A Centre for Islamic Shi’a Studies (CISS) Conference

Saturday March 5th 2011

09:30 – 17:00

Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, London

‘Islamic Sciences’ is a broad term which includes, Jurisprudence and Principles (fiqh and usul), Narration Studies (hadith), Biographical Studies (rijal), Philosophy (falsafa), Theology (kalam), Mysticism (irfan), Arabic Language (arabiyyah) and Exegesis (tafsir). Its rich history is explicitly connected to the revelation of the Qur’an and the Sunnah (tradition). Specifically, Shi’i scholarship is characterised by the interpretation of not only the Qur’an but the teachings of the Fourteen Infallibles (Ma’sumin). According to Shi’i Islam, the Prophet and Twelve Imams are regarded as offering unique and authentic wisdom in interpreting the Qur’an and guiding humanity. In particular, their teachings have been the bedrock and influence of many pioneering works in Shi’i scholarship from the 16th century onwards which was a flourishing time for Shi’i scholars because of the freedom they had from persecution and oppression. This allowed them to produce many outstanding works in the fields described above.

This conference will focus on notable texts by Shi’i scholars produced in that period and beyond to the present day. To give a flavour of these works and perhaps what academics may write about (this is not an exhaustive list), here are some below:

Wasaail Al-Shi’a by Al-Hurr al-Amili

Al-Asfar al-Arba’a by Mulla Sadra

Bihar al-Anwar by Allamah Majlisi

Al-Makasib Al-Muharamah by Murtadha Ansari

Kifayat Al-Usul by Akhund Khurasani

Mu’jam Rijal Al-Hadith by Abu’l Qassim Khoei

The texts above and many more have hardly been analysed or written about in Western academia yet their influence on Islamic Sciences and the life of Muslims have been far-reaching. We invite scholars and PhD students to submit abstracts of up to 400 words (with a CV) on a Shi’i text of their choice from the 16th century onwards till the present day. Themes related to the chosen text are entirely up to the scholar but we emphasise that the text should be central to the abstract. The CISS intends to publish accepted papers.

Deadline for abstracts: December 10th 2010