THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHIITE POLITICAL THOUGHT

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHIITE POLITICAL THOUGHT

FROM SHURA TO WILAYAT AL-FAQIH
Or
FROM CONSULTATION GUARDIANSHIP OF THE JURIST-CONSULT

by Ahmad Alkatib

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE

THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE IMAMATE
OF THE AHL AL-BAYT
(MEMBERS OF THE PROPHET’S HOUSEHOLD)

CHAPTER ONE

SHURA (CONSULTATION):
THE DOCTRINE OF AHL AL-BAYT
(MEMBERS OF THE PROPHET’S HOUSEHOLD)
IMAM ALI’S CONCIOUSNESS OF HIS PRIORITIES
IMAM ALI AND SHURA (CONSULTATION)
IMAM HASSAN AND SHURA
IMAM HUSSAIN AND SHURA
THE SECLUSION OF IMAM ZAYN AL-ABIDIN
ELECTION OF SULAIMAN BIN SARD AL-KHUZA’I AS THE LEADER OF SHIITES



CHAPTER TWO

FROM SHURA (CONSULTATION)…TO HEREDITARY RULE

THE KISSANITE THEORY
IMAM BAQIR’S POLITICAL THEORY
IMAM SADIQ POLITICAL THEORY
THE ABBASIDS THEORY OF IMAMATE
THE OPPOSITION FROM THE HASSANITES
THE GENERAL SHIITE THEORY

CHAPTER THREE

THE INCEPTION OF IMAMATE THOUGHT

UMAYYAD POLITICAL THEORY
THE REACTION OF THE SHIITES
DIVINE IMAMATE
THE PHILOSOPHY OF INFALLIBILITY
THE NECESSITY OF A DIVINE SCHOLAR WHO INTERPRETS THE QURAN
THE MOST SUITABLE AND THE SUITABLE
FROM INFALLIBILITY… TO (DIVINE) TEXT


CHAPTER FOUR


THE FUNDAMENTALS OF IMAMATE THEORY


THE TEXT IN PLACE OF THE WILL
REASON IN PLACE OF THE TEXT
MIRACLES IN PLACE OF REASON
CONFINING THE IMAMATE TO THE CHILDREN OF HUSSAIN
VERTICAL INHERITANCE
THE CONTINUATION OF THE IMAMATE TO THE DAY OF RESURRECTION
WHAT SHOULD THE SHIITES DO WHEN IGNORANT OF THE IMAM (OF THE TIME)?
SECRECY IN THE THEORY OF IMAMATE


CHAPTER FIVE


THE THEORY OF IMAMATE IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES


CRITIQUE OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF INFALLIBILITY
THE POSITION OF MEMBERS OF THE PROPHET’S FAMILY (AHL AL BAYT) ON INFALLIBILITY.
THE STANCE OF IMAM SADIQ ON THE IMAMATE
THE CRISIS OF AL- BADA’ (CHANGEOF WILL)
THE IMAMATE OF MUSA KADHIM
THE EVIDENCE OF MIRACLES
WAQIFIYYAH
THE POSITION OF SHIITES ON THE IMAMATE OF RIDA
THE STANCE OF MA’MUN ON RIDA
THE REVOLUTION OF IBRAHIM BIN MUSA KADHIM IN YEMEN
THE REVOLUTION OF ALI BIN MUHAMMAD BIN SADIQ AND ABDULLAH, THE BROTHER OF ABU SURAYA IN KUFAH
THE QAT’IYYITES (AL-QAT’IYYAH)
MIRACLES AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNSEEN
THE CRISIS OF CHILDHOOD
THE PROBLEM OF ‘AL-BADA’ (CHANGE OF WILL) REVISITED:


CHAPTER SIX

THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWELVER- SHIISM


THE BIRTH OF THE TWELVER- IMAM THEORY
ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF CHILDHOOD
TRANSCENDING THE PROBLEM OF BADA (CHANGE OF WILL)


PART TWO

THE MAHDI THEORY (MUHAMMAD BIN HASSAN ASKARI)


INTRODUCTION:

THE PERIOD OF CONFUSION AND PERPLEXITY


THE DEATH OF IMAM ASKARI

THE CLAIM OF JA’FAR BIN ALI TO THE IMAMATE
THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE CESSATION OF THE IMAMATE
THOSE WHO BACKED DOWN
THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN ASKARI BEING THE MAHDI


MUHAMMADITES AND NAFISITES
THE WAQIFITES
THE PERPLEXED


THE JENINITES
THOSE WHO CLAIM THE EXISTENCE OF PRE- DETERMINED SON (TWELVER-IMAM SHIITES)

THE AGE OF PERPLEXITY (CONFUSION)

SECTION ONE:

“VIDENCES”FOR THE EXISTENCE OF IMAM MUHAMMAD BIN HASSAN ASKARI

CHAPTER ONE:

PHILOSOPHICAL EVIDENCE

A- EASON FIRST
B- TRADITIONAL STEPS ON THE RATIONAL WAY




CHAPTER TWO:

THE TRADITIONAL
(TEXTUAL) EVIDENCE ON THE EXISTENCE OF THE MAHDI


FIRST GROUP: THE GLORIOUS QUR’AN
SECOND GROUP: HADITHS (TRADITIONS)


CHAPTER THREE:

THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

A-THE BIRTH OF THE MAHDI
THE MOTHER OF THE MAHDI

THE DATE OF HIS BIRTH
THE WAY OF HIS DELIVERY
TUSI’S REPORT OF THE STORY OF MAHDI’S BIRTH


THE SECRECY OF THE DELIVERY
SIGHTING THE MAHDI DURING THE LIFE- TIME OF HIS FATHER
SIGHTING HIM AT THE TIME OF THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER
THE ATTEMPT TO ARREST THE MAHDI


B: THE TESTIMONY OF THE FOUR DEPUTIES
C- THE LETTERS OF MAHDI


CHAPTER FOUR:


THE EVIDENCE OF MIRACLES ON THE EXISTENCE OF THE MAHDI

CHAPTER FIVE:

THE EVIDENCE OF CONSENSUS (IJMA’)



CHAPTER SIX:


THE OCCULTATION

A- WHY OCCULTATION?

1- The Theory of Unknown Wisdom
2- THE THEORY OF DISTINCTION
3- THE THEORY OF FEAR

B: THE OCCULTATION, WHERE?
C: WHAT IS THE TIME- FRAME OF THE OCCULTATION?
D: WAY OF CONFIRMING THE IDENTITY OF THE MAHDI
E: THE SIGNS OF THE APPEARANCE




SECTION TWO:

CRITIQUE OF
THE TWELVER-IMAM HIITES’
MAHDISM THEORY


CHAPTER ONE:

IMAM MUHAMMAD BIN HASSAN ASKARI: A HISTORICAL REALITY OR A PHILOSOPHICAL ASSUMPTION?


A- THE AMBIGUITY SURROUNDING THE IDENTITY OF THE MAHDI FROM AHL AL-BAYT
THE HOPE OF KADHIM BEING THE MAHDI
RIDA DENIES THE LIKELIHOOD OF HIS BEING THE MAHDI


B – THE MAHDISM PHENOMENON IN ISLAMIC HISTORY
THE MAHDISM OF IMAM ALI
THE MAHDISM OF IBN HANAFIYYAH
THE MAHDISM OF ABU HASHIM
THE MAHDISM OF AL-TAYYAR
CONFINING MAHDISM TO THE FATIMIDE FAMILY


THE MAHDISM OF DHU AL-NAFS AL-ZAKIYYAH
THE MAHDISM OF BAQIR
THE MAHDISM OF SADIQ
THE MAHDISM OF ISMA’IL

THE MAHDISM OF DIBAJ
THE MAHDISM OF MUHAMMAD BIN ABDULLAH AL-AFTAH
THE MAHDISM OF KADHIM
THE MAHDISM OF MUHAMMAD BIN QASIM
THE MAHDISM OF YAHYA BIN UMAR
THE MAHDISM OF MUHAMMAD BIN ALI HADI AND ASKARI
THE MAHDISM OF AN UNKNOWN QA’IM




CHAPTER TWO:

PHILOSOPHICAL FACTORS FOR THE INCEPTION OF MAHDISM THEORY


CHAPTER THREE:

CRITIQUE OF THE TRADITIONAL (TEXTUAL) EVIDENCE

THE EVIDENCE OF THE TWELVER-IMAM SHIITES
MUFID CONSIDERED THE BOOK OF SALIM AS WEAK


WHERE IS THE IMPORT (OF THE EVIDENCE)?
THERE MUST BE A LIVING IMAM WHO IS WELLKNOWN AND MANIFEST!


CHAPTER FOUR:


CRITIQUE OF THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

A-CONSISTENCY OF THE REPORTS
B: EVALUATING THE CHAINS OF TRANSMISSION OF THE HISTORICAL REPORTS.
THE REPORT OF HAKIMAH
A MAN FROM THE PEOPLE OF PERSIA
YA’QUB BIN MANQUSH
UTHMAN BIN SA’ID AL-UMARI
ABU AL-ADYAN AL-BASRI
SA’AD BIN ABDULLAH AL-QUMMI
C: ASSESSING THE TESTIMONY OF THE FOUR DEPUTIES
D: ASSESSING THE LETTERS OF ‘MAHDI’
THE PROBLEM OF RECOGNIZING THE HAND WRITING