SHI'A

The Meaning of Religion (Deen), Islam &  Shi'ism
The Author
Writings of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatab'i

Part I :The Historical Growth of Shi'ism

I. The Origin and Growth of Shia'ism

• The Cause of the Seperation of the Shi'ite Minority from the Sunni Majority
• The Two Problems of Succession and Authority in Religious Sciences
• The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with Shi'ite View
• The Termination of the Caliphate of 'Ali Amir al-mu'minin and his Method of Rule
• The Benefit the Shi'a Derived from the Caliphate of 'Ali
• The Transfer of the Caliphate to Mu'awiyah and Its Transformation into a Hereditory Monarchy
• The Bleakest Day of Shi'ism
• The Establishment of Ummayyad Rule
• Shi'ism During the 2nd/8th Century
• Shi'ism During the 3rd/9th Century
• Shi'ism in the 4th/10^th Century
• Shi!ism from the 5^th/11^thCentury to the 9^th/15th Centuries
• Shi^tism in the 10^th/16 and 11^th/17th Centuries
• Shi'ism from the l2th/18^th to he 14^th/20^th Centuries
  
  

II. Divisions within Shi'ism

• Zaydism and Its Branches
• Ismailism and Its Branches

  • The Batinis
  • The Nizaris, Musta’lis, Druzes and Muqanna’ah

  The Nizaris
  The Musta’lis
  The Druzes
  The Muqanna!ah

• Differences Between Twelve-Imam Shi’ism and Isma’ilism and Zaydism
• Summary of the History of Twelve-Imam Shi'ism

PART II: SHI'ITE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

III. Three Methods of Religious Thought

First Method: The Formal Aspect of Religion

• Different Facets of the Formal Aspect
• Traditions of the Companions
• The Book and Tradition
• The Outward and Inward Aspects of the Qur’an
• The Principles of Interpretation of the Qur’an
• Hadith
• The Method of Shi’ism in Authenticating the Hadith
• The Method of Shi’ism in Following the Hadeeth
• Learning and Teaching in Islam
• Shi’ism and the Transmitted Sciences

• Second Method: The Way of Intellectuals and Intellectual reasoning

  • Philosophical and Theological Thought in Shi’ism
  • Shi’ite Initiative in Islamic Philosophy and Kalam
  • Shi'ite Contributions in Philosophy and Intellectual Sciences
  • Outstanding Intellectual Figures of Shi'ism

• Third Method: Intellectual Intuition or Mystical Unveiling

• Man and Gnostic Comprehension
• Appearance of Gnosis (Sufism) in Islam
• Guidance Provided by the Qur’an and Sunnah for Gnostic Knowledge

PART III: ISLAMIC BELIEFS FROM THE SHI'ITE POINT OF VIEW

IV. On the Knowledge of God

• The World Seen from the Point of View of Being and
  Reality: The Necessity ofGod
• Another Point of View Concerning the Relation Between
  Man and the Universe
• The Divine Essence and Qualities
• The Meaning of the Divine Qualities
• Further Explanations Concerning the Qualities
• Qualities of Action
• Destiny and Providence
• Man and Free Will

V. On the Knowledge of the Prophet

• Toward the Goal: General Guidance
• Special Guidance
• Reason and Law
• That Mysierious Wisdom and Consciousness Called Revelation
• The Prophets: Inerrancy of Prophecy
• The Prophets and Revealed Religion
• The Prophets and Proof of Revelation and Prophecy
• The Number of the Prophets of God
• The Prophets Who are Bringers of Divine Law
• The Prophecy of Muhammad
• The Prophet and the Qur'an

VI. Eschatology

• Man is Composed of Spirit and Body
• A Discussion of Spirit from Another Perspective
• Death from the Islamic Point of View
• Purgatory
• The Day of Judgment-Resurrection

• Another Explanation

• The Continuity and Succession of Creation

VII. On the Knowledge of the Imam (Imamology)

• The Meaning of Imam
• The Imamate and Succession
• Affirmation of the Previous Section
• The Imamate and Its Role in the Exposition of the Divine Sciences
• The Difference Between Prophet and Imam
• The Imamate and Its Role in the Esoteric Dimension of Religion
• The Imams and Leaders of Islam
• A Brief History of the Lives of the Twelve Imams

• The First 1mam ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib
• The Second Imam~Hasan ibn ‘Ali
• The Third Imam Husayn ibn ‘Ali
• The Fourth Imam ‘Ali ibn Husayn
• The Fifth Imam -Muhammad ibn ‘Ali
• The Sixth Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad
• The Seventh Imam Musa- ibn Jafar
• The Eighth Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa
• The Ninth Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali
• The Tenth Imam ‘Ali ibn Muhammad
• The Eleventh Imam Hasan ibn ‘Ali
• The Twelfth Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi

• On the Appearance of the Mahdi
• The Spiritual Message of Shi’ism