
This Is The First Work Available In Any Language To Extensively Document And Critically Discuss Traditions Of 'alid Piety And Their Modern Contestations In The Region. The Concept Of 'alid Piety Allows For A Reframing Of Our Views On The Widespread Reverence For 'ali, Fatima And Their Progeny That Emphasizes How Such Sentiments And Associated Practices Are Seen As Part Of Broad Traditions Shared By Many Muslims, Which Might Or Might Not Have Their Origins In A Specifically Shi'a Identity. In Doing So, It Facilitates The Movement Of Academic Discussions Out From Under The Shadow Of Polemical Sectarian Discourses On 'shi'ism' In Southeast Asia. The Chapters Include Presentations Of New Material From Previously Unpublished Early Manuscript Sources From Muslim Vernacular Literatures In The Malay, Javanese, Sundanese, Acehnese And Bugis Languages, As Well As Rich New Ethnography From Across The Region. These Studies Engage With Cultural, Intellectual, And Performative Traditions, As Well As The Ways In Which 'alid Piety Has Been Transformed In Relation To More Strictly Sectarian Identifications Since The Iranian Revolution In 1979.
This work investigates the historical and contemporary manifestations of 'Alid piety in Southeast Asia to determine how these traditions intersect with, yet remain distinct from, formal Shi'a sectarian identity. Editors Chiara Formichi and Michael Feener curate a collection of scholarly contributions that move beyond traditional polemical frameworks. By analyzing the reverence for 'Ali, Fatima, and their progeny, the authors argue that these practices often function as broad cultural traditions rather than strictly sectarian markers, particularly when viewed through the lens of regional vernacular literatures and ethnographic data.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars recognize this volume as a foundational text for its ability to shift the academic discourse away from sectarian polemics toward a more nuanced understanding of regional Islamic practice. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a specialized resource for researchers and students of Southeast Asian religious history.
Page Count:
416
Publication Date:
2015-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190613157
ISBN-13:
9780190613150
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