Introduction
The Meaning of Religion (Deen), Islam &  Shi'ism

The Author
Writings of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatab'i

Chapter I. The Origin and Growth of Shia'ism
Chapter II. Divisions within Shi'ism
Chapter III. Three Methods of Religious Thought
Chapter IV. On the Knowledge of God
Chapter V. On the Knowledge of the Prophet
Chapter VI. Eschatology
Chapter VII. On the Knowledge of the Imam (Imamology)

Part I

The Historical Growth of Shi'ism

I. The Origin and Growth of Shia'ism

• The Cause of the Seperation of the Shi'ite Minority from the Sunni Majority
• The Two Problems of Succession and Authority in Religious Sciences
• The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with Shi'ite View
• The Termination of the Caliphate of 'Ali Amir al-mu'minin and his Method of Rule
• The Benefit the Shi'a Derived from the Caliphate of 'Ali
• The Transfer of the Caliphate to Mu'awiyah and Its Transformation into a Hereditory Monarchy
• The Bleakest Day of Shi'ism
• The Establishment of Ummayyad Rule
• Shi'ism During the 2nd/8th Century
• Shi'ism During the 3rd/9th Century
• Shi'ism in the 4th/10^th Century
• Shi!ism from the 5^th/11^th Century to the 9^th/15th Centuries
• Shi^tism in the 10^th/16 and 11^th/17th Centuries
• Shi'ism from the l2th/18^th to the 14^th/20^th Centuries
  
  

II. Divisions within Shi'ism

• Zaydism and Its Branches
• Ismailism and Its Branches

  • The Batinis
  • The Nizaris, Musta’lis, Druzes and Muqanna’ah

  The Nizaris
  The Musta’lis
  The Druzes
  The Muqanna!ah

• Differences Between Twelve-Imam Shi’ism and Isma’ilism and Zaydism
• Summary of the History of Twelve-Imam Shi'ism

SHI'ITE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

III. Three Methods of Religious Thought

• First Method: The Formal Aspect of Religion

  • Different Facets of the Formal Aspect
  • Traditions of the Companions
  • The Book and Tradition
  • The Outward and Inward Aspects of the Qur’an
  • The Principles of Interpretation of the Qur’an
  • Hadith
  • The Method of Shi’ism in Authenticating the Hadith
  • The Method of Shi’ism in Following the Hadeeth
  • Learning and Teaching in Islam
  • Shi’ism and the Transmitted Sciences

• Second Method: The Way of Intellectuals and Intellectual reasoning

  • Philosophical and Theological Thought in Shi’ism
  • Shi’ite Initiative in Islamic Philosophy and Kalam
  • Shi'ite Contributions in Philosophy and Intellectual Sciences
  • Outstanding Intellectual Figures of Shi'ism

• Third Method: Intellectual Intuition or Mystical Unveiling

• Man and Gnostic Comprehension
• Appearance of Gnosis (Sufism) in Islam
• Guidance Provided by the Qur’an and Sunnah for Gnostic Knowledge

PART III:

ISLAMIC BELIEFS FROM THE SHI'ITE POINT OF VIEW

IV. On the Knowledge of God

• The World Seen from the Point of View of Being and
  Reality: The Necessity ofGod
• Another Point of View Concerning the Relation Between
  Man and the Universe
• The Divine Essence and Qualities
• The Meaning of the Divine Qualities
• Further Explanations Concerning the Qualities
• Qualities of Action
• Destiny and Providence
• Man and Free Will

V. On the Knowledge of the Prophet

• Toward the Goal: General Guidance
• Special Guidance
• Reason and Law
• That Mysierious Wisdom and Consciousness Called Revelation
• The Prophets: Inerrancy of Prophecy
• The Prophets and Revealed Religion
• The Prophets and Proof of Revelation and Prophecy
• The Number of the Prophets of God
• The Prophets Who are Bringers of Divine Law
• The Prophecy of Muhammad
• The Prophet and the Qur'an

 

VI. Eschatology

• Man is Composed of Spirit and Body
• A Discussion of Spirit from Another Perspective
• Death from the Islamic Point of View
• Purgatory
• The Day of Judgment-Resurrection

• Another Explanation

• The Continuity and Succession of Creation

VII. On the Knowledge of the Imam (Imamology)

• The Meaning of Imam
• The Imamate and Succession
• Affirmation of the Previous Section
• The Imamate and Its Role in the Exposition of the Divine Sciences
• The Difference Between Prophet and Imam
• The Imamate and Its Role in the Esoteric Dimension of Religion
• The Imams and Leaders of Islam
• A Brief History of the Lives of the Twelve Imams

• The First 1mam ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib
• The Second Imam~Hasan ibn ‘Ali
• The Third Imam Husayn ibn ‘Ali
• The Fourth Imam ‘Ali ibn Husayn
• The Fifth Imam - Muhammad ibn ‘Ali
• The Sixth Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad
• The Seventh Imam Musa- ibn Jafar
• The Eighth Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa
• The Ninth Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali
• The Tenth Imam ‘Ali ibn Muhammad
• The Eleventh Imam Hasan ibn ‘Ali
• The Twelfth Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi

• On the Appearance of the Mahdi
• The Spiritual Message of Shi’ism

 

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