Papers by Rebecca Masterton
Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2014
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The Moral World of The Qur'an, 2008
The moral authority of Islam derives from the Qur'an. M.A. Draz's book analyses the ethic... more The moral authority of Islam derives from the Qur'an. M.A. Draz's book analyses the ethical theory that underpins Qur'anic legislation by providing a classification of the specific verses in which Islam's holy book discusses moral issues. This book will, therefore, be of interest to those working in medical ethics, family and moral counselling and other areas where practical ethical issues are raised. The principal purpose of this book is to demonstrate the ways in which the Qur'an provides, on both a theoretical and practical level, the moral code to which Muslims around the world adhere.
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Encounters with the Hidden Imam in Early and Pre-Modern Twelver Shīʿī Islam, 2020
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2021
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EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2008
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2019
Encounters with the Hidden Imam in Early and Pre-Modern Twelver Shīʿī Islam is a published PhD by... more Encounters with the Hidden Imam in Early and Pre-Modern Twelver Shīʿī Islam is a published PhD by Omid Ghaemmaghami, obtained at the University of Toronto in 2020. As stated in the title, it specifically addresses the issue of how texts from the Twelver Shi‘i tradition tackle the subject of whether or not it is possible to meet the Twelfth Imam during the Major Occultation, since he is meant to have issued a final decree (or tawqī), declaring that anyone who claims to have seen him after the end of the Minor Occultation is ‘a lying imposter’ (recorded in Shaykh al-Ṣadūq’s (d. 991) Kamāl al-dīn wa tamām al-niʿma, 484).
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2018
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American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 2015
This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in t... more This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in the Shi‘i and Sufi traditions in order to examine an area of Islamic belief that remains unclearly defined. Similarities between Shi‘i and Sufi doctrine have long been noted, but little research has been conducted on how and why they developed. Taking a central tenet of both, walāyah, the paper discusses several of its key aspects as they appear recorded in Shi‘i ḥadīth collections and as they appear later in one of the earliest Sunni Sufi treatises. By extention, it seeks to explore the identity of the awliyā’ and their role in relation to the Twelve Imams. It also traces the reabsorption into Shi‘i culture of the Sufi definition of walāyah via two examples: the works of one branch of the Dhahabi order and those of Allamah Tabataba’i, a popular twentieth-century Iranian mystic and scholar.
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Journal of Islamic Studies, 2007
The real ‘origins’ of the Fulbe tale of initiation, Kaidara, are unknown. Helene Heckmann, Amadou... more The real ‘origins’ of the Fulbe tale of initiation, Kaidara, are unknown. Helene Heckmann, Amadou Hampâte Bâ’s wife, says (Oui Mon Commandant, 383) that Bâ received ‘knowledge which was relevant to Fulbe pastoral initiation [in 1943] because of his lineage, from one of the last great Fulbe silatigis, Ardo Dembo, whom he met in the Senegalese Ferlo region on the occasion of an ethnographic and religious enquiry carried out for the records of IFAN’. According to Heckmann, Bâ was not ‘initiated’ into the mysteries of Kaidara: ‘What is properly termed as Fulbe initiation already no longer exists, at this time, except among purely pastoral groups’. Therefore the knowledge which Bâ received is most likely to have been the narrative itself, told as a narrative, rather than as a form of initiation.Africanist and francophone scholars have long known that Bâ’s famous transcription of the Fulbe tale of initiation, Kaidara, makes some references to Islamic mystical teachings. However, a properly detailed study of these references has not been done. A close examination, however, reveals just how central the Islamic mystical tradition is to the tale. This article examines Kaidara in the context of the mystical literary form of the Ishrāqī school, the risāla, whose early composers, Ibn Sīnā and Ibn Tufayl and Suhrawardī would have been known for several centuries in Senegal through trade routes and ajj journeys.The article compares Kaidara with specific aspects of the risāla: its structure and language, the journey to the ʿalam al-mithāl, the concept of esoteric realities being revealed in successive stages and, finally, the incorporation of Qurʾānic imagery and values.Like the risālah, Kaidara teaches its aspirants that the greatest treasure in this existence is knowledge of divine sacred laws. This knowledge is acquired through self-perfection, which leads to the awakening of a mode of perception that is able to apprehend the hidden meaning of appearances, the wisdom lying beyond visible phenomena.
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Journal of Islamic Studies, 2009
... Rebecca Masterton. School of Oriental and African Studies. E-mail: kaidara{at}hotmail.com. Ne... more ... Rebecca Masterton. School of Oriental and African Studies. E-mail: kaidara{at}hotmail.com. Next Section. ... a material, this passive resistance, this crafty and inert adversity which he labours with his tools']: Jean-Paul Sartre, 'Orphée Noir', in Léopold Sédar Senghor, Anthologie de la ...
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African Affairs, 2009
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Religious Studies and Theology, 2013
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, 2019
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The moral authority of Islam derives from the Qur'an. M.A. Draz's book analyses the ethic... more The moral authority of Islam derives from the Qur'an. M.A. Draz's book analyses the ethical theory that underpins Qur'anic legislation by providing a classification of the specific verses in which Islam's holy book discusses moral issues. This book will, therefore, be of interest to those working in medical ethics, family and moral counselling and other areas where practical ethical issues are raised. The principal purpose of this book is to demonstrate the ways in which the Qur'an provides, on both a theoretical and practical level, the moral code to which Muslims around the world adhere.
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American Journal of Islam and Society
Medina in Birmingham; Najaf in Brent: Inside British Islam by Innes Bowenseeks to explain to a ma... more Medina in Birmingham; Najaf in Brent: Inside British Islam by Innes Bowenseeks to explain to a mainly non-Muslim readership the complexities and nuancesof different Muslim groups that have come to live in Britain since the1950s. The book aims to be “a guide to the ideological differences, organisationalstructures and international links of the main Islamic groups active inBritain today” needed in order partly to counter the perception that Muslimsform one homogenous mass. It follows in the tradition of ethnographic worksbegun in the colonial period, that were produced in order to inform the BritishGovernment about the thinking and culture of those under its administrationand, more importantly, about whether they were planning any uprisings orposed any threat. An example of this approach can be seen in Bowen’s assurancesthat the Twelver Shi‘a living in Britain do not unequivocally supportIran:The most striking feature of Britain’s Shia community is the lack of influencethat the Islam...
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American Journal of Islam and Society
Despite the progress made in the study of Shi‘i Islam, few publications providea comprehensive ac... more Despite the progress made in the study of Shi‘i Islam, few publications providea comprehensive account of its history. Referring primarily to secondarysources, A History of Shi‘i Islam overviews key events going back to the timeof Prophet Muhammad to “clarify misunderstandings” and illustrate the variousShi‘i schools’ contribution to Islamic history. From an Ismaili Perspectivecould have been a helpful subtitle, as will be explained below.The book consists of six chapters: “Introduction: Progress in the Study ofShi‘i Islam,” “The Origins and Early History of Shi‘i Islam,” “The Ithna‘asharisor Twelvers,” “The Ismailis,” “The Zaydis,” and “The Nusayris or ‘Alawis,” respectively. A glossary is provided; however, not all of the terms used by theauthor are listed. Each chapter is divided into several subsections ...
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Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, London, 2018
God and Man in Tehran, by Hossein Kamaly, Associate Professor at the Hartford Seminary, surveys t... more God and Man in Tehran, by Hossein Kamaly, Associate Professor at the Hartford Seminary, surveys the shifting and often tumultuous interactions between the religious, political, social and ideological components of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Tehran, providing a useful introduction for those who may not be familiar with the details of this particular historical period in Iran. At the same time, the book has a personal touch to it, written almost in a journalistic, conversational style and offering the author’s own views on the various personalities that he presents to the audience. It is divided into seven chapters: ‘O God, O Heaven, O Nature’; ‘Mediatory Theology and Its Discontents’; ‘God with Us’; ‘The Law: God’s and Man’s’; ‘Falsafeh and the Madraseh’; ‘Sufism Returns, and with a Vengeance’ and ‘Varieties of Skeptical Expression’. The book has an encyclopaedic quality, packed full of detail, but at the same time – at least for about the first three chapters – lacks a degree of focus and depth.
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American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 2015
THIS IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE ONE ALREADY PUBLISHED ON THIS SITE. SOME SECONDARY REFERENCES H... more THIS IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE ONE ALREADY PUBLISHED ON THIS SITE. SOME SECONDARY REFERENCES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH PRIMARY REFERENCES
This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in the Shī‘ī and Sufi traditions in order to examine an area of Islamic belief which remains unclearly defined. Similarities between Shī‘ī and Sufi doctrine have long been noted, but little analysis has been made on how and why these developed. Taking a central tenet of both, walāya, the paper discusses several of its key aspects as they appear recorded in Shī‘ī hadīth collections, and as they appear later in one of the earliest Sunnī Sufi treatises. By extension, it seeks to explore the identity of the awliyā’ and their role in relation to the Twelve Imams. It also traces the reabsorption into Shī‘ī culture of the the Sufi definition of walāya, taking as two examples the works of one branch of the Dhahabī Order and those of Allamah Tabataba’i, a popular mystic and scholar of twentieth century Iran.
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Papers by Rebecca Masterton
This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in the Shī‘ī and Sufi traditions in order to examine an area of Islamic belief which remains unclearly defined. Similarities between Shī‘ī and Sufi doctrine have long been noted, but little analysis has been made on how and why these developed. Taking a central tenet of both, walāya, the paper discusses several of its key aspects as they appear recorded in Shī‘ī hadīth collections, and as they appear later in one of the earliest Sunnī Sufi treatises. By extension, it seeks to explore the identity of the awliyā’ and their role in relation to the Twelve Imams. It also traces the reabsorption into Shī‘ī culture of the the Sufi definition of walāya, taking as two examples the works of one branch of the Dhahabī Order and those of Allamah Tabataba’i, a popular mystic and scholar of twentieth century Iran.
This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in the Shī‘ī and Sufi traditions in order to examine an area of Islamic belief which remains unclearly defined. Similarities between Shī‘ī and Sufi doctrine have long been noted, but little analysis has been made on how and why these developed. Taking a central tenet of both, walāya, the paper discusses several of its key aspects as they appear recorded in Shī‘ī hadīth collections, and as they appear later in one of the earliest Sunnī Sufi treatises. By extension, it seeks to explore the identity of the awliyā’ and their role in relation to the Twelve Imams. It also traces the reabsorption into Shī‘ī culture of the the Sufi definition of walāya, taking as two examples the works of one branch of the Dhahabī Order and those of Allamah Tabataba’i, a popular mystic and scholar of twentieth century Iran.
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Contents:
Lectures:
1. Transforming our Way of Being
2. Entering the Prophetic Path
3. The Return to Our Primordial Nature
4. The Ethics of Brotherhood in Islam according to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
5. The Place for Islam in the Modern World
6. Being Muslim in a Secular Environment
7. Divine Justice
8. Mawlid: Celebrating the Birth of Prophet Muhammad
9. Ghadīr: Fulfilling the Sunna of Allah
10. The Heart of Walaya
11. Imamate as the Protecting Vessel of the Heart
12. The Ontological Imam
13. Zuhd in the Life of Imam ‘Ali
14. Humanity in Nahj al-Balagha
15. The Esoteric and Symbolic Significance of Fatima
16. Imam al-Husayn’s Stand against Materialism
17. Sayyeda Zaynab: Preserving a Gift of the Ahl al-Bayt: Seeing the Inward Reality of Things
18. Conversations with Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq
19. Initiation and the Qualities of the Shi‘a
20. Following the Scholars in the Time of Occultation
Articles
1. A Comparative Exploration of the Spiritual Authority of the Awliyā’
in the Shī‘ī and Sūfī traditions.
2. Walāya as a Response to the Self-Other Dichotomy in European Philosophy