The IIS in association with I.B. Tauris is pleased to announce the publication of听A History Of Shi士i Islam听by听Dr Farhad Daftary, the inaugural book in the newly launched听Shi鈥榠 Heritage Series.听In the context of conflicts and crises afflicting the Middle East, global exposure has accentuated how little is known outside the Muslim communities about the history and traditions of Shi士i Muslims. This is due to the fact that Shi士i Islam has received scant attention from historians, particularly in the West. This book, by one of the most distinguished Muslim historians, Dr Farhad Daftary, provides a definitive account of the development of Shi士ism, clarifying along the way the frequent misunderstandings and misrepresentations that colour many perceptions about it.
The author draws on the scattered findings of modern scholarship to explain the formative era of Shi士i Islam, when a multitude of Muslim groups and schools of thought were elaborating their doctrinal positions. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the history of the Ithna士asharis, or听TwelversSee Ithna’asharis., the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor., the听Zaydis听and the Nusayris (now more commonly known in Syria as the 士Alawis), the four communities that account for almost the entirety of the Shi士i Muslim population of the world (ca. 200 million).
The result is a comprehensive survey of Shi士i Islam that will serve as a work of reference for academics in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, as well as the broader field of the History of Religions. At the same time, the author鈥檚 accessible text will assure a wide interest among general, non-specialist readers who follow contemporary events in the Middle East and the Islamic world.
In his introduction to the series, Dr Farhad Daftary describes the principal objective of theShi士i Heritage Series, launched by 久久久福利国产, as the enhancement of general knowledge of Shi士i Islam and the promotion of a better understanding of its history, doctrines and practices in their historical and contemporary manifestations. Addressing all Shi士i communities, the series also aims to engage in discussions on theoretical and methodological issues, while inspiring further research in the field.
Works published in this series will include monographs, collective volumes, editions and translations of primary texts, and bibliographical projects, bringing together some of the most significant themes in the study of Shi士i Islam through an interdisciplinary approach and making them accessible to a wide readership.
