Part I. Narratives and Methods: 1. Kufa and the classical narratives of early Shi'ism; 2. Confronting the source barrier: a new methodology; Part II. Case Studies: 3. In the name of God: the Basmala; 4. Curses and invocations: the Qunūt in the ritual prayer; 5. Drinking matters: the Islamic debate over prohibition; Part III. The Emergence of Shi'ism: 6. Dating sectarianism: early Zaydism and the politics of perpetual revolution; 7. The problem of the ambiguous transmitter: ritual and the allocation of identity; 8. The mosque and the procession: sacred spaces and the construction of community; 9. Conclusion.
This path-breaking book challenges earlier scholarship in its examination of the origins and development of the Shi'a.
Najam Haider is Assistant Professor of Religion at Barnard College in New York City.
'Haider's study makes an important and much-needed contribution to
the study of the origins of Imâmî and Zaydî Shiʿism as independent
branches of Islam. Through his analysis of ritual practice, the
legality of intoxicating drinks, and the emergence of distinct
ritual locations, Haider produces a compelling case for the central
role of legal discursive analysis of Kûfan ḥadîth in the
articulation of Imâmî and Zaydî Shiʿi religious, political, and
social identities. The Origins of the Shîʿa will be of interest to
many in the fields of Islamic history, ritual studies, and law, and
[Haider's] extensive use of charts to organize and explain his data
and highly structured chapters make this complex historical data
readable …' Karen G. Ruffle, Journal of the American Oriental
Society
'This study provides a significant contribution to the fields of
Shīʿi studies, Islamic law and early history of Islam, but perhaps
mostly to ḥadīth studies. Haider successfully implements a new
method on Muslim traditions and reaches ground-breaking conclusions
regarding the origins of early Shīʿism.' Seyfeddin Kara, Ilahiyat
Studies: A Journal on Islamic and Religious Studies
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