An anthology of Ismaili literature : a Shi'i vision of Islam

One Of The Richest And Most Rewarding, Yet At The Same Time Least Familiar, Traditions Of Muslim Literature Is That Of The Shi'i Imami Ismailis. Although Many Great Literary Treasures Of The Islamic World Are Already Available In English Translation, Those Of The Ismailis Are Only Slowly Being Made Accessible To Scholars And Readers At Large. This Substantial Anthology Makes A Vital And Welcome Contribution To That Process Of Wider Dissemination. It Brings Together For The First Time Extracts From A Range Of Significant Ismaili Texts In Both Poetry And Prose, Here Translated Into English By Some Of The Foremost Scholars In The Field. The Texts Included Belong To A Long Span Of Ismaili History, Which Extends From The Fatimid Era To The Beginning Of The Twentieth Century. The Translations In Question Have Been Rendered From Their Originals In Arabic, Persian And The Different Languages Of Badakhshan And South Asia. With Substantial Sections Devoted To Such Broad Topics As Faith And Thought, History And Biography, Ethics, The Imamate, Taʼwil (or Esoteric Exegesis And Textual Interpretation), The Anthology Offers Continuously Enriching Glimpses Into The Depths, Diversity And Distinctiveness Of One Of The Great Traditions Of Islamic Thought And Creativity, Which Still Remains Relatively Undiscovered By The West. Ismaili History And Literary Traditions / Farhad Daftary -- Pt. 1. History And Memoir. Introduction / Samira Sheikh -- Ibn Al-haytham: Kitāb Al-munāẓarāt = The Book Of Discussions -- Jaʻfar B. ʻalī: Sīrat Al-ḥājib Jaʻfar = Account Of The Chamberlain Jaʻfar -- Al-qāḍī Al-nuʻmān: Iftitāḥ Al-daʻwa = Commencement Of The Mission -- Idrīs ʻimād Al-dīn: ʻuyūn Al-akhbār = Choice Stories -- Al-muʼayyad Fiʼl-dīn Al-shīrāzī: Sīrat Al-muʼayyad = Autobiography Of Al-muʼayyad -- Nāṣir-i Khusraw: Safar-nāma = Book Of Travels -- Pīr Sabzālī: Madhya Eshiyā Nī Rasik Vigato = Journey To Central Asia -- Pt. 2. Faith And Thought. Introduction / Hermann Landolt -- Ḥamīd Al-dīn Al-kirmānī: Al-risāla Al-durriyya = The Brilliant Epistle -- Abū Yaʻqūb Al-sijistānī: Kitāb Al-yanābīʻ = The Book Of Wellsprings: On The Pure Identity Of The Originator -- Nāṣir-i Khusraw: Gushāyish Wa Rahāyish = Knowledge And Liberation --^ Abū Yaʻqūb Al-sijistānī: Kashf Al-maḥjūb = Unveiling The Hidden: That The Beauty Or Adornment Of Nature Is Spiritual -- Ikhwān Al-Ṣafāʼ: Rasāʼil Ikhwān Al-Ṣafāʼ = Epistles Of The Brethren Of Purity -- Abū Yaʻqūb Al-sijistānī: Kashf Al-maḥjūb = Unveiling The Hidden: On The Fifth Creation (prophethood) -- Al-muʼayyad Fiʼl-dīn Al-shīrāzī: Al-majālis Al-muʼayyadiyya = The Discourses Of Al-muʼayyad -- Aḥmad B. Ibrāhīm Al-naysābūrī: Kitāb Ithbāt Al-imāma = Affirming The Imamate -- Ḥamīd Al-dīn Al-kirmānī: Al-maṣābīḥ Fī Ithbāt Al-imāma = Lights To Illuminate The Proof Of The Imamate: In Proof Of The Imamate And Of Its Necessity -- Ḥasan-i Ṣabbāḥ: Al-fuṣūl Al-arbaʻa = The Four Chapters -- Naṣīr Al-dīn Al-Ṭūsī: Rawḍa-yi Taslīm = Paradise Of Submission: Concerning Various Kinds Of Submission -- Jaʻfar B. Manṣūr Al-yaman: Kitāb Al-ʻālim Waʼl-ghulām = Book Of The Master And The Disciple --^ Naṣīr Al-dīn Al-Ṭūsī: Sayr Wa Sulūk = Contemplation And Action -- Abū Yaʻqūb Al-sijistānī: Kitāb Al-yanābīʻ = The Book Of Wellsprings: On The Manner Of The Transmission Of Spiritual Inspiration To Inspired Persons In The Corporeal World -- Ḥamīd Al-dīn Al-kirmānī: Al-maṣābīḥ Fī Ithbāt Al-imāma = Lights To Illuminate The Proof Of The Imamate: In Proof Of The Interpretation Of The Revelation ... -- Al-qāḍī Al-nuʻmān: Asās Al-taʼwīl = The Foundation Of Spiritual Hermeneutics -- Abū Yaʻqūb Al-sijistānī: Kitāb Al-yanābīʻ = The Book Of Wellsprings: On The Meaning Of The Profession Of Faith ... -- Nāṣir-i Khusraw: Wajh-i Dīn = The Face Of Religion -- Al-qāḍī Al-nuʻmān: Daʻāʼim Al-islām = The Pillars Of Islam -- Aḥmad B. Ibrāhīm Al-naysābūrī: Al-risāla Al-mūjaza Al-kāfiya Fī Adab Al-duʻāt = A Code Of Conduct For Dāʻīs -- Naṣīr Al-dīn Al-Ṭūsī: Rawḍa-yi Taslīm = Paradise Of Submission: On The Refinement Of Character --^ Naṣīr Al-dīn Al-Ṭūsī: Tawallā Wa Tabarrā = Solidarity And Dissociation -- Khayrkhwāh-i Harātī: Risāla = The Epistle -- Pt. 3. Poetry. Introduction / Khutub Kassam -- Ibn Hāniʼ Al-andalusī -- Al-muʼayyad Fiʼl-dīn Al-shīrāzī -- Nāṣir-i Khusraw -- Ḥasan-i Maḥmūd-i Kātib -- Nizārī Quhistānī -- Persian Poets Of The Post-alamūt Era -- The Poetry Of Central Asia -- Pīr Shams -- Pīr Ṣadr Al-dīn -- Pīr Ḥasan Kabīr Al-dīn -- Nūr Muḥammad Shāh. Edited By Hermann Landolt, Samira Sheikh & Kutub Kassam. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 328-338) And Index. Contents......Page 8 List of Plates......Page 12 Foreword......Page 14 Preface and Acknowledgements......Page 16 Contributors......Page 18 List of Reprinted Works......Page 22 List of Abbreviations......Page 26 Ismaili History and Literary Traditions......Page 28 Part One: History and Memoir......Page 58 Introduction......Page 60 Ibn al-Haytham meets the dai Abu Abd Allah......Page 62 The Proof of Excellence and Purity of Imam Ali......Page 64 Ibn al-Haytham Takes the Oath of Allegiance......Page 67 The Dais of the Kutama......Page 68 An Incident from al-Mahdi's Journey to North Africa......Page 71 al-Mahdi Greets his Troops......Page 73 al-Madhi's Coming from Sijilmasa and his Arrival in Ifriqiya......Page 76 Early Decrees of al-Mahdi......Page 79 Eulogy of al-Mahdi......Page 82 The Administrative System of al-Mahdi......Page 83 On the Nurturing of the Imams......Page 86 Under the Guidance of the Imam: al-Qadi al-Numan's Compositions......Page 89 Fleeing from Shiraz to Ahwaz......Page 94 A Description of the City of Old Cairo......Page 98 A Description of the Sultan's Banquet......Page 102 The Conduct of the Sultan......Page 103 Journey to Central Asia......Page 104 Part Two: Faith and Thought......Page 110 Introduction......Page 112 I: 1 God and Creation......Page 114 On the Meaning of Tawhid, Muwahhaid and Muwahhad......Page 116 On the Pure Identity of the Originator......Page 125 The Explanation of the World of Intellect and the World of Soul......Page 126 Ontology......Page 129 That Beauty or Adornment of Nature Is Spiritual......Page 138 The Case of the Animals Versus Man Before the King of the Jinn......Page 140 II: Prophethood and Imamate......Page 146 On the Fifth Creation (Prophethood)......Page 148 Reason and Revelation......Page 158 3 Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi......Page 162 Affirming the Imamate......Page 163 In Proof of the Imamate and of its Necessity......Page 169 The Doctrine of Talim......Page 176 Concerning Various Kinds of Submission......Page 180 On Prophethood and Imamate......Page 185 III: Initiation, Knowledge and Meaning......Page 194 Initiation of the Disciple by the Master......Page 196 Conversation between Salih and Abu Malik......Page 201 al-Tusi's Search for Knowledge......Page 207 On the Manner of the Transmission of Spiritual Inspiration......Page 213 In Proof of the Interpretation of the Revelation......Page 215 The Story of Job......Page 219 On the Meaning of the Profession of Faith......Page 222 On the Agreement of the Cross with the Profession of Faith......Page 224 On the Establishment of Knowledge......Page 226 On the Description of the Subtle Spiritual World......Page 227 On the Necessity of Obedience to the Imam of the Time......Page 230 On the Tawil of Inna lillahi wa-inna ilayhi rajiun (We Belong to Allah and unto Him We Return)......Page 234 IV: Faith and Ethics......Page 236 On Faith (iman)......Page 238 On the Distinction between iman (Faith) and islam (Submission)......Page 246 Qualifications for the Dawa......Page 249 Qualifications for a dai......Page 253 On the Refinement of Character......Page 261 Solidarity and Dissociation......Page 268 The Epistle......Page 274 Part Three: Poetry......Page 278 Introduction......Page 280 I: Arabic Poetry......Page 282 1 Ibn Hani al-Andalusi......Page 284 2 al-Muayyad fil-Din al-Shirazi......Page 287 II: Persian Poetry......Page 296 1 Nasir-i Khusraw......Page 298 2 Hasan-i Mahmud-i Katib......Page 309 3 Nizari Quhistani......Page 312 4 Persian Poets of the Post-Alamut Era......Page 317 5 The Poetry of Central Asia......Page 325 III: The Poetry of South Asia......Page 334 1 Pir Shams......Page 336 2 Pir Sadr al-Din......Page 338 3 Pir Hasan Kabir al-Din......Page 342 4 Nur Muhammad Shah......Page 345 Glossary......Page 349 Bibliography......Page 355 Index......Page 366