The Book of Unveiling: An Introduction to Early Fatimid Ismailism

The Book of Unveiling: An Introduction to Early Fatimid Ismailism

Author: Fârès Gillon

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Published: 2024-01-11

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0755653874

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.


Book Synopsis The Book of Unveiling: An Introduction to Early Fatimid Ismailism by : Fârès Gillon

Download or read book The Book of Unveiling: An Introduction to Early Fatimid Ismailism written by Fârès Gillon and published by I.B. Tauris. This book was released on 2024-01-11 with total page 0 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.

Affirming the Imamate: Early Fatimid Teachings in the Islamic West

Affirming the Imamate: Early Fatimid Teachings in the Islamic West

Author: Wilferd Madelung

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-02-25

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 075563733X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.


Book Synopsis Affirming the Imamate: Early Fatimid Teachings in the Islamic West by : Wilferd Madelung

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.

Affirming the Imamate

Affirming the Imamate

Author: Wilferd Madelung

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780755637355

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"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."--


Book Synopsis Affirming the Imamate by : Wilferd Madelung

Download or read book Affirming the Imamate written by Wilferd Madelung and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 224 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."--

Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine

Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine

Author: Paul Ernest Walker

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780754659525

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Table of Contents Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine by Walker, Paul E. Terms of Use Introduction Fatimid institutions of learning Succession to rule in the Shiite caliphate The Ismaili da'wa in the reign of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim Another family of Fatimid chief Qadis: the al-Fariqis A Byzantine victory over the Fatimids at Alexandretta (971) The 'crusade' of John Tzimisces in the light of new Arabic evidence Al-Maqrizi and the Fatimids Purloined symbols of the past: the theft of souvenirs and sacred relics in the rivalry between the Abbasids and Fatimids 'In praise of al-Hakim': Greek elements in Ismaili writings on the Imamate Abu Tammam and his Kitab al-Shajara: an new Ismaili treatise from 10th-century Khurasan An Isma'ili version of the heresiography of the 72 erring sects Eternal cosmos and the womb of history: time in early Ismaili thought The doctrine of metempsychosis in Islam Index Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service. Summary Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine by Walker, Paul E. Terms of use The thirteen studies in this volume explore critical problems in Fatimid history and historiography, many specifically focused on the content of doctrinal writings produced by the Ismaili supporters and agents of this caliphate who worked on behalf of the dynasty both within the empire and outside. Several concern issues in disputes that separated the various factions of Medieval Islam and served to distinguish the Ismailis from the rest, often branding the Fatimids with the charge of heterodoxy. Others deal with the consequence of Shiite rule over a largely non-Shiite populace. Yet others involve the relationship between religious ideology and the administration of government. Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service.


Book Synopsis Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine by : Paul Ernest Walker

Download or read book Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine written by Paul Ernest Walker and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of Contents Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine by Walker, Paul E. Terms of Use Introduction Fatimid institutions of learning Succession to rule in the Shiite caliphate The Ismaili da'wa in the reign of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim Another family of Fatimid chief Qadis: the al-Fariqis A Byzantine victory over the Fatimids at Alexandretta (971) The 'crusade' of John Tzimisces in the light of new Arabic evidence Al-Maqrizi and the Fatimids Purloined symbols of the past: the theft of souvenirs and sacred relics in the rivalry between the Abbasids and Fatimids 'In praise of al-Hakim': Greek elements in Ismaili writings on the Imamate Abu Tammam and his Kitab al-Shajara: an new Ismaili treatise from 10th-century Khurasan An Isma'ili version of the heresiography of the 72 erring sects Eternal cosmos and the womb of history: time in early Ismaili thought The doctrine of metempsychosis in Islam Index Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service. Summary Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine by Walker, Paul E. Terms of use The thirteen studies in this volume explore critical problems in Fatimid history and historiography, many specifically focused on the content of doctrinal writings produced by the Ismaili supporters and agents of this caliphate who worked on behalf of the dynasty both within the empire and outside. Several concern issues in disputes that separated the various factions of Medieval Islam and served to distinguish the Ismailis from the rest, often branding the Fatimids with the charge of heterodoxy. Others deal with the consequence of Shiite rule over a largely non-Shiite populace. Yet others involve the relationship between religious ideology and the administration of government. Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service.

Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam (2 vols.)

Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam (2 vols.)

Author: Sebastian Günther

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2017-02-20

Total Pages: 1549

ISBN-13: 9004333150

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam offers a multi-disciplinary study of Muslim thinking about paradise, death, apocalypse, and the hereafter. It focuses on eschatological concepts in the Quran and its exegesis, Sunni and Shi‘i traditions, Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism, and other scholarly disciplines reflecting Islamicate pluralism and cosmopolitanism. Gathering material from all parts of the Muslim world, ranging from Islamic Spain to Indonesia, and the entirety of Islamic history, this publication in two volumes also integrates research from comparative religion, art history, sociology, anthropology and literary studies. Unparalleled and unprecedented in its scope and comprehensiveness, Roads to Paradise promises to become the definitive reference work on Islamic eschatology for the years to come.


Book Synopsis Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam (2 vols.) by : Sebastian Günther

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 thinking about paradise, death, apocalypse, and the hereafter. It focuses on eschatological concepts in the Quran and its exegesis, Sunni and Shi‘i traditions, Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism, and other scholarly disciplines reflecting Islamicate pluralism and cosmopolitanism. Gathering material from all parts of the Muslim world, ranging from Islamic Spain to Indonesia, and the entirety of Islamic history, this publication in two volumes also integrates research from comparative religion, art history, sociology, anthropology and literary studies. Unparalleled and unprecedented in its scope and comprehensiveness, Roads to Paradise promises to become the definitive reference work on Islamic eschatology for the years to come.

The Fatimids

The Fatimids

Author: Shainool Jiwa

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Published: 2018-02-18

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781784539351

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.


Book Synopsis The Fatimids by : Shainool Jiwa

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.

Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire

Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire

Author: Jamel Velji

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2016-08-04

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0748690891

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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)


Book Synopsis Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire by : Jamel Velji

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)

An Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire

An Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire

Author: Jamel A. Velji

Publisher: Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Apocalypticism and Eschatology

Published: 2018-02-22

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9781474432207

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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).


Book Synopsis An Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire by : Jamel A. Velji

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).

The Ismailis in the Middle Ages

The Ismailis in the Middle Ages

Author: Shafique N. Virani

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2007-04-19

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0190295201

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"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.


Book Synopsis The Ismailis in the Middle Ages by : Shafique N. Virani

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.

An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Vol. 2

An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Vol. 2

Author: S. H. Nasr

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2008-09-30

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 0857710427

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.


Book Synopsis An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, Vol. 2 by : S. H. Nasr

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.