Caliphate and Imamate
An Anthology of Medieval Muslim Texts on Political Theology

An anthology of classical Arabic texts debating legitimate power and authority in the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad.

Hassan Ansari (Edited by), Nebil Husayn (Edited by)

9781316510339, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 November 2023

250 pages
22.2 x 14.6 x 1.9 cm, 0.44 kg

One of the most enduring sources of conflict among Muslims is the question of power and authority after the Prophet Muhammad. This anthology of classical Arabic texts, presented in a new English translation, offers a comprehensive overview of the early history of the caliphate and key questions that medieval Muslim scholars discussed in their works on the subject. Composed between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, these texts succinctly present competing views on the prerequisites of legitimate leadership and authority in the Islamic tradition. This volume offers an engaging introduction to the diverse writings of influential scholars representing six classical Islamic schools of theology: Sunnism, Zaydism, Twelver Shiʿism, Muʿtazilism, Ibadism, and Ismaʿilism.

A Note on the Translation
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Glossary of Key Terms
1. A Précis of the Doctrines of Abū 'l-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī Ibn Fūrak
2. The Succour of Nations Amidst the Confusion of Darkness al-Juwaynī
3. The Theoretical Underpinning of the Imamate Abū Ṭālib al-Hārūnī
4. The Curative Book on the Imamate: A Paraphrastic Rendering al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī
5. The Book of Excellence on the Fundamental Principles of Religion Ibn al-Malāḥimī
6. The concise ʿAbd al-Kāfī al-Warjalānī
7. The Crown of Doctrines and the Mine of Instructive Points al-Dāʿī Ibn al-Walīd
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]