Shīʿī Islam: An Introduction

Introduction to Religion

by Najam Haider

The initial centuries after Muḥammad's death witnessed the proliferation of diverse ideas and beliefs. It was during this period of roughly three centuries that two particular intellectual traditions emerged, Sunnism and Shīʿism. Sunni Muslims endorsed the historical caliphate, whereas Shīʿī Muslims lent their support to ʿAli, cousin of the Prophet and the fourth caliph. The Shīʿī also articulated a distinctive set of theological doctrines concerning the nature of God and legitimate political and religious authority. This book examines the development of Shīʿī Islam through the lenses of belief, narrative, and memory. In an accessible yet nuanced manner, it conceives of Shīʿism as a historical project undertaken by a segment of the early Muslim community that felt dispossessed. It also also covers, for the first time in English, a wide range of Shīʿī communities from the demographically predominant Twelvers to the transnational Ismāʿīlīs to the scholar-activist Zaydīs. The resulting portrait of Shīʿism reveals a distinctive and vibrant Muslim community with a remarkable capacity for reinvention and adaptation, grounded in a unique theological interpretation of Islam.

Genres: Islam, Religion, History, Middle East, Nonfiction

266 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2014

Reviews

[Mohamad Ballan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book which provides a good, comprehensive introduction to the subject with a good balance between a discussion of modern and pre-modern manifestations of Shi'ism. Non-specialists will be grateful for the straightforward prose and absence of a plethora of technical jargon, while specialists will appreciate the author's sound methodological approach. Haider does a particularly good job demonstrating that the central narratives of Shi'i Islam--not unlike those of Sunnism--crystallized centuries after the death of the Prophet, in close conversation with developments in theology. His use of sources are excellent and each section includes a list of further readings for those wishing to learn more. The sections on Zaydism were particularly well-researched and written, and represent the most original contribution of the work. It was refreshing to see a work on Shi'i Islam that explored both its complex and ever-changing relationship with Sunni Islam, while also charting the major developments and transformations that took place within the Twelver, Zaydi and Isma'ili forms of the faith over the centuries. This is a book that should be mandatory reading for both undergraduate and graduate survey courses on Islamic history.

For those particularly interested in the early period of Shi'ism, I would also highly recommend the author's "The Origins of the Shi'a."

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed introduction to the varied and diverse world of Shi'i Islam. Haider's discussion of Mutazili influences in various of branches of Shi'i Islam and its evolution were very helpful in understanding the similarities and differences between the Shi'a and the Sunni as well as differences within Shi'i Islam as well. The book focused on the three main branches of Shi'i Islam: Zaydis (fivers), Isma'ilis (seveners), and Twelvers. Personally I would have enjoyed enjoyed more thorough investigation of other Shi'a subgroups such as the Bohras in India or schismatic groups like the Druze, Alevis, and Alawites, but given some of those groups tenuous association with Islam I understand why the author opted to focus more broadly.

In my opinion, the most valuable aspect of this study was how it connected theological evolution to the historical trends, events, and movements in the Islamic world. For anyone seeking a better understanding of Shi'i Islam or even Islam more broadly, I highly recommend this book.

[C. Varn · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a intermediate text

A very useful but not entirely introductory text. Haider explains the difference between Zaydi, Ismaeli, and Twelver Shi'i in terms of theology, history, and ideas about the Imamate. The political histories involved are often detailed as well as different principles of theological reasoning. Haider also goes into the changes of each group in response to various empires as well as adapting to modernity. You do need to be familiar with Islam in general as well have some grasp of Middle Eastern and North African history for a complete context.

[Faheem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read about Shi’ism the better this book gets; a clear-eyed nuts and bolts introduction for outsiders.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great find, this logically structured introduction includes all the things you need to know about the main three Shi'i belief systems, while leading nice intriguing trails to things you might want to look up. The book starts with a summary of the core beliefs of Shi'i groups and the things that distinguish the Zaydi, Twelver and Ishmaili groups, including a handy reference table for bonus points. From here, Haider moves to outlining the main history of each group (origins, and development into modern forms) and then finishes by talking about contemporary Shi'i beliefs and organisation. All in a few hundred pages.
Obviously, with a work this condensed, there are some choices. Haider assumes you are familiar with the basics of Islamic beliefs, and also the basics of the early & medieval history. If you don't have either of those things, I'd suggest picking up a biography of the prophet, and something on the basics of Islamic ideas first. In the later material on Twelver Shi'i in particular, some understanding of 20th Century Iranian history probably helps too, although Haider summarises the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini neatly enough. I wished I had more Yemeni history a few times, especially given the current crisis. Haider spent more emphasis explaining the Ishmaili/Aga Khan developments, which I had no background in and yet followed fine.
I came out of this much, much clearer about how Shi'i beliefs and societies work. Although Syria is barely mentioned, I felt like I started to understand things I hadn't before about what is happenning there, how it affects politics in Iran, and why Shi'i groups seem to be so involved with questions of state power; and the balance between rational/logic based judicial systems and reliance on divinely appointed individuals.
A small bonus was the focus on Ali Shariati's engagement with Fanon. A nice insight into how ideas are formed and changed. In general, Haider's focus on pointing to the importance of social and economic factors in determining politics was welcome, especially in dealing with Sunni/Shi'i violence. One of the few parts of the book where Haider's emotions are identifiable, his curt explanations for how shortage of resources, often imposed from outside, can inflame tensions between different groups is gold.
Highly recommended.

[Alavvii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Najam Haider takes the reader on a magisterial journey through the vast and diverse landscape of Shi'i thought in his "Shi'i Islam: an Introduction". The book is not an introduction or guide to Islam in general, and therefore he focuses exclusively what distinguishes Shi'i Muslims from Sunni Muslims, and furthermore what distinguishes the three main sects of Shi'i Islam from one another. Beginning in section one Haider focuses on the hallmarks of Shi'i theology: 'adl or Divine Justice, and the Imamate or office of succession and leadership. He does what many books on Shi'ism fail to do and gives both the Zaydi and Ismaili sects equal treatment along with the much larger and better known Twelver group. Section two of the book describes the "origins and fragmentation" of a distinct Shi'i sectarian identity after the death of the Prophet, as well as the foundation of the three main sects of Shi'ism beginning with the uprising of Zayd ibn 'Ali for the Zaydis, the disputed heir of Jafar al-Sadiq for the Isma'ilis, and the occultation of Hujjah ibn Hasan al-Mahdi for the Twelvers. Sections three and four are essentially brief histories with some more in-depth analysis of certain watershed moments such as occultation of the 12th Imam, establishment of the Safavid state etc The last sections explains where these groups stand in modern times with Zaydis teetering between Sunni traditionalism and classical manifestations of Zaydism, the modernization of Nizari Isma'ilis and the globalization efforts of the Agha Khan Development Network, and lastly the evolution of Twelver political expression through the writings of Ali Shariati and the establishment of a Twelver theocratic state in Iran under the auspices of Ayatollah Khomayni.

Pro: directs the reader to further reading after each section to explore each topic more in depth
Con: Speaks little on Shi'ism in Iraq, India (except for the part on Ismailis) and Lebanon, however talks more about Shiism in Yemen than any other generalist book on the subject.

Highly recommended for students of Shi'ism and Islam in general already familiar with the basics.

[Saqib Qureshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent overview of its title - does a terrific job of elucidating Shia’ism, capturing its various twists and turns. I recommend this

[Muhammad Mudasir · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is remarkably nuanced and rigorous in his approach. Highly recommended to anyone seeking to learn more about Shia Islam.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best introductory texts on Shi'i Islam. It approaches Shi'ism from a principally doctrinal perspective, rather than taking a historical approach. I can be supplemented with another general survey of Islam to get the historical bits on the Sunni-Shiite split.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic book by the US based academic from an Indian Shia background (my guess) so obviously it’s a Shia perspective. The book covers the history behind Sunni/Shia split and follows the historic development of the three main Shia groups: Zayyadis of Yemen, Ismailis and the Twelvers. Author also explains how particular Shia-specific beliefs influenced the historic development of these communities and how theological framework of Shiism evolved over time. The book provides overview of the current conditions and contemporary challenges that each of these groups are facing. Sunni/Shia relations are discussed in a separate chapter.
Book is written in an academic style, well researched, full of useful footnotes and provides a reading list if one wants to learn more about a particular topic.
It’s a good starting point for a reader interested in the Shia history and the nature of Shia beliefs. Some background understanding of Islamic beliefs is required and the comparison of Sunni and Shia beliefs is beyond the scope of this book.