The Conceptualization of Guardianship in Iranian Intellectual History (1800-1989): Reading Ibn ?Arabi's Theory of Wilaya in the Shi?a World

by Leila Chamankhah

Overview

This book is a study of the concept of wilāya and its developments among Shīʿī scholars from the eighteenth to twentieth century. Leila Chamankhah addresses a number of issues by delving into the conceptualizations of wilāya through the examination and interpretation of key texts. She focuses on the influence of ibn ʿArabī’s mysticism, with regard to the conception of wilāya, on his Shīʿa successors and expositors in later centuries. She also discusses the development and transformation of the conception of wilāya over two hundred years, from the esoteric school of Shaykhīsm to the politicization of wilāya in the theory of wilāyat al-faqīh.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030226947
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	09/04/2019
Series:	Palgrave Series in Islamic Theology, Law, and History
Edition description:	1st ed. 2019
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Leila Chamankhah teaches at the University of Dayton, USA. Her areas of research interest are Iranian Studies, Islamic studies, Shia intellectual history, and Middle Eastern studies.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.- 2. Ibn ʿArabī and Wilāya.- 3. The Shaykhī School and Wilāya.- 4. The Schools of Tehran and Qum and Wilāya.- 5. Khomeini, Wilāya, and the Influence of Ibn ʿArabī.- 6. Khomeini as the Jurist and Wilāya.- 6. Conclusion.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Western scholarship has neglected Ibn Arabi’s influence on Shi’i Gnosticism. Academic in its approach, Professor Chamankhah’s ground-breaking work takes the existing scholarship forward. The work highlights the concept of wilaya and its influence on eighteen and nineteenth century Iran.” (Liyakat Takim, Sharjah Chair in Global Islam, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University, Canada)

Editorial Reviews

The book also offers an interesting account of the intellectual transformation of Ayatollah Khomeini … . The methodology used in this scholarship is a fascinating approach … . The book is overall well-organised and engages readers throughout with summaries and introductions in every chapter. It provides original and important texts on Akbarian mysticism and wilāya. More importantly, the book is a much-needed work of research into Shi‘i intellectual history and provides an important analytical methodology to future researchers.” (Jaffer Abbas Mirza, Journal of Shi'a Islmaic Studies, Vol. 13 (1), 2020)

From the Publisher