He is a wellknown scholar of the bahai faith, having written a number of books and articles on aspects of its history, the first one, on. Momen s book fills an important gap in the general literature in. The comprehensive authority of the jurist in imamite jurisprudence. Sunni muslims endorsed the historical caliphate, while shii muslims, supporters of ali, cousin of the prophet and the fourth caliph, articulated. Nov, 2016 did you know that the bahai faith started as an offshoot of the shaykhi school of the ithnaashariyyih twelver sect of shiah islam. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Introduction to shii islam starts november 15, 2018 youtube. This article is a selection of excerpts from momens much longer book, which. Moojan momen in his introduction to shii islam george ronald, oxford, 1985 states that many mujtahids were afraid that the shaykhs preference for intuitive knowledge, which he claimed to obtain directly by inspiration from the imams, would seriously undermine the authority of their position. As well as providing a historical overview, the book also introduces readers to shii. Dr moojan momen is a fellow of the royal asiatic society and a member of both the british society for middle eastern studies and the association for bahai studies. As well as providing a historical overview, the book also introduces readers to shii doctrines and practices, explains the key differences between the shii and sunni branches of islam.
The shia revival how conflicts within islam will shape the. For more information on early shia history, see moojan momen, an introduction to shii islam new haven. Moojan momen was born in iran, but was raised and educated in england, attending the university of cambridge. May 11, 2015 dr moojan momen provides readers with an accessible and insightful introduction to the shii branch of islam, taking us from its beginnings after the death of the prophet muhammad through to the present day.
From the time of the first prophet adam, there has been a continuous succession of imams. From infallible imams to ayatollahs in iran, shii islam has long been a prominent, if misunderstood, branch of islam. It also looks at its relationship to the bahai faith and the manner in which the. An introduction to shii islam bahai library online. In 622 ce, in recognition of his claims to prophethood, muhammad was invited to rule the city of medina. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read shii islam. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Moojan momen chair, department of religion, philosophy and theology. New and used copies may be found to purchase online. Origins of islam as a political movement are to be found in the life and times of islam s prophet muhammad and his successors. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The hegira medieval latin transliteration, also arabic. Did you know that the bahai faith started as an offshoot of the shaykhi school of the ithnaashariyyih twelver sect of shiah islam.
The history and doctrines of twelver shiism new ed by momen, m isbn. This book is a general introduction to shii islamspecifically to twelver shiism, to which the majority of shiis belong today. Oct 15, 2018 introduction to shii islam starts november 15, 2018 wilmette institute. For fatimas death from grief over the prophet, see muhammad ibn yaqub alkulayni, usul alkafi teheran. Momen majoon from mena 160 at arizona state university. The history and doctrines of twelver shiism oxford. Select general bibliography and miscellany with occasonal urls. Pdf this research paper surveys the history, theology, and philosophy of the shia madhhab, one of the two main factions of islam. The book is not an introduction or guide to islam in general, and therefore he focuses exclusively what distinguishes shii muslims from sunni muslims, and furthermore what distinguishes the three main sects of shii islam from one another. This book is a general introduction to shii islam specifically to twelver shiism, to which the majority of shiis belong today. The continuity of the imamate as can be seen from the above, the imamate, as conceived in shii theology, is not an institution confined to islam. In recent years, his interests have extended to the study of the phenomenon of religion. An introduction to the shia tradition in islam springerlink. See also seyyed hossein nasr, hamid dabashi, and seyyed vali reza nasr eds.
Moojan momen is a graduate of the university of cambridge and a medical doctor by profession. From the office of the mufti to the institution of. Political aspects of islam are derived from the quran, the sunnah the sayings and living habits of muhammad, muslim history, and elements of political movements outside islam traditional political concepts in islam include leadership by elected or selected successors to the prophet known as caliphs, imamate for shia. The shii perception of jihad assaf moghadam the institute for.
The iranian revolution of 1979 and recent events in lebanon have greatly increased western interest in the shii branch of islam, which is much less known than sunni islam. It deals with the history and development of this important religion, giving an account of shii doctrines and focusing in particular on those areas in which it differs from sunni islam. Moojan momen has 28 books on goodreads with 967 ratings. In everyday terms, the imam for sunni muslims is the one who leads islamic formal prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading imam and the. Majlessi, majlisi, madjlessi, known as allamah majlesi or majlesi althani majlesi the second, was a renowned and very powerful iranian twelver shia cleric, during the safavid era. The question is not only who was the successor of muhammad but also the nature of the role of this successor, for it is on both these points that shiis and sunnis disagree. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The sunni branch of islam does not have imams in the same sense as the shia, an important distinction often overlooked by those outside of the islamic religion. Crisis and consolidation in the formative period of shiite islam. Shii history and doctrines, excerpted from the book introduction to shii islam. It will consist mostly of a survey of the life of muhammad and a brief outline of the early history of islam as well as some of the fundamental elements of the teachings contained in the quran. Shiite islam originated as a political movement supporting ali cousin and soninlaw of muhammad, the prophet of islam as the rightful leader of the islamic state. The legitimacy of this claim, as initially envisioned by alis supporters.
Dr moojan momen provides readers with an accessible and insightful introduction to the shii branch of islam, taking us from its beginnings after the death of the prophet muhammad through to the present day. This chapter is intended to set the background for the emergence of shii islam. Moojan momen, introduction to shii islam, new york. The succession to muhammad is clearly the key question in shii islam and the principal factor separating shiis from the sunni majority. We also acknowledge previous national science foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057. Until recently most book published in the west on islam have tended to concentrate on sunni islam and to overlook shiism. This course aims to teach something of the history and teachings of the twelver shii branch of islam.
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