EP025 Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi on Shaykh al-Mufīd (c.948-1022): Life, Works and Legacy of a Seminal Shia Scholar

04/04/21 • 32 min

To discuss with us the life, works and legacy of Shaykh al-Mufīd is Dr. Ahab Bdaiwi. Dr. Bdaiwi completed his PhD at Exeter on Islamic intellectual history and is currently the Cook-Crone Research Bye-Fellow in Ancient and Medieval History at the university of Cambridge.

Timestamps

00.00 Introduction

01.50 Shaykh al-Mufid was born in Baghdad around 948CE during the Shia Buyid dynasty's de facto control of the Abbasid caliphate and fifty years before the so-called 'Sunni Revival' with the reign of al-Qādir billāh in 991CE. Tell us about the socio-political and intellectual context of his life.

09.00 Shaykh al-Mufīd had a tumultuous life being exiled from Baghdad three times. He is also known as Ibn al-Muʿallim, son of the teacher, owing to his father's occupation. He dies in Ramadan 1022CE and is buried beside the sixth Shia imam Mūsā al-Kāẓim. What do we know about the life and career of Shaykh al-Mufīd?

15.16 Shaykh al-Mufīd has nearly 200 works attributed to him although only 10 survive. He was known to debate opponents and left a lasting legacy upon Islamic jurisprudence. What do we know about these works?

26.53 Shaykh al-Mufīd's land of birth continues to experience tumult between those who regard themselves as heirs to the conflicts of his time. He is commemorated annually on 9th September in Iran's official calendar. How do you evaluate Shaykh al-Mufīd's lasting legacy?

30.11 You are a co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Shiʿi Islam with Prof. Sajjad Rizvi. What are any other current projects listeners can anticipate?

Previous Episode

undefined - EP024 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Ḥallāj (c.858-922 CE): Life, works and poetic legacy of a martyred mystic. Part 6 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry

EP024 Dr. Kevin Blankinship on al-Ḥallāj (c.858-922 CE): Life, works and poetic legacy of a martyred mystic. Part 6 of 12 - Spring of Classical Arabic Poetry

Dr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one controversial Sufi, al-Ḥallāj, whose poetic outpourings continue to inspire.

This is the sixth part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utilised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com.

Next Episode

EP026 Dr. Philip Grant on the Zanj Revolt 869-883CE: A Slave Uprising against the Caliphate

In and around 869CE, African slaves used to cultivate the salt marshes of Basra in present-day Iraq revolted against their master. Led by an ʿAlī b. Muḥammad, a charismatic messianic figure, their uprising would prove to very damaging to an already beleaguered Abbasid caliphate before being finally crushed in 883CE. To explain the cause, details and significance of the Zanj revolt is Dr. Philip Grant, co-author of the "Chains of Finance" published by Oxford University Press.

Timestamps

00.00 Introduction

02.09 The Zanj Revolt occurred in the salt marshes around Basra while the Caliphate was already preoccupied with their longtime Byzantine nemesis and other civil conflicts. What do we know about socio-political and economic context of the Zanj Revolt and the religio-cultural cauldron of the time?

09.55 There were prior unsuccessful revolts but the 869 revolt would prove devastating with siege and sacking of major cities. Narrate for us the contours of events.

28.07 An enigmatic leader emerges called ʿAlī b. Muḥammad who claims descent from the Prophet's household and other elements disenfranchised with the Caliphate join the revolt. What do we about this figure?

36.43 The long term consequences and analysis of events are disputed by historians some emphasising class over race, if it isn't anachronistic to use those term. The legacy of slavery is a sore point for many Muslims and Arabs today. How do you evaluate the Zanj revolt in the bigger scheme of things?

51.45 You are a co-author of "Chains of Finance" on a subject which seems a far call from medieval Iraq and Iran, that being contemporary investment management and you also translate Persian. What are other current projects our listeners can anticipate?