Book: Kirmānī Shaykhism and the Ijtihād: A Study of Abū al-Qāsim Khān Ibrāhīmī’s Ijtihād wa Taqlīd

This research is a study of Abū al-Qāsim Khān Ibrāhīmī [Abū al-Qāsim Khān] (d. 1969)’s Ijtihād wa taqlīd, a contemporary Shaykhī Kirmānī literary text. This work is a particularly clear exposé of Shaykhī Kirmānī opinions on ijtihad, on the structure and hierarchy of the Shi’i community as proposed by the uṣūlī clergy, and, more broadly, on the intellectual history of Usulism.

“Shaykhīsm in general, and the Shaykhī School of Kirman in particular, have long been topics of interest for a number of western scholars, among them, perhaps most notably, the late Henry Corbin (d. 1978). In addition, one can identify a growing interest in Shaykhī studies, and mainly in the thought of the first Shaykhī leader, Shaykh Aḥmad Aḥsāʾī (d. 1823), among western universities, which itself testifies to the fact that Shaykhīsm maintains relevance within the realm of modern scholarship. Despite this, however, a significant part of the Shaykhī literature, including key texts of the second Shaykhī leader, Sayyid Kāẓim Rashtī (d. 1843), and other prominent figures such as Mullā Mīrzā Ḥassan Gawhar (d. 1850), remains uninvestigated.

This research is a study of Abū al-Qāsim Khān Ibrāhīmī [Abū al-Qāsim Khān] (d. 1969)’s Ijtihād wa taqlīd, a contemporary Shaykhī Kirmānī literary text. This work is a particularly clear exposé of Shaykhī Kirmānī opinions on ijtihad, on the structure and hierarchy of the Shi’i community as proposed by the uṣūlī clergy, and, more broadly, on the intellectual history of Usulism.

After introducing Shaykhism and, in particular, the doctrine of the rukn-i rābi‘, which is essential for understanding the originality of Abū al-Qāsim Khān’s argumentation on the subject of ijtihād, and after we have looked at the life and work of this author as well as the main historical connections between Shaykhism and Akhbarism, we will examine the main themes of Ijtihād wa taqlīd, paying particular attention to the introduction to the concepts of ijtihād and muqallid, the origins of ijtihād within Shi’ism, the connections between reason (‘aql) and fiqh, and, finally, Abū al-Qāsim Khān’s own proposals.

Table of Contents

Introduction

A: The Rise of Shaykhism

The “Fourth Pillar” (rukn-I rabi‘)

B: The life and works of Abu al-Qasim Khan Ibrahimi

The structure of Ijtihad wa Taqlid

C: What is the legacy of Akhbarism in Shaykhi doctrine?

Connections between Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa’I and the akhbari Ulemas

The position of the Shaykhis within the intellectual history  of Shi’sim

D: A study of Ijtihad wa Taqlid

The meaning of the world Ijtihad

The notion of muqallid

The origins of ijtihad and its development in the Shi’a context

The reasons for the shift towards ijtihad within Shi’sim similarities to the arguments of akhbari ulemas

Fiqh, Islam and reasons (‘aql)

The reasoning and the science of hadith

Abu al-Qasim Khan Ibrahim’s Proposals

Which fiqh to adopt?

The “Trustworthy men” (shakhs-I thiqa)

The necessity of the Natiq-I wahid)

Which understanding of Taqlid?

 

Bibliographic Information

Title: Kirmānī Shaykhism and the Ijtihād: A Study of Abū al-Qāsim Khān Ibrāhīmī’s Ijtihād wa Taqlīd

Author: Denis Hermann

Publisher: Ergon-Verlag Gmbh

 Language: English

Length: 50 pages

ISBN: 978-3956500978

Pub. Date: 16 April 2015