Course Description:

This course surveys the lives of the twelve Imams. Students will gain a familiarity with the major events of the Imams’ lives and the struggles they faced as they continued the work of Prophet Muhammad. Since their lives and struggles are intertwined with the events of the first three centuries of Islamic history, this course will necessarily cover many aspects of the rise and fall of caliphates, imperial expansion and wars, and the intermingling of Muslim intellectuals with foreign ideas.

Part I of this course covers the life of Imam ʿAlī.

Acknowledgment:

This course was originally taught on Hawza Online.

Course Structure:

• This is a self-paced audit course with no live sessions.
• Prerecorded videos and detailed lecture notes will be shared after enrollment.

Course Fee: 

• $50

Deadline to Register:

• Register by Sep. 5, 2024

Textbook: 

• The following are recommended books on the lives of the Imams. 
  • Al-Mufid, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu’man (1981). Kitāb Al-Irshād: The Book of Guidance Into the Lives of the Twelve Imams. Translated by I.K.A. Howard. London: Muhammadi Trust.
  • Pishva’i, Shaykh Mahdi (2018). The Lives of the Twelve: A Look at the Social and Political Lives of the Twelve Infallible Imams. 4 volumes. Translated by Sayyid Ali Musawi. San Diego: Noor Collective Publications.
  • Bahmanpour, M.S. (2011). Fatima al-Zahra: The Blessed Tree. Translated by A. Jaffer. London: Muhammadi Trust.
  • Jafri, S.H.M. (1979). The Origins and Early Development of Shi‘a Islam. London: Muhammadi Trust.
  • Ma’rifat, M.H. (2014). Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an (two volumes). Tehran: SAMT.
  • Al-Mufid, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu’man (2014). The Battle of the Camel. Translated by I.K.A. Howard and J.A. Hamidi. London: Muhammadi Trust.
  • Rayshahri, Muhammad (2020). Chronicles of the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn. Translated by Abbas Jaffer. London: ICAS Press.
  • A Salute to the Master of Martyrs: A Commentary on Ziyarat ‘Ashura’. Austin, Islamic Texts Institute, 2015.
  • Al-Nudbah: A Devotional Elegy for the Prophet Muhammad and his Family. Dearborn, Islamic Texts Institute, 2009.
  • Al-Kafi Books I-III. Dearborn, Islamic Texts Institute.