The Origins of the Shi'a : Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century K?fa (Paperback)

Part I. Narratives and Methods: 1. Kufa and the classical narratives of early Shi'ism; 2. Confronting the source barrier: a new methodology; Part II. Case Studies: 3. In the name of God: the Basmala; 4. Curses and invocations: the Qun?t in the ritual prayer; 5. Drinking matters: the Islamic debate over prohibition; Part III. The Emergence of Shi'ism: 6. Dating sectarianism: early Zaydism and the politics of perpetual revolution; 7. The problem of the ambiguous transmitter: ritual and the allocation of identity; 8. The mosque and the procession: sacred spaces and the construction of community; 9. Conclusion.