This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica is the eighth of a projected 16-volume set, largely consisting of an abridged and edited translation of the Persian Da?irat al-Ma?arif-i Buzurg-i Islami, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world, to which a number of original articles, written specifically for the English edition, have been added. One of the unique features of this work of reference lies in the attention it gives to Shi?i Islam and its rich and diverse heritage, which makes it complementary to other encyclopaedias. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, it offers the Western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shi?i Islam, the Persian contributions to Islamic civilisation, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition.
This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica, covering ?abib al-?Ajami to al-?uwayzi, contains a range of articles of an original and analytically significant nature, with special attention given to Shi?ism and Sufism. There are biographies of seminal figures in Islamic history, including the Prophet's grandsons, Imams al-?asan and al-?usayn, as well as the great Persian lyric poet, ?afi?; the Ithna?ashari scholar, al-?Allama al-?illi; the founder of the Nizari Ismaili state in Persia, ?asan-i ?abba?; and arguably the most renowned mystic in the entire history of Sufism, ?usayn b. Man?ur al-?allaj. Regarding the esoteric traditions, there are also articles on Hujwiri, author of Kashf al-ma?jub, the first Sufi manual in Persian; the early ascetic, al-?asan al-Ba?ri; the 'sage of Herat', Khwajah ?Abd Allah An?ari Harawi; and the Malay Sufi master, ?amza Fan?uri. Core Islamic disciplines are also addressed, including the foundations of Islamic history, scholarship, religious practice and theology, in articles on subjects such as ?adith, ?awza ?Ilmiyya, ?ajj, ?aqiqa, and ?ayra. As with previous volumes, the articles demonstrate above all the richness of the Shi?i traditions in Islam.
