Shi'ism is the second most numerous branch of Islam in the modern world; with between 130 and 190 million adherents across the globe. Shi'i Islam is becoming an increasingly significant and resurgent force in contemporary politics; especially in the Middle East. This makes a good and informed treatment of its fundamental spiritual beliefs and practices both necessary and timely. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi is one of the most distinguished scholars of Shi'i history and theology currently at work; and in this volume he offers precisely such a wide-ranging and engaging survey of the core texts of Shi'i Islam. Examining in turn the origins and later developments of Shi'i spirituality; the author reveals the profoundly esoteric nature of the beliefs which accrued to the figures of the Imams; and which became associated with the latters' interaction between material and spiritual worlds. These beliefs were often designated as being ghulat; or ""extreme;"" by other Muslims; and as a result of such criticisms from within the tradition they have remained little known and much misunderstood. Furthermore; Western scholarship has tended to follow the lead of the earlier Islamic critics; viewing these concepts as deviant and marginal. The author shows; by contrast; how central an imaginative and creative spirituality was to the development of Shi'i Islam; as well as to classical Islamic civilization; as a whole. In this comprehensive treatment; the esoteric nature of Shi'i spirituality is an essential factor in understanding Shi'ism.
#9201115 in Books 2009-02-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.50 x .78 x 5.09l; .76 #File Name: 1843420244312 pages
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