An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History & Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism

Frontispiece
Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword
Preface
	A Note on Transliteration, Pronunciation and Technical Terms
	Acknowledgements
Glossary
1. An Outline of the Life of Muhammad and the Early History of Islam
2. The Question of the Succession to Muhammad
	The Events at the Saqifa
3. The Lives of the Imams and Early Divisions among the Shi'is
	The Imamate of 'Ali
	Hasan, the Second Imam
	Husayn, the Third Imam
	'Ali, Zaynu'l-'Abidin, the Fourth Imam
	Muhammad al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam
	Ja'far as-Sadiq, the Sixth Imam
	Musa al-Kazim, the Seventh Imam
	'Ali ar-Rida, the Eighth Imam
	Muhammad at-Taqi, the Ninth Imam
	'Ali al-Hadi, the Tenth Imam
	Hasan al-'Askari, the Eleventh Imam
	Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam
	EARLY DIVISIONS AMONG THE SHI'IS
	During the Caliphate of 'Ali
		1. The Saba'iyya
	After the Martyrdom of Husayn
		2. The Kaysaniyya
	After the Imamate of Zaynu'l-Abidin
		3. The Zaydiyya
	During the Imamates of Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far as-Sadiq
		4. The Janahiyya
		5. The Mughiriyya
		6. The Mansuriyya or Kisfiyya
		7. The Khattabiyya
		8. The Baqiriyya
	After the Imamate of Ja'far as-Sadiq
		9. The Ja'fariyya or Nawusiyya
		10. The Aftahiyya or Fatahiyya
		11. The Shumaytiyya or Sumaytiyya
		12. The Isma'iliyya or Sab'iyya
	After the Death of Musa al-Kazim
		13. The Musawiyya or Mamtura
		14. The Bajaliyya
		15. The Bashiriyya
	After the Imamate of 'Ali ar-Rida
		16. The Ahmadiyya
		17. The Mu'allifa
		18. The Muhadditha
	After the Imamate of 'Ali al-Hadi
		19. The Namiriyya, Nusayriyya, 'Alawiyya
		20. The Muhammadiyya
		21. The Pure Ja'fariyya
	After the Death of Hasan al-'Askari
		a. The Waqifiyya at Hasan al-'Askari
		b. The Cessation of the Imamate
		c. The Muhammadiyya
		d. The Ja'fariyya
		c. The Qat'iyya
4. Early History of Shi'i Islam, AD 632-1000
	The First Four Caliphs and the Umayyad Dynasty (AD 632-750)
		The Ghulat
		Other Shi'i Groups
	The 'Abbasid Period (132/750-334/945)
		Beliefs of the Shi'a
	The Buyid Period (334/945-447/1055)
		Political Developments
		Doctrinal Developments and the Ulama
		The Popular Religion
		Geographical Spread
5. Shi'i Islam in the Medieval Period AD 1000-1500
	The Seljuq Period (5th/11th-6th/12th Centuries)
		Political Developments
		The Ulama
		The Popular Religion
		Geographical Spread
	The Ilkhanid Period (7th/13th-8th/14th Centuries)
		Political Developments
		The Ulama
		The Sufi Orders
		Geographical Spread
	The Timurid Period (8th/14th-9th/15th Centuries)
		Political Developments
		The Ulama
		Sufism and the Popular Religion
6. Shi'i Islam in Modern Times AD 1500-1900
	The Safavid Period (10th/16th-12th/18th Centuries)
		Political Developments under Shah Isma'il
		Shah Isma'il's Religious Policy
		Shah Tahmasp
		Shah 'Abbas I
		The School of Isfahan
		Shah Sulayman
		The Ulama of the Late Safavid Period
		The Usuli-Akhbari Division
		The Popular Religion
		Shi'ism in the Arab World
		Shi'ism in India
		Geographical Spread
	The Eighteenth Century
		Political Developments
		The Ulama
		Shi'ism in other lands
	The Nineteenth Century
		Political Developments under Fath 'Ali Shah and Muhammad Shah
		The Ulama during the Reigns of Fath 'Ali Shah and Muhammad Shah
		Political Developments under Nasiru'd-Din and Muzaffaru'd-Din Shahs
		The Ulama during the Reigns of Nasiru'd-Din and Muzaffaru'd-Din Shahs
		The Popular Religion
		Shi'ism in Arab Lands
		Shi'ism in India
7. The Imamate
	The Continuity of the Imamate
	The Station of the Imams
	Necessary Attributes of the Imams
		A. The Conferment of the Imamate by Designation or Covenant
		B. Immunity from Sin and Error
		C. He is the Best of Men
	Other Attributes of the Imams
		A. Knowledge ('Ilm)
		B. Spiritual Guidance (Walaya)
	The Necessity of Recognising the Imam
	Rational Proofs for the Imamate
8. The Twelfth Imam, His Occultation and Return
	The Lesser Occultation
	The Doctrine of Occultation
	The Doctrine of Return (Raj'a)
	Signs of the Return of the Imam Mahdi
	Consequences of the Occultation of the Twelfth Imam
9. Doctrines, Ritual Practices and Social Transactions
	The Qur'an
	The Traditions (Hadith)
	Independent Investigation and Blind Imitation
	The Fundamental Elements of the Religion (Usul ad-Din)
		1. Tawhid (Divine Unity)
		2. Nabuwwa (Prophethood)
		3. Ma'ad (the Resurrection)
		4. Imama (The Imamate)
		5. 'Adl (Divine Justice)
	Ritual Practice ('Ibadat)
		1. Obligatory Prayer (Salat or Namaz)
		2. Fasting (Siyam, Sawm)
		3. Alms (Zakat)
		4. The One-Fifth Tax (Khums)
		5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
		6. Religious War (Jihad)
		7. Enjoining to Do Good (Amr bi'l-Ma'ruf)
		8. Exhortation to Desist from Evil (Nahy 'an al-Munkar)
	Doctrines and Practices Specific to Shi'ism
		1. Shi'i Doctrines
		2. Prayers
		3. Visiting Shi'i Shrines (Ziyarat)
		4. Temporary Marriage (Mut'a)
		5. Religious Dissimulation (Taqiyya)
		6. Divorce (Talaq)
		7. Inheritance
10. Shi'i Jurisprudence and the Religious Hierarchy
	The Development of the Principles of Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh)
	The Evolution of the Role of the Ulama
	The Ulama's Attitude Towards Political Authority
	The Theoretical Basis to the Ulama's Authority
	Other Sources of the Ulama's Authority and Social Prestige
	Education of the Ulama
	The Hierarchy of the Ulama
	The Finances of the Ulama
11. Sufism, 'Irfan and Hikma
	Sufism
	Philosophy, Hikma and 'Irfan
12. Schools within Twelver Shi'ism
	The Akhbari School
	The Shaykhi School
	The Babi Movement and the Baha'i Religion
13. The Popular Religion
	The Personal Religious Outlook
	The Pattern of Religious Life
	Religious Gatherings
	The Role and Position of Women
14. Contemporary Shi'ism
	The Religious Leadership
	Iran
		The Constitutional Movement
		Rida Shah Pahlavi
		Muhammad Rida Shah
		Religious Developments in the 1960s and 1970s
	Iraq
	Lebanon
	Syria
	Turkey
	Bahrain
	Saudi Arabia
	Kuwait
	Other Gulf States
	India and Pakistan
	Afghanistan
	USSR
	Africa
	America and Europe
	The Shi'i World
	Iran: the 1979 Revolution and After
		The 1979 Revolution
		After the Revolution
		Developments in Shi'ism since the Revolution
Appendix I. A Chronology of Political and Religious Events in Shi'i History
Appendix II. Shi'i Dynasties
Appendix III. Biographies of Prominent Ulama
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index