Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
Shi’ism in America provides the first general overview of the Shi’i community in America, tracing its history, its current composition, and how Shi’a have negotiated their identity in the American context.
There are over two million Shi’is, who differ from Sunni Muslims in their understandings of the early line of succession after Muhammad, in the United States. With community roots going back sometimes close to one hundred years, Shi’is can be found in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, and Dearborn, Michigan. Early in the century, Shi’is and Sunnis sometimes arrived at the same time, worshipped together, shared similar experiences, and confronted the same challenges despite their sectarian differences.
Both tracing the early history and illuminating the more recent past with surveys and interviews, Takim explores the experiences of this community. Filling an important scholarly gap, he also demonstrates how living in the West has impelled the Shi’i community to grapple with the ways in which Islamic law may respond to the challenges of modernity. Shi’ism in America provides a much-needed overview of the history of this United States religious community, from religious, cultural, and political institutions to inter-group relations, to the experience of African American Shi’is.
About the Author
Liyakat Nathani Takim is Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A native of Zanzibar, Tanzania, he is the author of many works, including The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi‘ite Islam.
Table of the Contents
Introduction
The Origins and Early History of the American Shi‘i Community
The American Shi‘i Community: Ethnicity and Identity
Sunni–Shi‘i Interaction in America
Shi‘i Leadership and America
Shi‘i Outreach Activities in America
Conclusion
Bibliographic Information
Title: Shiʻism in America
Author: Liyakat Nathani Takim
Publisher: NYU Press
Language: English
Length: 295
ISBN: 978-0814782965
Pub. Date: September 1, 2009
