Review by Choice Review
Though this work is an introduction to Shi'a Islam, it is not to be mistaken for an introduction to Islam in general. Haider (religion, Barnard College) presupposes basic knowledge of mainstream Islamic thought and practice: readers enter at the deep end of the pool, as it were, with the author deftly connecting Shi'a to a wide array of influences, most notably Mu`tazili thought. Clearly, Shi'a is neither monolithic nor isolated from other forms of Islam; Haider is adept at portraying the broad continuum represented by Shi'a theology, ritual, and political involvement. But this is not merely a work on Shi'a origins and salient foundational characteristics: Haider brings his analysis into the 21st century. Indeed, his discussion of Zaydi Shi'a in Yemen immediately brings to mind the February 2015 overthrow of the republican government and its replacement by the al-Huthi faction of Shi'a, and his personal experiences in Syria form effective bookends to his discussion given the current civil war. Despite the violence, Haider assures his readers that Shi'a-Sunni conflict is neither inevitable nor axiomatic, even if religious tensions are exacerbated by a variety of players whose primary interests are neither theological nor sectarian. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. --Steven Peter Blackburn, Hartford Seminary
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review