School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi‘i Islamic Tradition

Aun Hasan Ali is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, USA. He is the author of articles in peer-review journals such as Islamic Studies, Turkish Journal of Shiite Studies and has contributed to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Law and edited collections.

Ali’s study offers a deep and nuanced account of Hillah’s intellectual culture, combining innovative methodology with rigorous historical analysis. His reconstruction of scholarly networks and emphasis on Twelver Shi‘ism as a dynamic discursive tradition make the book a major and insightful contribution to Shi‘i studies.

• AcknowledgementsA Note on ConventionsChapter 1: Introduction Early scholarship on Imami law The development of Imami legal studiesRecent scholarship on Imami lawGeneral observations about the fieldThe Islamic traditionThe Imami madhhabConclusion Chapter 2: The School of Hillah in Islamic HistoryThe Seljuks and the late Abbasids The Ilkhanids The Jalayirids and the Qara-QoyunluThe Mazyadids and HillahConclusion Chapter 3: The Learned Families of Hillah The family of Nama The family of Said al-Hudhali The family of TawusThe family of Fikhar The family of MutahharThe family of BitriqThe family of Mu'ayyahThe family of RafiThe family of Abd al-Hamid al-NiliThe family of WishahThe family of al-A'raj The smaller families of HillahConclusion: the MazyadidsChapter 4: The Literary Construction of the Imami MadhhabImami authoritiesRational sciences: philosophy, logic, and scienceTheology and doctrineSubstantive law and jurisprudenceImami bio-bibliographyMajor compilations of Sunni hadithSunni scholarsSupplication and ritualFada'il Quranic sciences and exegesisArabic language and literatureUncategorized material, minor collections of hadith, and historical sources ConclusionChapter 5: Substantive Law and Jurisprudence The early jurists of hillah Ibn Idris and al-Sara'ir The methodology of the later scholars Reason The greatest battle Conclusion Chapter 6: Bio-bibliography Jamal al-Din Ibn Tawus Ibn Dawud al-Allamah Conclusion Chapter 7: General Works of Hadith, Supplication and Ritual, and History and Genealogy General works of hadith Supplication and ritual History and genealogy Chapter 8: Exegesis and Fada'il Exegesis Fada'il Chapter 9: A Brief Excursus on Philosophy and Theology Chapter 10: Conclusion Bibliography Index