The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma And Religious Authority in Shi'ite Islam [Hardcover]

Liyakat N. Takim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Looks at how various factions used the tradition that scholars were the "heirs of the Prophet" during the classical period of Islam (570–1258 CE).

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, different religious factions within the Muslim community laid claim to the Prophet’s legacy. Drawing on research from Sunni and Shiite literature, Liyakat N. Takim explores how these various groups, including the caliphs, scholars, Sufi holy men, and the Shiite imams and their disciples, competed to be the Prophetic heirs. The book also illustrates how the tradition of the "heirs of the Prophet" was often a polemical tool used by its bearers to demand obedience and loyalty from the Muslim community by imposing an authoritative rendition of texts, beliefs, and religious practices. Those who did not obey were marginalized and demonized. While examining the competition for Muhammad’s charismatic authority, Takim investigates the Shiite self-understanding of authority and argues that this was an important factor in the formation of a distinct Shiite leadership. The Heirs of the Prophet also provides a new understanding of textual authority in Islam by examining authority construction and the struggle for legitimacy evidenced in Islamic biographical dictionaries.

"This book is very well written and demonstrates a vast knowledge and intimate familiarity with both primary and secondary sources on the topic of the Shiite imams and their deputies. Takim’s exploration of how authority was constructed and made legitimate in early Shiite biographies, exegeses, legal theories, kalam, and the like, forges new ground in the field." — Kathryn Kueny, author of The Rhetoric of Sobriety: Wine in Early Islam

About the Author

Liyakat N. Takim is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Denver.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791467376
• ISBN-13: 978-0791467374
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,846,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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