Twelve Infallible Men : The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism

Matthew Pierce

ISBN 10: 0674737075 / ISBN 13: 9780674737075

Published by De Gruyter, 2016

About this Item

Neuware - In the tenth century Shi a scholars assembled accounts of twelve imams' lives, portraying them as miracle workers who were betrayed. These biographies invoked shared cultural memories, shaped communal responses and ritual practices of mourning, and inspired Shi a identity and religious imagination for centuries to come, Matthew Pierce shows.

Seller Inventory # 9780674737075

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Twelve Infallible Men : The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674737075
• ISBN 13: 9780674737075
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 239W x 163H x 25D millimeters 239 millimeters width by 163 millimeters height by 25 millimeters depth
• Weight: 499 grams

About this title

Synopsis

A millennium ago, Baghdad was the capital of one of history’s greatest civilizations. A new Islamic era was under way. Yet despite the profound cultural achievements, many Muslims felt their society had gone astray. Shiˀa Muslims challenged the dominant narrative of Islamic success with stories of loss. Faithful Muslims have long debated whether Sunni caliphs or Shiˀa imams were the true heirs of the Prophet Muhammad. More influential has been the way Muslim communities remembered those disputes through stories that influenced how to think and feel about them, Matthew Pierce argues.

Twelve Infallible Men focuses on the role of narratives of the imams in the development of a distinct Shiˀa identity. During the tenth century, at a critical juncture in Islamic history, a group of scholars began assembling definitive works containing accounts of the twelve imams’ lives. These collective biographies constructed a sacred history, portraying the imams as strong, beautiful, learned, and pious. Miracles surrounded their birth, and they became miracle workers in turn, but were nevertheless betrayed and martyred by enemies.

These biographies inspired and entertained, but more importantly they offered a meaningful narrative of history for Muslims who revered the imams. The accounts invoked shared memories and shaped communal responses and ritual practices of grieving. Mourning the imams’ tragic fates helped nascent Shiˀa communities resist the pressure to forget their story. The biographies of the imams became a focal point of cultural memory, inspiring Shiˀa religious imagination for centuries to come.

About the Author

Matthew Pierce is Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College.