The Study of Shi'i Islam

Shi''i Islam with its rich and extensive history has played a crucial role in the evolution of Islam as both a major world religion and civilization. The prolific achievements of Shi''i theologians philosophers and others are testament to the spiritual and intellectual wealth of this community. Yet Shi''i studies has unjustly remained a long-neglected field despite the important contribution that shi''ism has made to Islamic traditions. Only in recent decades partially spurred by global interest in political events of the Middle East have scholars made some significant contributions in this area. The study of Shi''i Islam presents papers originally delivered at the first international colloquium dedicated exclusively to Shi''i studies held in 2010 at the Institute of Ismaili studies London. Within the book are eight sections namely history The Qur''an and its Shi''i interpretations Hadith law authority theology rites and rituals and intellectual traditions and philosophy. Each section begins with an introduction contextualising the aspects of studying Shi''i Islam particular to its br>Theme before going on to address topics such as the state of the field methodology and tools and the primary issues with which contemporary scholars of Shi''i studies are dealing. The scope and depth here covered makes this book of especially interest to researchers and students alike within the field of Islamic studies. br/> The volume benefits from the diverse expertise of nearly 30 world-class scholars including mohammad-ali amir-moezzi Meir M. Bar-asher far had daftary Daniel de smet Gerald R. Hawting nader el-bizri etan Kohlberg wilferd madelung Andrew br>Newman Ismail K. Poonawala Sabine schmidtke and Paul e. Walker. br/>.