Intellectual Interactions in the Islamic World: The Ismaili Thread(Shi'i Heritage Series)

I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies How has the Ismaili branch of Shi'i Islam interacted with other Islamic communities throughout history? The groups and movements that make up Islamic civilisation are diverse and varied yet, while scholarship has analysed many branches of Islam in isolation, the exchanges and mutual influences between them has not been sufficiently recognised. This book traces the interactions between Ismaili intellectual thought and the philosophies of other Islamic groups to shed light on the complex and interwoven nature of Islamic civilisation. Based on a broad range of primary sources from the early medieval to the late nineteenth century, the book brings together different disciplines within Islamic Studies to cover polemical and doctrinal literature, law, mysticism, rituals and philosophy. The main Ismaili groups, such as the Fatimids, Nizaris and Tayyibis, are represented, as well as lesser known traditions such as that associated with the mountain region of Badakhshan in Central Asia. Religious syncretism, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and in Yemen, is considered alongside cultural interactions as reflected in the circulation of books in Fatimid markets, and various literary and mythical traditions, some still little explored. The chapters include contributions from leading experts in the field shed new light on the close and complex relationships very different Islamic groups and movements have enjoyed throughout the centuries.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK. PART I: In the Eyes of Others: Mutual Reflections in Polemical and Doctrinal Literature 1. Sunni Perceptions of the Ismailis: Medieval Perspectives Farhad Daftary, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 2. Ismaili Polemics Against Opponents in the Early Fatimid Period Paul E. Walker, The University of Chicago, USA 3. On the Limited Representation of the Ismailis in al-Saduq's (d. 381/991) Kamal al-din Roy Vilozny, The University of Haifa, Israel 4. 'The Places where the Wrestler is Thrown Down' (Masari' al-musari') and the Question of Tusi's Rejection of his Prior Nizari Identity Toby Mayer, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART II: Authority and Law 5. Ismaili and Sunni Elaborations of the Sources of Law: The Kitab al-Majalis wa'l-musayarat by al-Qadi Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man and the Risala of al-Shafi'i: A Comparative Study Agostino Cilardo, University of Naples "L'Orientale", Italy 6. Sacrifice, Circumcision and the Ruler in the Medieval Islamic West: The Ismaili-Fatimid Legacy Maribel Fierro, Spanish National Research Council, Spain 7. Human Action, God's Will: Further Thoughts on the Divine Command (amr) in the Teachings of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-'Arabi (560-638/1165-1240) Michael Ebstein, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel PART III: The Ikhwan al-Safa', Theosophical and philosophical trends 8. Onto-cosmology and Hierohistory in the Manuscript Tradition of the Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa' Carmela Baffioni, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 9. Extra-Ismaili Sources and a Shift of Paradigm in Nizari Ismailism Daryoush Mohammad Poor, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 10. Nature according to Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani (d. after 411/1020–21) and Mulla Sadra (d. 1050/1640): Ismaili Influence on a Twelver Thinker or Dependence on Common Sources Janis Esots, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART IV: Mystical Trends 11. Early Ismailis and Other Muslims: Polemics and Borrowing in Kitab al-Kashf Mushegh Asatryan, The University of Calgary, Canada 12. The Intellectual Interactions of Yemeni Tayyibism with the Early Shi'i Tradition Daniel De Smet, KU Leuven, Belgium 13. The Nizari Ismaili Theory of the Resurrection (Qiyama) and Post-Mongol Iranian Messianism Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART V: Ismaili-Sufi Relationships in Badakhshan 14. Ismaili-Sufi and Ismaili-Twelver Relations in Badakhshan in the Post-Alamut Period: The Chiragh-nama Nourmamadcho Nourmamadchoev, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 15. The Concept of Wilaya in Mubarak-i Wakhani's Chihil Dunya: A Traditional Ismaili-Sufi Perspective on the Origins of Divine Guidance Abdulmamad Iloliev, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART VI: The Interaction and Circulation of Knowledge across Religious and Geographical Boundaries 16. Beyond Space and Time: The Itinerant Life of Books in the Fatimid Market Place Delia Cortese, Middlesex University London, UK 17. On the Cusp of 'Islamic' and 'Hindu' Worldviews The Ginan Literature and the Dialectics of Self and Other Wafi A. Momin, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 18. Spring's Equinox: Nawruz in Ismaili Thought Shafique N. Virani, The University of Toronto, Canada 19. Yemeni Ismailism in Jewish Philosophy, 6th/12th to 11th/17th Centuries: A General Historical Sketch Mauro Zonta, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

About the Author :
Orkhan Mir-Kasimov is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. Previously, he lectured at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes and the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations (INALCO) in Paris and worked at various research centres in France and Germany, including the Institute for Advanced Study of Nantes and the Free University of Berlin. He has published works on various aspects of Islamic mysticism and messianism, focusing on the late medieval and early modern periods, including Words of Power: Hurufi Teachings between Shi'ism and Sufism in Medieval Islam (2015), and Christian Apocalyptic Texts in Islamic Messianic Discourse (2017).