In the literary traditions of Islamic literatures (first of all in Arabic and Persian, but even in Malay),听Imam听Ali b. Abi Talib听has become the protagonist of narrative events that make him the heroic prototype of the struggle between Good and Evil. This lecture will try to trace the origins of this heroic model focusing on some verses dedicated to the first听Shiite听Imam听by the poet al-Sayyid al-Himyari (105/723-179/795), initially known as the literary spokesperson of the听Kaysaniyya听sect, then allegedly converted to Imami Shiism. Through the literary character of听Imam听Ali as featured in his poetry, it is possible to consider that al-Sayyid al-岣myari鈥檚 role is as controversial as it is fundamental for the understanding of some aspects of the historical shift from听Kaysaniyya听to Imamite Shiism.
Date:听8 December 2022 Time:听5.00 pm 鈥 6.30 pm GMT Location:听Aga Khan听Centre and online (Zoom)
Q&A:听At any time during the lecture, attendees can submit questions to the speaker through the Q&A option at the bottom of the control panel. As time allows, the speaker will address as many questions as they can during the Q&A session at the end of the presentation.
Recording:听Please note that the session will be recorded and published on the IIS website, and on the IIS YouTube channel.
Leonardo Capezzone is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Sapienza-University of Rome, Department of Oriental Studies, where he teaches History of the Islamic world and Cultural History of Medieval Islam. His interest is in the cultural and religious history of medieval Islam, with a special concern with the history of early 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘See Shi鈥榓. and other expressions of religious and intellectual dissent in the Islamic Middle Ages.
