شیعه در اسلام

by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, سید هادی خسرو شاهی (به کوشش)

Despite a growing interest in the last hundred years in both orientalism and comparative religions, and the fact that there are over fifty million Shi'a Muslims, until now there has been no thorough and objective study of that part of Islam called Shi'ism for Western scholars. The present work provides a clear account of the origin, history, and doctrines of an important sector of the Muslim religious community. It is written by a distinguished leader of that community, who, in addition to possessing a thorough knowledge of its traditional history and literature, presents its rational-philosophic, traditional-legal, and gnostic-mystical elements with warmth and sympathy. The result is a well-integrated general picture which succeeds in giving the reader a clear and comprehensive picture of how the Shi'ite Muslim views his religion.

Genres: Islam, Religion, History, Theology, Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction

216 pages

First published June 1, 1979

About the author

Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāʾī was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam, influencing the fathers of the 1979 Islamic Revolution such as Motahhari and Beheshti. He is famous for Tafsir al-Mizan, a twenty-seven-volume work of Quranic exegesis, which he worked on from 1954 until 1972. He studied gnosis, mathematics, jurisprudence and Ali ibn Sina's "Book of Healing" at Najaf, Iraq.

سید محمدحسین طباطبایی (زاده ۱۲۸۱ تبریز - درگذشته ۲۴ آبان ۱۳۶۰ قم) معروف‌به علامه طباطبایی روحانی، عارف، فیلسوف و نویسنده ایرانی بود. وی از مجتهدان شیعه و از برترین مدرسان حوزه علمیه قم به شمار می‌آمد، که از شاگردان وی می‌توان به مرتضی مطهری، عبدالله جوادی آملی، محمدتقی مصباح یزدی، حسن حسن زاده آملی، سید محمد بهشتی، سیدعلی خامنه‌ای، سید جلال الدین آشتیانی، هادی خسروشاهی، مرتضی تهرانی، محمد مفتح، احمد احمدی، علی قدوسی، محمدرضا مهدوی کنی، غلامحسین ابراهیمی دینانی، علی احمدی میانجی، سید عزالدین حسینی زنجانی، محمد محمدی گیلانی، سید موسی صدر، سید محمد علی قاضی طباطبایی،علی سعادت پرور و جعفر سبحانی اشاره کرد.

تفسیر المیزان، نهایةالحکمة، رسالة الولایه، شیعه در اسلام، حاشیه بر اسفار صدرالدین شیرازی و اصول فلسفه و روش رئالیسم بخشی از مهمترین آثار اوست.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approaching religion in general and Islam in particular as a seeker drawn to the esoteric or deep underlying meaning of religious truisms, I was blessed to be able to be influenced heavily by Sufism during my conversion process and subsequently in my life as a Muslim. I specifically have steered clear of sectarian divisions between Sunni-Shia during this time as I have tried to the best of my abilities to understand the basics of all of Islam: Qur'an, Hadith, common Islamic theology, Shariah, metaphysical concepts, etc... Yet the more one progresses in the faith, the harder it is to ignore these differences as various theological and doctrinal issues demand attention. My very practice of Islam has by default been Sunni as it was simply the way that the prayers, rituals and pillars of Islam were first presented to me.

As to the differences between Sunni-Shia, I've had a sense from the start that Shi'ism places a greater emphasis (generally speaking) on the esoteric. What this book has been able to do is to clarify exactly how that doctrinal perspective presents itself in Shi'ism, which in its symbolic form is not much different from the way the spiritual chain of transmission works in Sufism. The idea of a leader in the spiritual realm (in the form of the imamate in Shi'ism, and the Sufi master in Sufism) is a profound mystical idea that makes sense if we also consider that everything in the physical world is a manifestation of a higher spiritual reality.

The book of course expands on the basis for the Shia split from the Sunni majority in the history of the Caliphate and particularly the events surrounding the selection of Abu Bakr over Ali for the position of First Caliph. One interesting side note is that most Sufi orders in the Sunni world trace their spiritual ancestry to the Prophet directly through the figure of Ali.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote the lengthy preface to this book and several of the appendices as well. I have a great deal of respect for Nasr, who writes on many different elements of Islam. His focus in the preface is commendable in that he stresses the need for understanding through unity - that unity being that the fundamentals of the faith (Qur'an, Tawhid, final Prophetic figure of Muhammad) are the same in both Sunni and Shia. Yet he also emphasizes that there is room in the divine plan for different orthodox interpretations of one truth: "Within each religion as well, especially within those that have been destined for many ethnic groups, different orthodox interpretations of the tradition, of the one heavenly message, have been necessary to guarantee the integration of the different psychological and ethnic groupings into a single spiritual perspective." (9)

I wish I had found this book a while ago. I thank the brother who referred this to me here on Goodreads. It's a clear, concise read of the basics of Shia beliefs and is much needed as an English source. Highly recommended.

[Mehwish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the most beautiful books that I had read on Islam in general.

This book was not about what is right with Shi'ism and wrong with Sunnism (as per my original perception since it is written by a Shia Scholar), on the contrary it was a complete guidebook for understanding Islam as a whole.

The breakdown of chapters:
Chapter One was dedicated to the split between Sunni and Shia and continued onto the second chapter which talked about the divisions within Shia Islam. Chapters Three, Four and Six were a philosophical treatise. Chapter Five was dedicated to the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) and chapter Seven to the Twelve Imams.



I will recommend it blindfold to anyone who wants a Scholarly perspective on Shi'ite Islam.

[Hagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t have picked a better book introducing Shi'ism. Allamah Tabataba'i writes about a complex—and at times even conflicting—history with such smoothness that it’s clearly the work of a master. (there's a seven-part Iranian documentary on him on yt, and he’s a fascinating figure in his own right.) Over the past few days, I’ve been so completely immersed in this history that I feel an almost intimate connection to it.

[Abrmim · Rating 5 out of 5]

بسم اللّه

دقت علامه در انتخاب کلمه و موقع سخن ستودنی است. هرگز چنین کتابی را روزنامه وار یا حتی کتاب وار نمی شود خواند. قدم به قدم با کلماتش باید پیش رفت و در هر کدام تأمل کرد. درست متوجه می شوی که با ذهنی منظم و پرداخته روبرویی. اعتقادم این است که شیعه در اسلام را همچو منی به تنهایی نمی تواند بخواند و استادی حاذق نیاز دارد تا دقایق سخنان ایشان را بشکافد. وگرنه، صرفاً کتابی خوانده شده و لحظاتی گذشته. این روزها خود بنده و معدودی از رفقا این اقبال را داریم که این کتاب را در محضر مردی محقق پیش ببریم.

[MM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good introduction on the topic. Seyyed Hossein Nasr's introduction provides a background into why this text was written, which is a good way in which to read the book - directed at modern audiences, introductory, not polemical, etc.

The text itself is really superb and very readable. It goes through the origins and history of Shiism (and provides hadith-proofs for Shi'ism), the major Shiite divisions, Shii thought on matters such as eschatology, the role of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the conception of God, and concludes with a brief history of each of the 12 Imams.

As someone who has never understood the rationale behind imamah (both historical and philosophical justifications), Allamah Tabatabai's book served as an excellent introduction. Although I have outstanding questions, it had the right mix of philosophy with history to whet my appetite.

Highly recommended.

[Payam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory book to Shi'a Islam. The core principles are explained in sufficient detail by an authoritative individual. Having said that, the book is not exhaustive in its arguments nor does it satisfy a person's search for Shi'a answers. It is simply an introductory book. A good read overall.

[Καιρὸς · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introduction to the Shiite tradition within Islam. I had a strange dream the day I picked this book up pertaining to Ali and because of this I was unable to put the book down.

[Muhamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

قسمت توحید، نبوت، و معاد فوق العاده بود

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

In assigning stars to a book on religion, I don't presume to evaluate the substance of an author's faith, and for this book, I am wholly unqualified to judge whether Tabatabai accurately summarizes and reflects the history and core beliefs of the Shi'a tradition. However, the version I read, translated into English by Sayyid Husayn Nasr, provides an excellent and accessible overview of the history of Shi'ite faith. The proofs of God and the discussion of divine characteristics and qualities show the influence of Aristotle on Islamic philosophy. The detailed histories of the twelve imams in the last chapter are fascinating. Overall, the book affirms the Sunni and Shi'ite traditions as mostly very similar, but consistently implies that Shi'ite beliefs and practices are just a little more rigorous and sophisticated. The footnotes are excellent, and include fine editor's notes that explain unclear references in the text.

[مهدی کرامتی · Rating 5 out of 5]

استادکنترگراگ، مدیر مسئول بخش مطالعه ادیان در دانشگاه کولگیت آمریکا، در سفری به ایران همراه دکتر نصر خدمت استادْعلامه طباطبایی می رسند و وی به ایشان اطلاع می دهد که در غرب -به ویژه آمریکا- هیچ منبع معتبری دربارۀ تشیع وجود ندارد و طبعا دانشگاها در تدریس عقاید شیعه در بخش ادیان، به منابع غیرشیعی مراجعه می کنند. استادْعلامه وقتی از اهمیت موضوع مطلع می شوند به تالیف قرآن در اسلام و شیعه در اسلام می پردازند که هر دو کتاب به انگلیسی هم ترجمه شده و در دانشگاه های معتبر دنیا تدریس می شود
در جست و جوی امر قدسی ص 128 تهران، نشرنی 1385

[Laya.Soflaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

یه کتاب عالی برای کسی که میخواد حداقل بدونه چرا شیعه!

[Hassan Albather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Arabic version but this edition is the closest in page count.

Review:

في اعتقادي أن انتقاء الكتب الفكرية يختلف عن بقية المصنفات سيّما الكتب الدينيّة لحساسية محتواها وما يبنى عليه من أثر، فتبدأ عملية التحليل والاستقراء حتى قبل مرحلة القراءة وتتضخّم أهمية المصدر والمؤلف والمصادر التي ترتكز عليها المادة المطروحة. لذا تُعد القراءة بعينٍ ناقدة مترصّدة للأخطاء والمغالطات والحجج الواهية إحدى أساليب السلامة التي يعوّل عليها القارئ خوفاً من الغرق في تيّارات الفِرق والأحزاب ومطامحها باستمالة المريدين.
ومن هذا المنطلق يلجئ الباحث الى النصوص الموصى بها ليس من ذوي الاختصاص وحسب، وإنما من يثق بصفاء نيّتهم، عمق اطلاعهم، وسلامة منهجيتهم. ومع ذلك لا يخفت الشك والارتياب في خُلد المتلقي أثناء التعاطي مع الأطروحة فهو يتجاذب معها، يساجلها، يتحاور معها، يحكم عليها وعلى كاتبها وإلا وُصمت قراءته بالسذاجة اذا تشرّبها كحقيقة مُطلقة لا يعتريها الزلل.
بدأتُ بقراءة "الشيعة في الإسلام" بهذه الروح في ثالث قراءاتي الجعفرية، بعد فترة من البحث في العناوين والكتب المشهورة في هذا المجال، بالأخص الكتب التي تُصنَّف بالشمولية والتي تستهدف القارئ العام لمن يريد معرفة المدارس الفكرية الإسلامية المختلفة، مناشئ اختلافاتها، جذور الخلافات، منهجياتها في التعاطي مع الموروث التاريخي والأدبيات المشتركة، عطفاً على الهدف الأعم وهو توسعة الأفق وبناء صورة واضحة للهوية الإسلامية في ظل الضوضاء والغثاء السائد.
توفّرت هذه التطلّعات وأكثر في كتاب السيّد محمد طباطبائي حيث تناول ب��ثه ثلاثة أوجه مركزية: كيفية نشوء التشيّع، الفكر الديني لدى الشيعة، والمعتقدات الإسلامية من وجهة نظر الشيعة الإمامية. بدأ المؤلف مع ذكر انطلاقة التشيّع وأسباب انفصاله عن الأكثرية من أهل السنة قبل أن ي��شعّب في بحثه مستعرضاً نظرةً مجهرية وشمولية للتشعبات الفكرية الإسلامية، مقومات اشتقاقها، خريطة زمنية للطائفة الشيعية، الثوابت التي يقوم عليها المذهب، وكيفية معالجته لموارد الخلاف مع الحواضن الفكرية الأخرى بالإضافة الى معالجة مكامن التساؤلات لدى الباحث.
الاطروحة تتسم بالموضوعية، والشفافية، والطرح السهل الممتنع. المؤلف صاحب قلم بليغ ينتقي الكلمات لإيجازها وايصالها المعلومة بشكل مباشر كما أنه اجاد في استخدام الهوامش بما يضفي لتجربة القراءة بشكل كبير. المادة تعاني، كغيرها، من التحرير السيء والأخطاء الطباعية والترجمة الركيكة في بعض الأحيان الا أن هذا لا يقلل من قيمة الكتاب أو يحرم القارئ من المعلومة المثرية.
الكتاب رائع إلى أبعد حد وأنصح به الجميع.

[Haider Hussain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is meant as an explanation of the basic Islamic beliefs from the eye of a Shia theologian. However, I was more interested in knowing how an acclaimed Faqih and shia philosopher explains the ontology of God. Thus, for me, two most important parts of the book are where Allama Tabatabai discusses methods of religious thought (Ch. III) and the knowledge of God (Ch. IV).

Allama Tabatabai defines the three methods of attaining religious knowledge i.e., external meaning (which is meant for everyone), philosophical or esoteric meaning (which is available for the learned) and spiritual meaning (which is only available for the selected few). From there, and with the help of philosophical argument, he explains the knowledge about God's existence. However, here, the only argument Allama Tabatabi employs in order to prove the existence of God is the Design Argument - and that too in its basic form - without addressing the strong criticism this argument is subjected to.

Another important part of the book is Tabatabai’s discussion on the divine qualities.
He carefully splits divine qualities into qualities of action and qualities of essence. Qualities of action are those which require an external phenomenon or action to actualize the quality. For instance, God’s quality as a giver of life can be actualized only after witnessing a life form. Tabatabai’s point is that we often attribute God’s qualities of action to His essence. This is an error, for His qualities of action are in addition to His qualities of essence. Tabatabai’s subtle message is that while qualities of action are known, qualities of essence require spiritual perfection.

All in all, it is a worthy read.

[Jaafar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most succinct, yet informative and inspiring outlook on the essence of the shi’i creed written by a globally admired scholar and gnostic. An Islamically compatible philosophical take on the distinct pillars of the shi’i faith complimented by historically sound narratives. Your go-to book for introductory studies on Shi’a Islam.

[Sagheer Afzal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, concise overview of Shi'ism. Although some of the prophecies by the sixth Imam do seem to me to be outlandish, there is no doubt that Shi'ism has more theological validity than Sunnism. Upon reading Nahjul Balagha; you can see that Hazrat Ali was the best suited for the caliphate.

[Mohd Sufian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory book on Shia Islam. But it is not an easy read and in many parts the wordings are too complicated to understand. A lot of philosophical arguments were presented in advancing the author's position and it may be too esoteric to comprehend. For this reason, I give only 3 stars.

[Arbaaz Nobeebux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the Shia creed. I benefitted a lot.

[Rohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise overview of Shiism, covering its history, main sects, and theological and philosophical developments. The book delves into the esoteric dimensions of Shia thought, particularly the role of the Imams as spiritual guides and bearers of hidden knowledge. Tabatabaei also explores the Shia approach to Islamic mysticism and its emphasis on inward, metaphysical understanding. While the political history of Sunni-Shia relations can be a bit dry at times, the book effectively captures the foundations of Shia doctrine and its deeper, spiritual aspects.

[Garth Hekler]

THis book is a follow up to "An introduction to Shi'i Islam." While the former book falls into the category of crtical scholarship, this book is written by very well respected Shia scholar. This book was billed as an important inseiders view of the Shia branch of Islam.