One of the most distinguished scholars of his time, A岣ad b. Ibr膩h墨m al-Nays膩b奴r墨 lived during the height of Fatimid rule in Egypt. He came from Nish膩p奴r, the centre of the Ismaili 诲补士飞补Lit. ‘summons’, ‘mission’ or invitation to Islam. Amongst Shi’i Muslims, it was the invitation to adopt the cause of the Imamat. It also refers more specifically to the hierarchy of… in Khur膩s膩n, a thriving centre of learning particularly noted for its use of rationalistic philosophy. Several important works are accredited to him, but it is the Kit膩b ithb膩t al-im膩ma which is of particular significance for the development of philosophy in medieval Islamic thought. In this work, presented here in a new edition and translation, al-Nays膩b奴r墨 allows us to understand not only the significance of his own thought, but also the beliefs of his age. Rather than basing his assertions exclusively on the authority of the Qur示an and 岣诲墨迟丑Lit. 鈥榬eport鈥 or 鈥榥arrative,鈥 used for the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and in Shi鈥榠 Islam also for those of the Imams., he applies rational tools to explain his theology, providing a philosophical affirmation of the imamate by presenting a range of arguments, foremost amongst which is the theory of the 鈥榙egrees of excellence鈥. Degrees of Excellence offers the first book-length study of this hitherto unknown scholar of the early 5th/11th century. This invaluable source of Fatimid historiography will prove essential reading for students of Islamic history, philosophy and theology. It will also serve as a useful reference for modern Shi士i communities of all persuasions.
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Author and his Works
The Contents of Kit膩b ithb膩t al-im膩ma
Themes in the Text
Degrees of Excellence
Description of the Arabic Manuscripts
Notes on the Translation
Translation of Kit膩b ithb膩t al-im膩ma: Book on Affirming the Imamate
Select Bibliography
English Index
Arabic Index
Arabic Text
Arzina R. Lalani received her doctorate from the Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh. She is currently a Research Associate at 国产视频, London. A specialist in medieval Arabic literature and Shi鈥榠 thought, she is the author of Early Sh墨鈥樐 Thought: The Teachings of Imam Mu岣mmad al-B膩qir (2000) which won prestigious literary awards and has been translated into several languages.