The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism

The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam

The Imam, the Divine Guide, is the central point around which the Shi'ite religion turns. The power of Shi'ism comes from the actions of the Imam. This title is reserved exclusively for the sucessors of the prophets in their mission. The author shows that from the beginning of Shi'ite Islam until the tenth century, the Imam was primarily a master of knowledge with supernatural powers, not a jurist theologian. The Imam is the threshold through which God and the creatures communicate. He is thus a cosmic necessity, the key and the center of the universal economy of the sacred.
The author presents Shi'ism as a religion founded on double dimensions where the role of the leader remains constantly central: perpetual initiation into divine secrets and continued confrontation with anti-initiation forces. Without esotericism, exotericism loses its meaning. Early Imamism is an esoteric doctrine. Historically, then, at the beginning of esotericism in Islam, we find an initiatory, mystical, and occultist doctrine. This is the first book to systematically explore the immense literature attributed to the Imams themselves in order to recover the authentic original vision. It restores an essential source of esotericism in the world of Islam.
Country USA
Brand State University of New York Press
Manufacturer State University of New York Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber Refer to Sapnet.
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780791421222
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	State University of New York Press
Manufacturer	State University of New York Press
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	Refer to Sapnet.
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780791421222
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam

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