The Shiites, The
Ritual and Popular Piety in a Muslim Community
Published on 31. December 1992
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-85043-609-6 (ISBN)
Description
Shiite Islam is one of the world's major religions with millions of followers throughout the Middle East and South Asia. However it is often mistakenly seen by the West as a political movement. This book describes what Shiism actually means to those who practise it and outlines Shiite history.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
glossary, notes, bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-85043-609-6 (9781850436096)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
Part 1 An introduction to the Shiite tradition in Islam: Shiism - an overview; esentials of Islam common to the Shiite and Sunni traditions; Shiite "Ta'wil" - the esoteric dimension of Quranic scripture; variations on the esoteric tradition in poetry and theosophy - examples form Attar, Hafez, and Suhrawardi of Aleppo; the patterns that inform history - Shiite worldviews and the understanding of past and future; Shiism in India - historical background and cultural influences; representations of Muharram in British fiction and memoirs from the Raj. Part 2 Ritual and popular devotion in a Shiite community - Muharram liturgies of Hyderabad: Shiite shrines of the old city; Shiite men's guilds of Hyderabad; lamentation rituals - Shiite justifications for "Matam" - liturgical forms of "Matam"; the "Majlis" liturgy - sermon topics and Shiite self-definition; the role of liturgy in reinforcing communal identity; preparations for the Muharram season - rehearsal sessions and the training of the chorus in a Shiite men's guild; liturgy as drama - the seventh of Muharram and the bridegroom of Karbala's procession; co-operation and competition among the men's guilds; criticisms directed against the men's guilds; Muharram liturgies and Hindu-Muslim relations in Hyderabad. Part 3 Conclusion: Hyderabad and the world community of Shiite Islam.