Author: al-dodomi

A Re-Evaluation of the Tafḍīl of ʿAlī in Early Islam (Pt. 1)

يا هذا كيف بليت بك؟ وأي ريح هبت إلي بك؟ سمعت الحسن بن صالح يقول: سمعت جعفر بن محمد يقول: حب علي عبادة، وأفضل العبادة ما كتم “O man - how did we cross paths and what wind blew you to me?!  … I heard Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad (al-Ṣādiq) say: ‘Love of ʿAlī is worship, … Continue reading A Re-Evaluation of the Tafḍīl of ʿAlī in Early Islam (Pt. 1) →

Critiquing “Crisis”: The Portrayal of Al-ʿAskarī as an Example (Pt. 1)

Introduction One of the most important monographs on the history of early Shīʿīsm in western academia is the 1993 work by Hossein Modarressi, “Crisis and Consolidation in the Formative Period of Shīʿīte Islam”. Written by an erudite scholar who combines both traditional ḥawza learning and secular academic training, the book has been extremely influential in … Continue reading Critiquing “Crisis”: The Portrayal of Al-ʿAskarī as an Example (Pt. 1) →

Belief during the Ghayba: al-Zurārī’s Correspondence with the Hidden Imam

Introduction Why did the overwhelming majority of Hadith narrators and learned scholars in the Imami community, many sincere individuals among them, prominent even before the beginning of the ghayba (occultation), coalesce around the belief in the existence of a hidden Imam whom they had not personally seen? It is this faction, after all, which became … Continue reading Belief during the Ghayba: al-Zurārī’s Correspondence with the Hidden Imam →

Proving the Authenticity of Imami Law: A Case Study

“There is no judgment that is pronounced correctly and pursuant to the truth except that its origin, key, cause, and knowledge proceeds from ʿAlī and ourselves. But when contradictions arose and the matter became confusing to them they resorted to using qiyās (analogy) and acting upon raʾy (reasoned opinion). So whenever they apply qiyās they … Continue reading Proving the Authenticity of Imami Law: A Case Study →