Shi'ite Islam

Preface......Page 3
The Study of Shi'ism......Page 8
Fundamental Elements of Shi'ism......Page 13
Present State of Shi'ite Studies......Page 19
The Present Book......Page 20
Notes......Page 23
Notes......Page 31
I  THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SHI'ISM......Page 35
 THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF SHI'ISM......Page 36
The Cause of the Separation of the Shi'ite Minority from the Sunni Majority......Page 37
The Two Problems of Succession and Authority in Religious Sciences......Page 39
The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with the Shi'ite View......Page 40
The Termination of the Caliphate of 'Ali Amir al-mu'minin41 and His Method of Rule......Page 45
The Benefit which the Shi'ah Derived from the Caliphate of Ali......Page 48
The Transfer of the Caliphate to Mu'awiyah and Its Transformation into a Hereditary Monarchy......Page 49
The Bleakest Days of Shi'ism......Page 51
The Establishment of Umayyad Rule......Page 52
Shi'ism During the 2nd/8th Century......Page 54
Shi'ism in the 4th/10th Century......Page 56
Shi'ism from the 5th/11th to the 9th/15th Centuries......Page 57
Shi'ism in the 10th/16th and 11th/17th Centuries......Page 58
Notes......Page 59
DIVISIONS WITHIN SHI'ISM......Page 70
Zaydism and Its Branches......Page 71
Isma'ilism and Its Branches......Page 72
The Batinis......Page 74
The Nizaris, Musta'lis, Druzes and Muqanna'ah......Page 75
Differences Between Twelve-Imam Shi'ism and Isma'ilism and Zaydism......Page 76
Notes......Page 77
II SHI'ITE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT......Page 80
THREE METHODS OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT......Page 81
The Different Facets of the Formal Aspect of Religion......Page 84
The Book and Tradition......Page 85
The Outward and Inward Aspects of the Quran......Page 86
The Principles of Interpretation of the Quran......Page 89
Hadith......Page 91
The Method of Shi'ism in Following the Hadith......Page 92
Learning and Teaching in Islam......Page 93
SECOND METHOD: THE WAY OF INTELLECTION AND INTELLECTUAL REASONING......Page 94
Philosophical and Theological Thought in Shi'ism......Page 95
Shi'ite Initiative in Islamic Philosophy and Kalam......Page 96
Shi'ite Contributions to Philosophy and the Intellectual Sciences......Page 97
THIRD METHOD: INTELLECTUAL INTUITION OR MYSTICAL UNVEILING......Page 98
Man and Gnostic Comprehension37......Page 100
Appearance of Gnosis (Sufism) in Islam......Page 101
Notes......Page 103
III  ISLAMIC BELIEFS FROM THE SHI'ITE POINT OF VIEW......Page 110
The World Seen from the Point of View of Being and Reality ; The Necessity of God......Page 111
Another Point of View Concerning the Relation Between Man and the Universe......Page 112
The Divine Essence and Qualities......Page 115
The Meaning of the Divine Qualities......Page 116
Qualities of Action......Page 117
Destiny and Providence......Page 118
Notes......Page 120
Toward the Goal : General Guidance......Page 124
Special Guidance......Page 125
That Mysterious Wisdom and Consciousness Called Revelation......Page 127
The Prophets - Inerrancy of Prophecy......Page 128
The Prophets and Revealed Religion......Page 129
The Prophets and Proof of Revelation and Prophecy......Page 130
The Prophets Who are Bringers of Divine Law......Page 132
The Prophecy of Muhammad......Page 133
Notes......Page 136
Man is Composed of Spirit and Body......Page 142
A Discussion of Spirit from Another Perspective......Page 143
Purgatory......Page 144
The Day of Judgment - Resurrection......Page 145
Another Explanation......Page 147
Notes......Page 150
The Meaning of Imam......Page 152
The Imamate and Succession......Page 153
Affirmation of the Previous Section......Page 159
The Imamate and Its Role in the Exposition of the Divine Sciences......Page 161
The Difference Between Prophet and Imam......Page 162
The Imamate and Its Role in the Esoteric Dimension of Religion......Page 163
Notes......Page 166
The First Imam Amir al-mu'minin Ali......Page 171
The Second Imam Hasan Mujtaba......Page 174
The Third Imam Husayn (Sayyid al-Shuhada)......Page 175
The Fourth Imam Sajjad (Ali ibn Husayn entitled Zayn al-'abidin and Sajjad)......Page 180
The Sixth Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad......Page 181
The Eighth Imam Rida (Ali ibn Musa)......Page 183
The Tenth Imam Ali ibn Muhammad Naqi......Page 185
The Eleventh Imam Hasan ibn Ali 'Askari......Page 186
Notes......Page 187
On the Appearance of the Mahdi......Page 194
Notes......Page 197
Appendix II: Mut'Ah Or Temporary Marriage......Page 200
Appendix I: Taqiyah Or Dissimulation......Page 199
Appendix III: Practices In Ritual Shiism......Page 205
Appendix IV: A Note On The Jinn......Page 206
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 211
Bibliography......Page 209
The Writings of Allamah Tabataba'i......Page 212
General Bibliography......Page 213