DOCSLIB.ORG

ʿalāʾ Al-Dawla Simnānī's Religious Encounters at the Mongol Court

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
ʿalāʾ Al-Dawla Simnānī's Religious Encounters at the Mongol Court ʿAlāʾ Al-DAWLA Simnānī’S RELIGIOUS ENCOUNTERS AT THE MONGOL COURT NEAR TABRIZ Devin DeWeese The life and autobiographical writings of the celebrated Sufi ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla Simnānī (659/1261–736/1336) remain strangely unexplored by students of the political, cultural, and religious history of Ilkhanid Iran. His own long service, and that of his father and two uncles, at the Mongol court gave him a distinctive perspective on court affairs, and his legacy as a Sufi shaykh and prolific author facilitated the preservation of several intimate and self-referential accounts, among Simnānī’s own numerous works and those of his direct disciples, that offer fascinating vignettes of the cul- tural encounter entailed by the interaction of Mongol and Muslim elites in northwest ern Iran. The present study is intended to outline just one aspect of that encounter in the context of Simnānī’s life and the devel- opment of his Sufi career: the diverse religious influences to which he was exposed during the critical period following his initial turn to Sufis m, while in Ilkhanid service. That period saw an increasing tension between Simnānī’s wish to withdraw from court service, and his growing desire to travel to Baghdad to meet a particular Sufi teacher, on the one hand, and the efforts of the Mongol elite—including the īlkhān Arghun him- self—and his own family to keep him at the Mongol court near Tabriz, or, if that proved impossible, then at least to prevent him from going to ­Baghdad; those efforts included a series of religious encounters arranged for Simnānī while he was detained at the royal ordu near Tabriz for sev- eral months in 687/1288. These encounters no doubt had a lasting impact on Sim nānī himself, but Simnānī eventually did make his way to Baghdad, and the course his religious life took afterwards obviously colored his rec- ollection of the time he spent at the Mongol ruler’s court dis cussing spiri- tual disciplines and doctrines with practitioners of other paths, and with Arghun himself. Nevertheless, his accounts of that time in his life offer a glimpse of religious interaction in this era, as staged and “sponsored” by the Mongol elite, and of one remarkable individual’s efforts to make sense out of his own temporary engage ment with religious diversity. 36 devin deweese The outlines of ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla Simnānī’s life are relatively well known, thanks, most recently, to the study of Jamal Elias.1 Born into a politically prominent family of Simnān, he entered the service of Arghun at the age of 15, some nine years before Arghun assumed power in 683/1284; his paternal uncle, Jalāl al-Dīn, was Arghun’s vazīr from the beginning of his reign until 687/1288, when he was dismissed (his execution came a year later), while Simnānī’s maternal uncle, Rukn al-Dīn, and his father Sharaf al-Dīn were both among the loyal servants of Arghun who eventually ran afoul of rival offi cials under Ghazan and were executed (his father already in 695/1295, his uncle in 700/1301). ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla was spared his rela tives’ fate by his departure from the court to adopt the life of a Sufi; he says relatively little about Ghazan, or his famous conversion to Islam, in his writings, and it seems that he was closer to Öljeytü, in whose encamp- ment he spent considerable time even after he made known his wish to leave Arghun’s service (Öljeytü would later disappoint Simnānī, however, 1 Jamal J. Elias, The Throne Carrier of God: The Life and Thought of ʿAlāʾ ad-Dawla as-Simnānī (Albany: SUNY Press, 1995), with the biographical survey on pp. 15–31; see pp. 165–212 for the most thorough account to date of Simnānī’s writings. Among earlier studies may be mentioned Sayyid Muẓaffar Ṣadr, Sharḥ-i aḥvāl va afkār va āthār-i ʿārif-i rabbānī Abū’l-Makārim Rukn al-Dīn Shaykh ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla Simnānī (Tehran: Chāpkhāna-yi Dānishgāh, n.d. [ca. 1955–56]); Henry Corbin, “L’intériorisation du sens en herméneutique soufie iranienne (Ṣâʾinoddîn ʿAlî Torka Ispâhânî, ob. 830/1427 et ʿAlâoddawla Semnânî, ob. 736/1336),” Eranos-Jahrbuch, 26 (1957): 57–187 [137–172]; idem, En Islam iranien: Aspects spirituels et philosophiques, t. 3 (Paris: Gallimard, 1972), section 2 (Shî’isme et Soufisme), ch. 4 (“Les sept organes subtils de l’homme selon ‘Alâoddawleh Semnânî (736/1336),” 275– 355); Marijan Molé, “Les Kubrawiyya entre sunnisme et shiisme aux huitième et neuvième siècles de l’hégire,” Revue des études islamiques 29 (1961): 61–142 [76–109]; Fritz Meier, “ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla al-Simnānī,” EI2 1 (1960): 346–347; Hermann Landolt, ed., Correspondance spiritu- elle échangée entre Nuroddin Esfarayeni (ob. 717/1317) et son disciple ‘Alaoddawleh Semnani (ob. 736/1336) (Tehran: Département d’Iranologie de l’Institut Franco-Iranien de Recher- che/Paris: Librairie d’Amérique et d’Orient Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1972; Bibliothèque Ira- nienne, vol. 21), esp. 10–21; Hermann Landolt, “Simnânî on Waḥdat al-Wujûd,” in Collected Papers on Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism, ed. Mehdi Mohaghegh and Hermann Landolt (Tehran, 1349/1971; Wisdom of Persia series, vol. IV), 91–112; idem, “Der Briefwechsel zwischen Kāšānī und Simnānī über Waḥdat al-Wuǧūd,” Der Islam, 50 (1973): 29–81; idem, “Deux opuscules de Semnânî sur le moi théophanique,” Mélanges offerts à Henry Corbin, ed. S.H. Nasr (Tehran, 1977; Wisdom of Persia series, vol. IX), 279–319; Andreas D’Souza, “Simnani’s Cosmology and its Mystical Implications,” The Bulletin of the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies (Hyderabad, A.P.), 8/4 (Oct.–Dec., 1985): 94–126; Jamal J. Elias, “A Kubrawī Treatise on Mystical Visions: The Risāla-yi nūriyya of ʿAlāʾ ad-dawla as-Simnānī,” Muslim World, 83 (1993): 68–80; ʿAbd al-Rafīʿ Ḥaqīqat, Khumkhāna-yi vaḥdat: Shaykh ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla Simnānī, ʿārif-i buzurg-i qarn-i haftum va hashtum-i hijrī (Tehran: Shirkat-i Muʾallifān va Mutarjimān-i īrān/Chāpkhāna-yi Kāvīyān, 1362/1983); George Lane, Early Mongol Rule in Thirteenth-Century Iran: A Persian Renaissance (London/New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), 253; and the introductions to other publications of Simnānī’s works, including those of Thackston and Māyil Haravī noted below..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • (H.Uzn) in the Muslim Tradition: with Special Reference to Said Nursi
    Durham E-Theses Sorrow (h. uzn) in the Muslim Tradition: with Special Reference to Said Nursi TURNER, MAHSHID,FATEMEH How to cite: TURNER, MAHSHID,FATEMEH (2016) Sorrow (h. uzn) in the Muslim Tradition: with Special Reference to Said Nursi , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11904/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Sorrow (ḥuzn) in the Muslim Tradition: with Special Reference to Said Nursi Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Mahshid Fatemeh Turner Copyright with the author. No quotation from this thesis should be published without prior consent and any information accessed from it should be acknowledged. Durham University Theology Department May, 2016 Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to the people who have supported me throughout this long but enjoyable study.
    [Show full text]
  • 2013 Annual Report Institute of Islamic Studies Faculty of Arts Mcgill
    2013 Annual Report Institute of Islamic Studies Faculty of Arts McGill University Submitted by Rula J. Abisaab, Acting Director (30 May 2014) Report Summary During 2013 the Institute of Islamic Studies continued to host celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of its establishment in 1952. The Year 2013 was a very active year in the life of the Institute, and we thank the State of Qatar for its generous gift in 2012, which enabled the Institute to host an unprecedented number of events and lectures. A comprehensive series of events, exhibits, and lectures were held throughout the year beginning with an exhibition of manuscripts and other objects entitled: Strokes and Hairlines: Elegant Writing and its Place in Muslim Book Culture on display from February through May 2013 in the McLennan Library. The complete list of events is listed under the section Involvement in the community. Research and Publications A comprehensive list of faculty publications for 2013 may be found at: http://www.mcgill.ca/islamicstudies/publications/faculty-publications/2013 Teaching and Learning The Institute of Islamic Studies continues to undergo a major expansion in its teaching mission. With the arrival of several new faculty members since 2012, the Institute has continued to increase the number and type of courses offered to undergraduates at the 300 and 400 levels, in addition to our language course offerings in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Turkish. As for graduate studies at the doctoral level, a total of eight (8) PhD degrees were awarded in 2013: Nathan Spannaus, PhD (February 2013), “Islamic thought and revivalism in the Russian Empire: an intellectual Biography of Abū Nasr Qūrsāwī (1776-1812)” Supervisor: Robert Wisnovsky Emre Unlucayakli, PhD (February 2013), “The official discourse on religion in post-1980 Turkey: the official boundaries of the religious field, national belonging and heritage” Supervisor: A Üner Turgay & Rex J.
    [Show full text]
  • Herald NAMSCA 3, 2018 Seyedmohammadreza Azarkasb, Seyedheydar Azarkasb, Sara Nikkhahberenjabadi INVESTIGATION of INDIVIDU
    Herald NAMSCA 3, 2018 Seyedmohammadreza Azarkasb, Seyedheydar Azarkasb, Sara Nikkhahberenjabadi INVESTIGATION OF INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN PSYCHE IN IDEAS OF RHAZES Seyedmohammadreza Azarkasb, Master Islamic philosophy and theology , Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran [email protected] Dr. Seyedheydar Azarkasb, PhD philosophy of Education, Department of Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran. [email protected] Sara Nikkhahberenjabadi, Master Psychology, Azad University, Tehran, Iran [email protected] Abstract. In this research, viewpoints of Rhazes about knowing human psyche have investigated in these sections: human creation, structure of the soul’s parts, relationship between soul and body, reason’s position, mental health of human, social aspect of human psyche and situation after death. The method of this paper is documentary analysis and reviewing of library resources. The statistical society of this research is accessible historical resources, works and documents such as three valuable remained works of Rhazes (al-Tib al-Rouhani, al-Sirah al-Falsafiah and Akhlaq al-Tabib). In addition, the researches about him are used to understand his lifetime’s situations and apprehension of his works. About human’s creation, Rhazes believes that soul belonged to a transcendental world before its merging with matter, and was uncreated. Rhazes -like many of Islamic philosophers- holds that reason is the distinguisher between human and animal and it deserves to command other two faculties. He mixed this idea -that was taken from Plato- with the idea of moderation -which was taken from Aristotle- to make the theory of balance of faculties. In Rhazes opinion, if the balance of these faculties be disorders and one of them does an extreme act, the human’s soul will become sick.
    [Show full text]
  • Nasir Khusraw: a Portrait of the Persian Poet, Traveller and Philosopher Alice C
    The Institute of Ismaili Studies Nasir Khusraw: A Portrait of The Persian Poet, Traveller and Philosopher Alice C. Hunsberger* Abstract One of the foremost poets of the Persian language and a major contributor to Ismaili thought, Nasir Khusraw has attracted passionate attention, from admirers and critics alike, for nearly a thousand years. Celebrated for a poetry that combines art with philosophy, trusted for the details of his travels throughout the Middle East, revered and criticised for his theological texts, Nasir Khusraw remains one of the most fascinating figures in Islamic history and literature. This article provides an introduction to his life, travels and writing as well as his role as an Ismaili da‘i in Khurasan. Keywords Nasir Khusraw, Safarname, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Ismaili Studies, Shi‘i Studies, Central Asia, philosophy, Yumgan, Badakhshan, Khurasan, da‘wa, Opening page of Nasir Khusraw’s Divan literature, poetry, travelogue, Fatimids. (The Institute of Ismaili Studies Library, MS 903). Introduction By words, the Prophet’s religion spread throughout the earth and by words, he reached to heaven’s highest dome. (Divan, 180:13) This is a revised and edited version of Alice C. Hunsberger, ‘A Soul Higher Than Fortune,’ in Nasir Khusraw, The Ruby of Badakhshan: A Portrait of the Persian Poet, Traveller and Philosopher (I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2000), pp. 1-16. * Dr Hunsberger received her doctorate in Middle East Languages and Cultures from Columbia University in 1992, specializing in Persian and Arabic literatures. She has taught courses dealing with aspects of Islam as well as on the history of science at various universities in Iran and the USA, including Arya Mehr University of Technology in Isfahan, Iran and Hunter College, The City University of New York.
    [Show full text]
  • ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY from ITS ORIGIN to the PRESENT SUNY Series in Islam Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Editor ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY from ITS ORIGIN to the PRESENT
    Islamic Philosophy from its to Origin thePresent Philosophy in the Land of Prophecy Seyyed Hossein Nasr ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT SUNY series in Islam Seyyed Hossein Nasr, editor ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT Philosophy in the Land of Prophecy Seyyed Hossein Nasr State University of New York Press Published by State University of New York Press © 2006 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitte in any form or by any means including elecronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Production by Marilyn P. Semerad Marketing by Fran Keneston Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islamic philosophy from its origin to the present : philosophy in the land of prophecy / Seyyed Hossein Nasr. p. cm. — (SUNY series in Islam) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6799-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-6800-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Philosophy, Islamic. I. Title. II. Series. B741.N384 2006 181'.07—dc22 2005023943 ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6799-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6800-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 10987654321 ማሜምሞ The Quranic revelation is the light which enables one to see.
    [Show full text]
  • Qurчanic Exegesis in Later Islamic Philosophy: Mullа Яadrа's Tafsпr
    QurÞanic Exegesis in Later Islamic Philosophy: MullÁ ÑadrÁ’s TafsÐr SÙrat al-FÁtiÎa by Mohammed Rustom A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto © Copyright by Mohammed Rustom 2009 Abstract QurÞanic Exegesis in Later Islamic Philosophy: MullÁ ÑadrÁ’s TafsÐr SÙrat al-FÁtiÎa Mohammed Rustom Doctor of Philosophy 2009 Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto The work of one of Islam’s most celebrated philosophers, MullÁ ÑadrÁ ShÐrÁzÐ (d. 1045/1635 or 1050/1640), is characterized by a unique synthesis of the main strands of Islamic thought. Yet ÑadrÁ’s role as a philosopher was not simply to synthesize. His penetrating intellect and ability to cast new light on some of the fundamental problems of Islamic thought ensured that all of his books would be landmarks of intellectual achievement in their own right. Amongst his most significant but seriously neglected writings are his compositions on the QurÞÁn and its sciences. Broadly speaking, the present study investigates the manner in which scriptural exegesis, philosophy, and mysticism came together in ÑadrÁ’s writings on the QurÞÁn. More specifically, this study aims to examine the sophistication of the discussions to be found in ÑadrÁ’s QurÞanic works by focusing on his last complete and most mature tafsÐr, the TafsÐr SÙrat al-fÁtiÎa. After surveying the history, reception, and content of ÑadrÁ’s writings on the QurÞÁn and presenting a coherent picture of the theoretical dimensions of his scriptural hermeneutics, we will go on to examine the TafsÐr SÙrat al-fÁtiÎa’s structure and sources.
    [Show full text]
  • The End of Islamic Philosophy: a Poem with Commentary
    * Preprint version; forthcoming in a Festschrift for Seyyed Hossein Nasr, edited by Ali Lakhani. The End of Islamic Philosophy: A Poem with Commentary Mohammed Rustom Over the years, scholars of Islamic philosophy have been discussing the deep need for a greater engagement with the broader intellectual scene, not just in terms of historical interest, but as a way of bringing this branch of Islamic thought into the arena of public discourse as a living reality. Of course, one of the greatest challenges facing anyone who wishes to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of Islamic philosophy is that of language. Seyyed Hossein Nasr summarized the problem several decades ago, and also offered a way of approach: [I]slamic traditional teachings are couched in a language which is not easily understood by many contemporary men, especially those with a modern education. The old treatises were usually written in a syllogistic language which is no longer prevalent today. What must be done is to disengage the content of Islamic philosophy from the language which is now not well received and to present it in terms more conformable to the intellectual horizon of our contemporaries. What is needed essentially is a re-presentation of the whole body of Islamic wisdom in a contemporary language. Thus those who seek for various problems the solution offered by this form of wisdom will find it without the barrier of unfamiliar language or thought structure.1 Thankfully, today there are a number of prominent examples of works in English, from a variety of perspectives, which have sought to achieve this goal.2 In what follows, I attempt to add a voice to this growing body of literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Mullā Ṣadrā on the Efficacy of Prayer Sayeh Meisami University of Dayton, [email protected]
    University of Dayton eCommons Philosophy Faculty Publications Department of Philosophy 2015 Mullā Ṣadrā on the Efficacy of Prayer Sayeh Meisami University of Dayton, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub Part of the Metaphysics Commons, and the Philosophy of Mind Commons eCommons Citation Meisami, Sayeh, "Mullā Ṣadrā on the Efficacy of Prayer" (2015). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 100. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub/100 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Philosophy at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. 1 Mullā Ṣadrā on the Efficacy of Prayer (du‘ā)1 Sayeh Meisami University of Dayton, Ohio Abstract This paper presents the manner in which Mullā Ṣadrā explains the influence of prayer (du‘ā) on the world, drawing as he does on Ibn ‘Arabī’s ideas against the backdrop of his own dynamic metaphysical psychology. Mullā Ṣadrā’s eventually distances himself from Ibn Sīnā’s position on the passive nature of prayer, and instead opts for Ibn ‘Arabī’s reading of the intimate divine•human interplay in prayer itself. In doing so, Mullā Ṣadrā provides a formulation of prayer in which the supplicant plays a more active role in eliciting the divine response to her prayer. For Mullā Ṣadrā, prayer therefore fashions the human soul, while the human soul also fashions the outcome of prayer. Keywords Cosmology, cosmic change, divine providence, existential gradation, heavenly souls, imagination, imaginal power, perfect human, prayer, substantial motion.
    [Show full text]
  • The Study of Islamic Philosophy in the West in Recent Times: an Overview
    © 2006 State University of New York Press, Albany CHAPTER 1 The Study of Islamic Philosophy in the West in Recent Times: An Overview The study of Islamic philosophy has had a long history not only in the Islamic world itself but also in the West. The tradition of the study of this philosophy in the West is nearly one thousand years old and can be divided into three phases, namely, the medieval period of transla- tion, analysis, and study of Arabic texts; the second wave of transla- tion and study in the Renaissance following the medieval effort, and finally a new attempt to study Islamic philosophy, which began in earnest in the nineteenth century and which continues to this day. There is a certain continuity in this long history and connection be- tween these three phases, but there are also discontinuities. It is, how- ever, essentially with the last period that we shall concern ourselves in this appraisal. Moreover, by ‘philosophy’ we understand al-falsafah or al-÷ikmat al-ilåhiyyah of the traditional Islamic sources as defined in the chapters that are to follow1 and not the general meaning of ‘phi- losophy’ as used in modern European languages, which would extend to many other traditional Islamic disciplines such as the Quranic com- mentary (tafs¥r and ta˘w¥l), principles of religion (u„¶l al-d¥n), the prin- ciples of jurisprudence (u„¶l al-fiqh), Sufism, the natural sciences, and the sciences, of language. In the common parlance of European languages, ‘philosophy’ evokes the idea of something having to do with general principles, governing reasoning laws, conceptual definitions, the origin, and end of things, and still to some extent wisdom, and one speaks not only of pure philosophy but also of the philosophy of art, religion, or science.
    [Show full text]
  • Iranian Intellectuals and the West, 1960-1990
    INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from auy type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 Nortfi Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
    [Show full text]
  • Shiite Quietism and Activism in the Middle East
    Power of Association: Shiite Quietism and Activism in the Middle East Mohammadreza Kalantari Thesis submitted to the Department of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway University of London, for the completion of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, September 2015 Declaration of Authorship The title page should be followed by a signed declaration that the work presented in the thesis is the candidate’s own. Please note that there is no set wording for this but an example is provided below: Declaration of Authorship I Mohammadreza Kalantari . (please insert name) hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: ______________________Mohammadreza Kalantari Date: ______________________10 September 2015 __ Abstract At a time in which Shi’ism is in the ascendance in the Middle East, this study challenges much recent research and writing on contemporary regional politics by questioning the notion that a meaningful distinction can be drawn between quietism and activism among Shiite clerical elites. In challenging the nature of this supposed difference, this research tries to explore Shiite clerical political responses to, and involvement in, three key political events: Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. It draws on archival material including personal letters, telegrams, newspaper reports, records of political statements delivered by Shiite clerics at the commencement of their daily lectures in religious seminaries, and public manifestos of key clerics and groups relating to these three events; as well as over 300 hours of recorded interviews with key Shiite religious leaders and those closely associated with them from all three countries.
    [Show full text]