''Shi'ite Islam'' is a text on the history and thought of
Shi'a Islam.
Written by
Muhammed H. Al-Tabataba'i, with the translation, editing, and introduction by
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (; fa, سید حسین نصر, born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian philosopher and University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University.
Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in Iran and the United St ...
, it was the first text to be written by a high ranking Shi'a scholar and intended for western readership.
How it began
In 1962,
Kenneth Morgan, university
chaplain and professor of religious studies at
Colgate University, initiated a project to produce a text specifically dealing with
Shi'a Islam, introducing the Islamic sect to the non Muslim western reader, written from a true
Shi'a perspective.
The aim of Professor Morgan to have a description of Shi'ism by one of the respected traditional scholars of the
Shi'a, led him and collaborator
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (; fa, سید حسین نصر, born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian philosopher and University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University.
Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in Iran and the United St ...
, to
Allamah Tabataba'i in 1963.
Allameh Tabatabaei was thought of by some as a pillar of intellectual Shi'a thought who combined interest in jurisprudence and Quranic commentary with philosophy,
theosophy
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...
, and
Sufism, and represented a more universal interpretation of the Shi'a point of view.
The project took six years to complete, and was followed by two more extending volumes.
William Chittick
William C. Chittick (born 29 June 1943) is an American philosopher, writer, translator and interpreter of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts. He is best known for his work on Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and has written extensively on the ...
of
SUNY collaborated with the editing, and the book was published by the
State University of New York Press in 1975.
It remains a classic textbook for
Westerners
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. trying to gain an introductory understanding of
Shi'a Islam.
External links
*
Barnes and Noble reference item'
*
'
*
SUNY Press reference item'
Books by Hossein Nasr
SUNY Press books
1979 non-fiction books
Books by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
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