The proof of God : Shi'i mysticism in the work of al-Kulayni (9th-10th centuries) / by Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi ; translated by Maria De Cillis and Orkhan Mir-Kasimov.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali, author.

Contributor:

De Cillis, Maria, translator.

Mir-Kasimov, Orkhan, translator.

Institute of Ismaili Studies.

Series:

Shi'i heritage series ; 10.

Shi'i heritage series ; 10

Standardized Title:

Preuve de Dieu. English

Language:

English

French

Subjects (All):

Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʻqūb, -941? Kāfī.

Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʻqūb.

Kāfī (Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʻqūb).

Shīʻah--Doctrines--History.

Shīʻah.

God (Islam)--Proof.

God (Islam).

Imamate.

Shīʻah--Doctrines.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

xlii, 348 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : I.B Tauris, in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2023.

Language Note:

Translated from French.

Summary:

"This book is an English translation of the award-winning book by Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi on the Book of the Proof (Kitab al-Hujja) part of the Sufficient Book (Kitab al-Kafi), authored by one of the most celebrated religious authorities and a foundational figure of Shi'i Islam, Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni (d. ca. 940 CE). The significance of this source for the formation and development of Shi'i beliefs and doctrines cannot be overestimated. Whilst the field of Shi'i studies is still dominated by works focused on legal, political, or theological aspects of Sh'i Islam, Amir-Moezzi's approach to the study of the early Shi'i traditions in this work is characterised by a keen interest in its esoteric, mystical aspects. Complemented by detailed analytical comments, Amir-Moezzi's book demonstrates how al-Kulayni was able to set out an extraordinarily wide-ranging and coherent set of doctrinal and legal traditions derived from the Imams, thus playing a leading role in the unification and, consequently, the consolidation of the Imami faith. More specifically, by elaborating on the nature of the 'Proof', which in Shi'i terminology identifies the central figure, i.e., the guide (imam) of mystical spirituality, Amir-Moezzi's study portrays Shi'i Islam as multifaceted, not merely as the politico-religious ideology of its 'clergy', but above all as an inspirational religion. As Amir-Moezzi himself puts it, 'enriching Muslim thought and spirituality, sometimes with unusual finesse and sophistication'"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Translators' Preface: Notes on the English Translation ; Glossary

Preface to the French Edition

Note on Transliteration

Note to the Reader (French Edition)

Introduction to the French Edition

Acknowledgments (French Edition)

Important dates and milestones (1st-4th/7th-10th centuries) / Translated by O. Mir-Kasimov

PART I: The Religion of the Divine Word Made into Man: 1. At the Beginnings of History

2. The Religion of the Imam

3. Some Historical Imams

4. The Proof Beyond Time

5. The Proof's Dual Nature

6. The Continuity of Prophecy

PART II: The Mystical Nature of the Imam in The Book of the Proof: 7. Brief Remarks on Shiʻi Holy Scriptures

8. Al-Kulaynī and the Book of the Proof

9. Excerpts from the Book of the Proof

Epilogue

Return to History: Between Mystical Wisdom and Political Temptation / Translated by O. Mir-Kasimov

Appendix

Table 1: The Banū Hāshim (Major Protagonists) and the Prophet's Family

Table 2: The Banū ʻAbd Shams (Major Protagonists)

Table 3: Genealogy of the Major Imams and the Main Divisions in Shiʻsm

Bibliography and Abbreviations

General Index

Index of Qur'anic Citations.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contains:

Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʻqūb, -941?. Kāfī. Selections. English

Other Format:

Online version: Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali. Proof of God

ISBN:

9780755651900

0755651901

9780755651917

075565191X

OCLC:

1378729060