Hujr ibn 'Adi al-Kindi (died 660 CE) was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. He was sentenced to death by the Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I for his unwavering support and praise for Ali, the first Imam of the Shias. Read this exception story in to the life of a Sahaba who was executed for his love of Imam Ali.
Iran is an ancient place of extreme contrasts. It is both blessed and cursed.It is home to both Islam and anti-Islam. This book attempts to trace out the Secret History of Iran, from 500 B.C. to present. This book covers the various secret groups and cabals that continue to dominate Iran, from the remnants of Mystery Babylon and the Sabaeans to crypto-Byzantines. Their little known role in the Mongol Invasion is investigated. Connections between such groups and well-known poets and intellectuals produced by Iran is methodically examined. Under the little known Khwarezm Empire, Iran served as the key to the Mongol destruction of the Islamic World. Today, Iran has once again been thrust into a similar position, as the modern-day Mongols encircle the Middle East. What role will Iran play this time?
This book offers an examination of the origins of Sh??ite Islam as viewed through the lens of the traditions surrounding its earliest and most infamous heretic, ?Abd All?h ibn Saba?, and the sectarian movement he purportedly founded, the Saba??ya.
Imam Baqir (as) said "Since the death of the Holy Prophet (s) we Ahl ul bayt have been humiliated, made distant and have been deprived and killed and made to leave our home town and we felt frightened for our blood and the blood of our followers. The cheaters, through their lies, got nearer to the leaders, judges and governors in every city and our enemies told false and invalid traditions relating to their past leaders and quoted narrations that we had never told. They only wanted to humiliate us and wanted to accuse us of falsehood, and wanted to get nearer to their leaders through lies. After the passing away of Hassan (a.s) this became very common during the time of Muawiyah. At that time, in every city, Shias were killed, their hands and feet were cut off and they were hanged on accusations of their being near to us and talking about their love for us."
The authoritative account of the sectarian division that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. The majority argued that the new leader of Islam should be elected by the community's elite. Others believed only members of Muhammad's family could lead. This dispute over whoshould guide Muslims, the appointed Caliph or the bloodline Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to thepresent day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islams two main branches, particularly after the Muslim Empires embraced sectarian identity. It reveals how colonial rule institutionalised divisions between Sunnism and Shiism both on the Indian subcontinent and in the greater Middle East, giving rise to pan-Islamic resistance and Sunni and Shii revivalism. It then focuseson the fall-out from the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US-led military intervention in Iraq. As Matthiesen shows, however, though Sunnism and Shiism have had a long and antagonistic history, mostMuslims have led lives characterised by confessional ambiguity and peaceful co-existence. Tensions arise when sectarian identity becomes linked to politics. Based on a synthesis of decades of scholarship in numerous languages, The Caliph and the Imam will become the standard text for readers looking for a deeper understanding of contemporary sectarian conflict and its historical roots.
The Middle East has become a flash point for extremism and intrareligious violence, as well as a cultural debacle of women's rights. From the current derelict state of women's rights in the Arab world to the current sectarian divide in Iraq and the ongoing hatred between Shia and Sunni Muslims, this book demonstrates the genesis of the collapse of the original Islam of Mohammad and the core of the split of these two sects of Islam while also looking deep within one of the most powerful struggles for women's rights the struggle led by Fatima, the daughter of Mohammad, that took place in the early days of the religion Shattered explores what took place during and after these events. It presents a unique history of the Muslim world, touching on the ramifications of Fatima's stand for Women's rights and the seeds of dissension planted at the death of Mohammad, while touching on all of the crucial events from past to present that have turned horribly violent as a result of simple misinterpretations of the Quran and traditions by extremist groups, such as those responsible for the horrible terrorist actions that took place on 9/11. This book will provide an in-depth analysis of some crucial movements within Islam that have nurtured the hate drawn from hundreds of years of history as well as provide forward-looking analysis on the concepts of freedom in Islam, human rights, women's rights, and modernist views, as well as reformist views and their place in Islam.
The life and legacy of one of Mohammad’s closest confidants and Islam’s patron saint: Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib is arguably the single most important spiritual and intellectual authority in Islam after prophet Mohammad. Through his teachings and leadership as fourth caliph, Ali nourished Islam. But Muslims are divided on whether he was supposed to be Mohammad’s political successor—and he continues to be a polarizing figure in Islamic history. Hassan Abbas provides a nuanced, compelling portrait of this towering yet divisive figure and the origins of sectarian division within Islam. Abbas reveals how, after Mohammad, Ali assumed the spiritual mantle of Islam to spearhead the movement that the prophet had led. While Ali’s teachings about wisdom, justice, and selflessness continue to be cherished by both Shia and Sunni Muslims, his pluralist ideas have been buried under sectarian agendas and power politics. Today, Abbas argues, Ali’s legacy and message stands against that of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Taliban.
Islam is about the unity of humanity and the sovereignty of the Creator. This book examines the various aspects of that unity and sovereignty. The idea of the Khilafah is analyzed from all the available texts. The duties and requirements of the rulers and the ruled are laid out in a simple way. The book is a literary look at the structure of government. Application will be determined by the realities of the time and place. It is a complex idea that needs further understanding to fully grasp its necessity.
This is the first translation of a classic work (Bahth fi nnsh' at 'ilm al ta' rikh 'inda l-'Arab) by the eminent Arab historian A. A. Duri. Published in Beirut in 1960, Duri's book was the first comprehensive effort to trace the origins and early development of Arab historical writing, and to resolve some extremely complex and still debated questions about the reliability of the Arabic historical sources. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.