Book Review of "Shi’a Islam: From Religion to Revolution" by Heinz Halm

Magisterarbeit , 2009 , 13 Seiten , Note: 96

Theologie - Vergleichende Religionswissenschaft

Professor Heinz Halm’s work Shi’a Islam: From Religion to Revolution deals with the origins and developments of Shi’ism in general and the Shi’i history of Iran, with special attention paid to the Iranian Revolution, which gave rise to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Professor Halm’s study aims to synthesize these two major thematic blocks which are located in quite distant historical periods. Within the analysis of Shi’ism the author depicts the major rituals and their history, utilizing travelogues and descriptions of majorly European observers. He compares and examines historical processes which led to the revolution, as well as the revolution itself and its outcome on the basis of previously described characteristics of Shi’ism.
. Firstly this article will give a short presentation of the book’s structure and a summary of its contents. Further on, it will compare the work with Jonathan Berkey’s The Formation of Islam and Ervand Abrahamian’s Khomeinism: Essays of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to examine different approaches and interpretations of various issues covered by all three works. Successively the article will focus on the methodology, the use of sources and the style of Shi’a Islam and it will conclude with some criticism and suggestions for further reading in this field.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• The Early History of Islam and the Origins of Shi'ism
• The Origins of Shi'ism
• The Imams
• The Tragedy of Karbala
• The Return of the Mahdi
• The Ashura Ritual
• The Significance and History of the Ashura Ritual
• The Elegy and the Passion Play
• Chest Beating and Flagellants
• The Consequences of the Absence of the Imam
• The Emergence of the Ulama
• The Imam's Money, the "Fifth"
• The Iranian Intermezzo or "Shi'i Century"
• The Reign of the Buyids
• The Seljuks and the Mongols
• The Emergence of the Shi'i Clergy
• The Rivalry between the Monarchy and the Clergy
• The Traditionalist (Akhabri School) and the Rationalist (Usuli School)
• The Iranian Struggle Against the West
• The Constitutional Revolution of 1906
• The Rise of Qom and the Revolution of 1979
• Shi'ism's Revolutionary Characteristics
• Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution
• The Aftermath of the Revolution
• Approaches to Iran
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This book review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Heinz Halm's work, "Shi'a Islam: From Religion to Revolution," which explores the origins and development of Shi'ism, with a particular focus on the Iranian Revolution. The review will analyze the book's structure, content, methodology, and sources, comparing it to other relevant works in the field.

• The origins and development of Shi'ism
• The role of the Imams in Shi'a Islam
• The significance of the Ashura ritual
• The emergence and evolution of the Shi'i clergy
• The Iranian Revolution and its impact on Shi'a Islam

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The first part of the book traces the early history of Islam and the origins of Shi'ism, covering the period from the Prophet Muhammad's death to the occultation of the twelfth Imam in 873/874 C.E. It examines the early tensions within the Muslim community, the emergence of Shi'a beliefs, and the lives and legacies of the eleven known Imams. The author also explores key concepts of Shi'ism, such as the tragedy of Karbala and the return of the Mahdi.

The second part focuses on the Ashura ritual, a central element of Shi'a belief. Halm provides a detailed account of the ritual's history, significance, and various manifestations, drawing on European reports and observations. He also examines the evolution of the ritual in relation to the political sphere and its contemporary relevance.

The third and final part of the book delves into the consequences of the absence of the Imam, the emergence of the Ulama, and the development of Shi'i law. It explores the Iranian Intermezzo, the reign of the Buyids, the Seljuks, and the Mongols, and the rise of the Shi'i clergy in the 16th century. Halm also examines the rivalry between the monarchy and the clergy, the emergence of different schools of thought within Shi'ism, and the Iranian struggle against the West leading up to the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include Shi'a Islam, Iranian Revolution, Imams, Ashura ritual, Ulama, Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran, and the history of Shi'ism. The book examines the origins, development, and political implications of Shi'a Islam, highlighting its key concepts, rituals, and historical figures.

• Hochschule: Ben Gurion University Tel-Aviv
• Veranstaltung: Formation of Islam
• Note: 96
• Autor: Sophie Duhnkrack (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2009
• Seiten: 13
• Katalognummer: V127500
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640341801
• ISBN (Buch): 9783640341849
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Book, Review, Shi’a, Islam, From, Religion, Revolution, Heinz, Halm