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) →

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) →

“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 →

The Mystery of the Shroud A Comparative Study of Shīʿī and Sunni Reports   Introduction What was the Messenger of Allah shrouded in? Not an inconsequential question for Muslims who seek to model all aspects of their lives on that of a man whom they consider their exemplar par excellence. A strange thing happens, however, … Continue reading The Mystery of the Shroud →

Additional Evidence for the Meaning of Ḥarf I have argued that the key term Ḥarf referred to a pre-standardization Qirāʾa (recitation) associated with a certain companion i.e. the specific wording by which a companion recited the Qur’an was his Ḥarf. Some of the evidence to support this has already been presented in a previous installment, … Continue reading Tahrif or Not? A Shi’i Perspective on the Seven Ahruf Reports (Pt. IV) →