Educational
resources

History and Sacred Figures

• The Message

  Shaykh Jaʿfar Subhānī drive.google.com

  A history of the Prophet Muḥammad’s life and mission

• The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam

  Sayyid Ḥusayn Muḥammad Jaʿfarī al-islam.org

  A detailed and comprehensive history of the early stages of Islam as understood by followers of the Family of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt)

• The Chronicles of the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn

  Shaykh Muḥammad Muḥammadī Rayshahrī islamic-college.ac.uk

  "[C]ompiled to fill the need for a strongly reliable source on Imām Husayn’s (a) final days. Meticulously researched, it contains narrations about the Imām’s last stand that are found only in the earliest extant sources."

• Al-Imam al-Rida and the Heir Apparency

  Shaykh Muḥammad Mahdī Shams al-Dīn al-islam.org

  "A discussion of the role of the 8th Imam, Imam Ali ar-Rida, and the issues surrounding his nomination as heir to the Abbasid caliph Al-Mamun."

• The Revolution of Imam al-Ḥusayn

  Shaykh Muḥammad Mahdī Shams al-Dīn al-islam.org

  On the impact of Imam al-Ḥusayn's stand against Yazīd. "The impact of Karbala on the consciousness of Muslim society. Ziyara (pilgrimage), lamentation poetry, remembering Imam Husayn (a), and weeping."

• Background of the Birth of Islam

  Shahīd Muḥammad Beheshtī al-islam.org

  "This text explores the social, political, and cultural climate of Arabia before the advent of Islam. The author provides a detailed analysis of the religious and cultural practices of the pre-Islamic Arab society and highlights the significance of the Prophet Muhammad's message of monotheism and social justice in that context. The book also delves into the early history of Islam and the challenges faced by the Prophet and his companions in spreading the message of Islam."

• The Venture of Islam – 3 Volumes

  Dr. Marshall Hodgson press.uchicago.edu

  The Venture of Islam, Volume 1
  The Classical Age of Islam

  The Venture of Islam, Volume 2
  The Expansion of Islam in the Middle Periods

  The Venture of Islam, Volume 3
  The Gunpowder Empires and Modern Times

  "The Venture of Islam has been honored as a magisterial work of the mind since its publication in early 1975. In this three-volume study, illustrated with charts and maps, Hodgson traces and interprets the historical development of Islamic civilization from before the birth of Muhammad to the middle of the twentieth century."