming that redemption is fulfillment through suffering, Ayoub has proposed an alternative Islamic model of redemption within the context of intercession (shafā’ah) in Twelver Shī’īsm. In his opinion, intercession is the direct reward of the sufferings and martyrdom of the Holy Family (ahl al-bayt) so they can rescue their devotees from the hell and the God’s punishment by this intercessory prerogative. The pool of al-kawthar, In the Mahmoud Ayoub’s model of redemption in Shī’īsm, is a symbol of the rewards and favors of the Holy Family and the final vindication of their suffering. This article criticizes Mahmoud Ayoub’s thoughts about the exclusive connection between the intercession and suffering in Shī’īsm and argues that the intercessory privilege of the Prophet and the Holy Family is because of their high status before God which was stabilized even without their sufferings, however those sufferings and privations have strengthened their high ranking position. It means that God will never reject any requests of the Prophet and the Holy Family including their intercession not just because of their endurance of sufferings and martyrdom, but because of God’s love and respect towards them which has several reasons. Thus, the intercessory prerogative of the Prophet and the Holy Family in the Day of Judgment is an expression of the God’s feelings towards the Prophet and the Holy Family and the demonstration of their high status to the entire creatures. Besides that, intercession’s second purpose, which Mahmoud Ayoub also agrees, is God’s favor in order to benefit those who have led a good life but the amount of their evil deeds is more than the level of their good deeds and deserve to be punished. Finally, this article offers that, based on the second purpose of intercession, the merciful and compassionate God in the Twelver Shī’īsm however is not a passible God, but may have some similarities to what Christianity depicts of a sympathetic, passible God who suffers from the suffering of the people, especially in the works of Jürgen Moltmann.

This article explores the central antagonisms at work within the Alī nāma of Rabīʿ, a fifth/eleventh-century Persian epic by a Twelver Shīʿī poet narrating the deeds of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, in particular the battles of the Camel and of Ṣiffīn. It gives an analysis of this poem within its twin contexts of Shīʿī imamology and Persian poetry, illustrating how these fields are variously drawn upon, combined and challenged in the poem’s unique narrative of the imam, and arguing that Rabīʿ cultivates his oft-cited opposition between Arabo-Islamic truth-telling and Iranian/Zoroastrian deception as a means of navigating intra-Muslim sectarian dynamics. The article argues against reductionist views of the poem, demonstrating the hybrid nuance of its engagement with Sunnīs, Shīʿīs and the pre-Islamic past, as well as providing an overview of this under-studied work of literature.

This article examines the role of the third sector and civil society in addressing the inadequacies of state policies on migration in Europe. It centres on the Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign (IHBDC), a faith-based, third sector organisation which is established by second and third generation of Shia Muslim British citizens. The study utilises ethnography and interviews with all of the main figures of the IHBDC activists and many donors across England and Scotland. There are two analytic goals for this study. First, it re-examines the gift-relationship theory of Richard Titmuss on using blood donation as a policy tool. Secondly, it explains how a religious narrative can shape the civic engagement of children of migrants and help them in negotiating their sense of identity in the British context. The idea is that religiously reinforced civic engagement empowers them in their transition to establishing a unique European Shia identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the case study of 20 Shi'a organisations in Italy, this article aims to explore the meanings of traditionalism and how it grows among certain Shi'a women who are members of these organisations. The article compares the two differing and antithetical ways in which Shi'a women relate to their traditions, one being spontaneous and emotional, the other rational and discursive. The primary objective is to show that the rationalisation of tradition, or traditionalism, develops only among women willing and capable of relating to their European host context. Instead of an organic tendency, Shi'a traditionalism emerges in this case as a reaction to Italian society, tailored to deal with the social concerns that surface in the Apennine peninsula. The social concerns eventually propel women to revamp their religious heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kitāb al-Kašf and the Kitāb al-Šaǧara , two 4th/10th century Ismaili works, share a dualistic vision of the world, marked by a continuous struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. Evil is identified with the exoteric religion deprived of its esoteric dimension. It is caused by a satanic pair, typified by Abū Bakr and ʿUmar b. al-Ḫaṭṭāb, the archetypes of the antagonists (aḍdād) opposing the Prophets and their Imams, from Adam to the advent of the Resurrector (al-Qāʾim). Through a personalized reading of selected verses from the Qurʾān, the authors of both works interpret the rejection of ʿAlī's legacy by the first two caliphs as the paradigm of all opposition against the Imām's esoteric knowledge leading to salvation. When ʿUmar represents the principle of evil in se , Abū Bakr stands for the weakness of the largest part of mankind, eager to be induced into error. By introducing into this doctrine the Aristotelian distinction between potentiality and actuality, the Kitāb al-Šaǧara develops an encompassing theory about the dynamics of evil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]