ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Shi‘i Theology: A Translation of Kashf al-Murad fi Sharh Tajrid al-I‘tiqad


Shi‘i Theology is a translation of the seminal Arabic work Kashf al-Murad fi Sharh Tajrid al-I‘tiqad, a cornerstone of Twelver Shi‘i theology that has long served as a foundational textbook in seminaries. It is the most distinguished commentary on Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s (d. 1274) Tajrid al-I‘tiqad, whose life and contributions are detailed in the prefatory section.

The first part of the book examines the concept of Allah, presenting compelling arguments for His existence and the necessity of a Creator. This section delves into intricate discussions on divine essence, attributes, and actions, as well as philosophical matters such as existence and nonexistence, cause and effect, substances and accidents, the definition of good and evil, and the problem of theodicy.

The second part explores the divine-human relationship, starting with prophethood, the necessity of prophethood, infallibility, and the Prophet Muhammad. It then delves into imamate, discussing the necessity of imamate, the nature of the Imam, arguments supporting Imam ‘Ali’s succession to the Prophet, and a historical overview of events at the end of the Prophet’s life. The book concludes with sections on the afterlife – covering resurrection, intercession, repentance, and the topography of the hereafter – alongside a section on the principles of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

This comprehensive examination of Shi‘i theology is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the core beliefs and principles of Shi‘ism in depth.

Price: £25

To order your copy, click here. https://islamic-college.ac.uk/shop/shii-theology-kashf-al-murad-fi-sharh-tajrid-al-itiqad/

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Wisdom of the Prophet Muhammad: A Compendium of Prophetic Hadith


Description

Hadith – the reported words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (S) – rank only second to the Qur’an in their importance in Islamic thought. This collection of hadith provides a plethora of hadith on a vast variety of subjects, categorised for ease of reference. A translation of the contemporary Arabic hadith collection Muntakhab Hikam al-Nabi al-A‘zam, the hadith have been selected with an eye for authenticity from prominent classical Shi‘i and Sunni sources and include subjects such as knowledge, the intellect, theology, the afterlife, childrearing, economics, the Companions, and Prophetic medicine. It is ideal for researchers and scholars of Islam as well as those wishing to gain a greater understanding of the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (S) in this era when misconceptions abound. Translated lucidly and meticulously, it is presented in a bilingual Arabic-English edition with periodic commentary.

 

Price: Two volumes £65

To order your copy, click here.


Author: M Muhammadi Rayshahri

Cover: Hardback


You can order your copy here

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Methods, Methodologies, and Perspectives in the Humanities and Social Sciences


Description

This book presents the first comprehensive introduction to methods and methodologies in the humanities and social sciences in general, and Islamic Studies in particular, from a critical rationalist point of view. The book aims to be a self-sufficient theoretical and practical guide to the topics that it introduces. It contains a large selection of fully worked out review activities and review questions plus topics for further discussion which are devised to assist readers to better understand the issues which are discussed in the book. Last but not least, all efforts have been made to make sure that most (if not all) of the reading materials which are recommended in the book are not only of the highest quality but also freely available on the internet.

 

Ali Paya is Professor of Philosophy at The Islamic College (affiliated with Middlesex University, London) and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy of Science at the National Research Institute for Science Policy (Tehran). His most recent publications include Islam, Modernity and a New Millennium: Themes from a Critical Rationalist Reading of Islam (2019); Science, Society and Development: Essays on the Public Understanding of Science (2021); Religious Science, Indigenous Science, and Islamic Science: Thinking the Impossible or Thinking Ahead of Time (2021); The Quran vs. the Theory of Evolution: A Critical Assessment of the Contrasting Views of Two Prominent Shi‘a Scholars of the 20th Century: Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabaee & Dr Yadollah Sahabi (forthcoming 2023).


Author: Ali Paya

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Religious Diversity in Contemporary Shi‘i Thought


Description

Religious Diversity in Contemporary Shi‘i Thought: The Views of Ayatollah ‘Abdollah Javadi-Amoli and Professor Mahmoud Ayoub

 

The question of religious diversity and the related issues of validity, truth, and salvation can immensely impact our lives in the modern closely-knit global society: they may help improve or ruin the relationships between faith communities. In the context of Christianity, these issues have led to the emergence of three types of theology: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. This book analyses the views of two contemporary Shi‘i thinkers, Ayatollah ‘Abdullah Javadi-Amoli and Professor Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub, who have tried to deal with the challenges posed by the above three types of theology from an Islamic perspective.

 

The book discusses, among other things, the impact of the social and educational backgrounds of these two thinkers on their research methodologies, particularly their ways of interpreting the Qur’an. Since both thinkers are interested in the question of dialogue between people of different faiths, this inquiry also highlights the views of Ayoub and Javadi-Amoli on the question of dialogue, its common ground, goals, conditions, and presuppositions.

 

Price: £20

 

Order your copy here [link it to: https://islamic-college.ac.uk/shop/religious-diversity-in-contemporary-shii-thought-the-views-of-ayatollah-abdollah-javadi-amoli-and-professor-mahmoud-ayoub/]


Author: Saeid Sobhani

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Essays on Shi’ism and Iran


Description

Author: Hamid Algar

Cover: Paperback
Google Review: No

Shi‘ism, Iran, and the Islamic Revolution are subjects fraught with political biases and ideological agendas; sometimes, even fiction is presented as fact. This lucid collection of writings demystifies these subjects. With some of these pieces written before the Revolution, they demonstrate the trajectory of Imam Khomeini from being an obscure scholar and mystic to appearing on the cover of Time magazine. They also show how the study of Shi‘ism in the academy evolved from being a niche subject to a discipline in its own right.

A pioneer in the study of Shi‘ism and contemporary Iran, Hamid Algar’s work is marked by precise attention to detail, a near-unparalleled grasp of languages, and a forthright honesty. Thus he offers scholarship, a key to understanding Shi‘ism, Iran, and the Revolution as relevant today as it was when the essays were first written. Rather than projecting Shi‘ism as a historical monolith, this book takes the reader on a journey through the developments in Shi‘ism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, discussing the debates over religious authority and modern political technologies. Rooting the development of the Revolution in a broader historical context, it also offers biographies of key revolutionary figures and explores ideological challenges faced by the nascent Islamic Republic, such as matters of war and social justice. Throughout the book, mysticism and politics intertwine; not only does the characteristically Shi’i form of mysticism – ʿirfan – figure heavily in this work, but some sections are devoted to the relationship between the Shi’i Imams and the Sunni Sufi orders, as well as the place of Sufism in Shi‘ism. Lastly, Hamid Algar provides sound, thought-provoking analyses of contemporary scholarship in the study of Shi‘ism, including the works of Henry Corbin and Patricia Crone. This book contains something for anyone with an interest in history, Shi‘ism, Iran, or the Islamic Revolution.

 

Hamid Algar (1940-) is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served on the faculty of Near Eastern Studies for 45 years. His degree from Cambridge in Oriental Languages (Arabic and Persian) led him on a fascinating journey through the Islamic heritage and lands, both physically and metaphorically, in an era where Islam was scarcely known in the West. A prolific author, he has written not only on Shi‘ism and Iran but also the Naqshbandi Sufi order; the contemporary history of Turkey, the Balkans, and Afghanistan; and Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature. He has lent his pen and deep command of languages to numerous translations, including Islam and Revolution, an early collection of Imam Khomeini’s speeches. One of the few Westerners to meet Imam Khomeini, Algar was able to meet with Khomeini a number of times, first in Paris, then in Qum and Tehran, and became well acquainted with his mode of thought. Vignettes of his travels, acquaintances, and studies appear in the introduction to the book.


Author: Hamid Algar

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Arabic Morphology Made Simple


Arabic Morphology Made Simple is a comprehensive textbook on Arabic morphology aimed at intermediate and advanced students of Arabic grammar.

The work is a masterful translation of Sayyid Muhammad Rida Tabataba’i’s Sarf-i Sadih, a textbook popular with students and instructors in Iran for over four decades. In compiling this work, the author has relied on more than twenty traditional and contemporary textbooks on Arabic grammar. The book is often studied after Arabic Morphology: An Introduction, also by the author and published by ICAS Press.


Author: Sayyid Muhammad Rida Tabataba’i

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here or by emailing bookshop@islamic-college.ac.uk

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence


Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence for Beginners is an English translation of al-Mujaz fi Usul al-Fiqh. The science of usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) discusses the fundamental rules for deriving Islamic laws from reliable sources. This primer on the subject deals with the most important topics of usul al-fiqh in a succinct and clear manner.

 

Building on classical works of past scholars, the author provides students with insights into the development of the subject and demystifies the complex, jargon-laden subject of the derivation of Islamic law. This succinct, clear manual explains the fundamentals of this subject and is suitable for academic research, as an introductory course in the traditional Islamic seminary system, or as a companion work to more complex texts. The use of practical examples enables the reader to better understand the issues discussed and opens up avenues for further research. Helpful annotations from the translator make the work even more accessible to the English-language reader.

Ayatollah Ja‘far Subhani (b. 1929) is a high-ranking Shi‘i scholar (marja‘), theologian, jurisprudent, Qur’anic exegete, and a distinguished teacher at the Hawzah of Qum. His thematic approach to the exegesis of the Qur’an is reflected in his Manshur-i Jawid (The Eternal Charter, 14 vols.) and Mafahim al-Qur’an (The Concepts of the Qur’an, 7 vols.), among others. A prolific author, he has written many books on a wide array of subjects, including theology, Islamic sects, heresiography (al-milal wa al-nihal), hadith transmission authorities, contextual analytical study of hadith (dirayah), principles of hadith, philosophy, principles of jurisprudence, jurisprudence, history, fundamentals of belief (‘aqa’id), and biographies of Shi‘i luminaries. He has edited 12 classical sources written before the thirteenth century AD.


Author: Ayatollah Ja‘far Subhani

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here or by emailing bookshop@islamic-college.ac.uk

ICAS PRESS LATEST PUBLICATION – Understanding Islamic Sciences


‘An interesting and wide-ranging text, displaying the clarity of a major modern Islamic thinker and his approach to Islamic sciences.’ Oliver Leaman, Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky

Understanding Islamic Sciences provides an informative introduction to six major disciplines in Islamic studies: theology, mysticism, principles of jurisprudence, jurisprudence, philosophy, and logic. It is a user-friendly guide for readers wishing to know more about Islam’s intellectual heritage but who are averse to the scholastic language and style of technical books on the subject. The work is also an ideal textbook for introductory courses in Islamic Studies.

Each chapter is dedicated to one of the aforementioned Islamic sciences and includes a survey of the historical development of the discipline, biographies of scholars who have made significant contributions to the subject, and explanations of the most important concepts and issues discussed in each discipline. This second edition has been extensively revised and contains a new chapter on logic, a glossary of technical terms, and four indices.

***

Ayatollah Murtada Mutahhari (1920-1979) was an accomplished scholar of Islamic sciences and is credited with nearly ninety works on a broad range of subjects. He is considered to be one of the leading thinkers of the global Islamic movement in the twentieth century. As a disciple of Ayatollah Khomeini, his ideas played a pivotal role in forming the modern Islamic discourse which served as the foundation of the 1979 Islamic revolution. His views also helped develop an intellectual approach to Islamic teaching and learning in which values such as critical and rational thinking, moral integrity, and freedom of thought and expression are given the utmost prominence.

 


Author: Ayatollah Murtada Mutahhri

Cover: Paperback


You can order your copy here or by emailing bookshop@islamic-college.ac.uk

Book Launch: Desire of the Aspirant


desire-1ICAS Press are pleased to announce our latest publication ‘Desire of the Aspirant: On the Etiquette of the Teacher and the Student’ is now available for sale.

The classical Islamic scholarly tradition is characterised by an emphasis on the teacher-student relationship. Learning is not simply seen as a material acquisition of knowledge, but rather as a means of induction into a living tradition. This classical work expounds upon the ideals for teachers and students. It is a translation of Munyat al-Murīd fī Adab al-Mufīd wa al-Mustafīd by the renowned scholar al-Shahid al-Thani. Read more…