Zaydism: A Theological and Political Survey
Zaydism, one of the three major branches of Sh?‘ism, emerged in the early 2nd/8th century in the southern Iraqi city of Kūfa around the claims of the ‘Alid rebel, Zayd b. ‘Al? (d. 122/740). The sect initially consisted of a range of Sh?‘? groups that shared a common political agenda but differed in...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2010
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| In: |
Religion compass
Year: 2010, Volume: 4, Issue: 7, Pages: 436-442 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Zaydism, one of the three major branches of Sh?‘ism, emerged in the early 2nd/8th century in the southern Iraqi city of Kūfa around the claims of the ‘Alid rebel, Zayd b. ‘Al? (d. 122/740). The sect initially consisted of a range of Sh?‘? groups that shared a common political agenda but differed in their opinions of the first two caliphs. The next three centuries witnessed the development of a cohesive Zayd? theology constructed primarily on the Mu‘tazil? belief in a just and rational God. Specifically, the Zayd?s affirmed free will and a theory of the imāmate that required armed uprising against tyrants under the leadership of a learned descendant of ‘Al? and Fātima. Zayd? Imāms established a number of long-standing political states, the most important of which was centered in northern Yemen around the city of . Intellectually, Yemen? Zaydism was challenged by a gradual Sunnification that began in the 9th/15th century (as epitomized by al-Shawkān? in the 19th century) and the intensification of Wahhāb? missionary activities in the 14th/20th century (epitomized by Muqbil ). These tensions persist into the modern period and have given rise to a new wave of political activism reflected in (a) the armed resistance of the ‘Youthful Believers’ led by the family and (b) the emergence of a new generation of Zayd? scholars such as Sālim ‘Izzān who do not trace their descent to ‘Al? and . |
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| ISSN: | 1749-8171 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion compass
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2010.00214.x |