Walāya in the Formative Period of Shi'ism and Sufism: A Comparative Analysis

Description

Focused on Shi’ism and Sufism in the formative period of Islam, this book examines the development of the concept of walāya, a complex term that has, over time, acquired a wide range of relationships with other theological ideas, chiefly in relation to the notion of authority. The book offers a textual and comparative analysis of walāya based on primary sources in the ninth and tenth centuries, from both Shi’i and Sufi circles. The starting point is one of the oldest surviving Shi’i sources, Kitāb Sulaym. Alongside this, the author analyses al-Īḍāḥ of Faḍl Shādhān al-Nishābūrī, Kitāb al-Maḥāsin of al-Barqī and Kitāb al-Kāfī of al-Kulaynī. Three major texts in Sufism are considered: Kitāb al-Ṣidq by Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz, Tafsīr al-Qurʾan al-ʿAẓīm by Sahl al-Tustarī, and Al-Tirmidhī’s Kitāb Sīrat al-Awliyāʾ. Together, these sources highlight the doctrinal aspects of walāya, exploring the identity, function, appointment, and description of those considered 'walī'. The author ultimately argues that walāya is a cluster of rich, deep-rooted responses to the question of authority, developed within both Shi’ism and Sufism after the death of the Prophet. The book is much-needed reading for students and scholars interested in Shi’i and Sufi studies and Islamic philosophy. Cover Endorsement Page Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Note on Transliteration, Translation, and Abbreviation Introduction Origin of the Term Wilāya/Walāya A Note on Vocalization and Meaning of Wilāya/Walāya Walāya in the Qurʾan The Cosmic Dimension of Walī This-Worldly Dimension of Walī Qurʾanic Walāya and Future Developments Formative Period in Shiʿism Formative Period in Sufism Scholarly Challenges in the Formative Period Shiʿi and Sufi Texts in the Formative Period Notes Chapter 1 Walāya in Formative Shiʿism The Concept of Walāya according to Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilālī Kitāb Sulaym Walāya in Kitāb Sulaym The Concept of Walāya according to Faḍl ibn Shādhān al-Nishābūrī Kitāb al-Īḍāḥ Walāya in Kitāb al-Īḍāḥ Aspect of Knowledge Aspect of Political Authority The Concept of Walāya according to Aḥmad al-Barqī Kitāb al-Maḥāsin Walāya in al-Maḥāsin Aspect of Primordial Covenant Aspect of Love The Concept of Walāya according to Abū Jʿafar Muḥammad al-Kulaynī The Concept of Walāya according to Abū Jʿafar Muḥammad al-Kulaynī Kitāb al-Kāfī Walāya in al-Kāf ī Aspect of Knowledge Aspect of Faith Notes Chapter 2 Development of Walāya in Formative Shiʿism Walāya as Political Authority Walāya and Knowledge Walāya and Primordial Covenant Walāya and the Elect Community Walāya as Faith and a Pillar of Islam Closing Remarks Notes Chapter 3 Walāya in Formative Sufism The Concept of Walāya according to Aḥmad b. ʿĪsā al-Kharrāz Kitāb al-Ṣidq Walāya in Kitāb al-Ṣidq Stations for the Awliyāʾ Awliyāʾ, Knowledge, and Hierarchy The Concept of Walāya according to Sahl al-Tustarī Al-Tustarī’s Tafsīr al-Qurʾan al-Karīm Walāya in al-Tustarī’s Tafsīr Aspect of Creation and Emanation Aspect of Primordial Covenant Aspect of Gnosis and Knowledge Aspect of Spiritual Hierarchy The Concept of Walāya according to Ḥakīm al-Tirimidhī Kitāb Sīrat al-Awliyāʾ Walāya in Kitāb Sīrat al-Awliyāʾ Awliyāʾ Allāh vs. awliyāʾ ḥaqq Allāh Aspect of Creation and Prophethood Hierarchy of the Awliyāʾ Aspect of Knowledge Notes Chapter 4 Development of Walāya in Formative Sufism Walāya and Knowledge Hierarchy among the Awliyāʾ Walāya, Emanation and Primordial Covenant Walāya vs. Nubuwwa Closing Remarks Notes Chapter 5 A Comparative Study of Walāya in Shiʿism and Sufism Significance of Walāya in Shiʿism and Sufism Stage 1: Walāya in Earliest Sources Stage 2: Walāya at the Time of Minor Occultation Stage 3: Walāya at the Beginning of the Major Occultation Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index