Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs • Harvard Divinity School

Register here: bit.ly/sectarian_identity1

Although the sectarian labels of Sunni and Shi’a are widely used today to cover a range of identities and beliefs held by Muslims across the Islamic World, there are many foundational questions remaining over the origins of sectarian identity in Islam as well as its implications across time. The field has largely understudied theories of sectarianism and the precise applications of Sunni and Shi’a labels, including the content of their beliefs and the boundaries between them, largely remain an open debate to historians, political scientists, and others alike. This discussion will cover some of the main theoretical, methodological, and thematic issues relating to the study of sectarianism, Shi’a and Sunni identities, and the challenges in understanding what these labels mean over time and in the larger field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies.

Speakers:
Dr. Ahmed El Shamsy, Professor of Islamic Thought, University of Chicago
Dr. Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East, Harvard University

Moderator: Dr. Mohsen Goudarzi, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Harvard Divinity School

Time: Friday, Nov. 15th, 3pm EST

Location: Swartz Hall, Room 120 (James Room East) + Online Option

This is an in person event with a hybrid option. Registration is required.

Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University
Harvard Divinity School
Mohammad Sagha
Mohsen Goudarzi
Ahmed El Shamsy

Register: bit.ly/peoples_islam

This talk explores the essence of Islam beyond the familiar narratives of empires, doctrines, and grand monuments. Shifting the focus from official histories and controlled narratives, it delves into a more personal and soulful Islam—one found in sacred sites, pilgrimage journeys, and the everyday lives of believers. Here, Islam is not confined to the palaces of rulers or dogmatic interpretations of theological texts but blossoms on prayer rugs, in the companionship of mystics, and along the pilgrim paths to shrines.

The talk emphasizes the soul of Islam that endures in the midst of modern chaos and contradictions, thriving through human connections, spirituality, and cultural practices. It offers insights drawn from personal travels to key Muslim pilgrimage locations, capturing the vibrancy of faith in the presence of saints, poets, rebels, and ordinary people. This is a history not of kings or conquests, but of the soul—an Islam that belongs to believers and seekers, to pilgrims, to those who challenge the status quo, to those who find in it not only ritual but meaning, unity, and peace.

Speaker: Dr. Hassan Abbas, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies

Moderator: Dr. Payam Mohseni, Director of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Harvard Divinity School

Time: Monday, Nov. 4th, 2pm EST

Location: Swartz Hall, Room 125

This is an in-person event with an online hybrid option. Registration required.

Ali ibn Abi Talib is one of the most important figures in the textual history of the Qur'an. In addition to being one of the Prophet’s scribes, he is reported to have played a key role in compiling the Qur'an into a single book shortly after the Prophet’s death. As the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib copied the Uthmanic codex and distributed it across Muslim lands. It is also reported that his codex contained Qur'anic exegesis in the margins, meaning he was the first exegete of the Qur'an. According to Muslim accounts, Ali ibn Abi Talib recorded, preached, interpreted, and embodied the Qur'an from a young age until his death, which occurred from wounds he sustained while reciting the Qur'an in prayer. Known for his profound reverence for the Qur'an, his archenemy, Muawiya, used the Qur'an against him during the Battle of Siffin, which indicates that even his enemies acknowledged his close bond with the Qur'an and sought to test it. Aside from the Prophet, perhaps no other figure in Islamic history had a life so deeply entwined with the Qur'an. Yet, his contributions are rarely highlighted in studies on the textual history of the Qur'an. This presentation will explore Ali ibn Abi Talib's relationship with the Qur'an and the legacy he left behind.

Speaker: Dr. Seyfeddin Kara, Assistant Professor of Islamic Origins, University of Groningen

Moderator: Dr. Mohsen Goudarzi, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Harvard Divinity School

Time: Monday, Oct 28th, 4pm EST

This is an online event. Registration is required

Sponsored by the Jaffer Family Foundation of NY

We are happy to announce our co-sponsorship of “A Book Talk on Nahj al-Balaghah, The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ali: Ethics, Aesthetics, Faith, and Politics in Early Islam” with speaker Tahera Qutbuddin from the University of Oxford on Wednesday, September 11th at 12pm EST.

Join us then in room 110 at the Barker Center by registering here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUnD7bOOUBIRF0GKZu2Ll1JIwYVBNdG2Swq_0VukzlNTL7zw/viewform

Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University
Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University
Committee on the Study of Religion
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University
Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs

The Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School is launching a new research focus on the diverse expressions of Twelver Shi’ism, Alevism, and Bektashism in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkic speaking worlds, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, and the Balkans.

The Project is inviting applications to participate in research in these domains for both contemporary and historical time periods. In particular, the Project focuses on indigenous expressions of Shi’i sociological and anthropological phenomenon, historical study, and cross-sectarian (Shi’i-Sunni) relations, especially in border regions and socio-cultural exchange. These fields of study can include but are not limited to relations between Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan; Ashura commemorations and pilgrimage practices; Ottoman-Safavid history; Shi’i literary output; daily life and ethnography; and theological thought.

We invite applications for voluntary research positions for students and researchers with proficient language backgrounds in one or more of the regional languages (Turkish, Azeri, Persian, Albanian, etc.).

Applications are due by August 23rd, 2024. You can apply at bit.ly/research_opportunity

The Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School once again cordially invites you to participate in a workshop, "Ashura: The Life and Legacy of Imam Hussain."

The workshop, which takes place between this July 10th and August 10th, includes: academic lectures, philosophy of Ashura storytelling, sayings of the Imams, a special narrative rendition on the life of Imam Hussain, and more.

Register by July 9th, 11:59pm EST at bit.ly/ashura-harvard24 (Case sensitive)

The Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School is proud to announce the launch of a new “Knowing the Imam” workshop to shed light on the meaning and function of the Imam as it pertains to Shi’a Islam. The Imam is the oldest continuously existing institution in Shi’ism, universally accepted by all Shi’as, and with origins in the person of Imam Ali in the early Islamic period to the continuing presence of the Imam in the modern world today. This makes the concept and person of the Imam an ever-penetrating force that impacts diverse Shi’a worlds and global contexts throughout time. With a highly selective and competitive application process, this academic workshop challenges learners to explore the purpose of Imamate in a rigorous scholarly manner.

The content will focus predominantly on the Twelver Shi’a tradition but will also cover aspects of how other Shi’a traditions, such as the Zaydis and Ismailis, approach the Imamate.

For more information and application requirements, go to bit.ly/KnowingtheImam.

This talk explores the politics and legacy of the Battle of Siffin — a foundational moment in the early political memory and history of Islam that pitted Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib against a rebellion in Syria led by Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. As the first Shi'a Imam and fourth Sunni Caliph, the figure of Ali looms large in the consciousness of Muslims from the very early Islamic period until today. The talk is divided into two sections. The first explores the dialogue and politics between Ali and the diverse battle factions among his army at the Battle of Siffin. It analyzes Imam Ali's statebuilding project, the interests of various elite generals and divisions within Imam Ali’s army, the context behind internal Muslim conflict and the political order of the early Islamic state, and the distinctions made by Ali regarding the roots and reasons behind internal civil conflict within the Muslim body politic. The second section analyzes how contemporary thinkers and scholars in the modern Middle East have interpreted the legacy of Imam Ali, the Battle of Siffin, and the "First Muslim Civil War” as a lens through which to understand the intersection between early Islamic history and modern political theology as well as debates over governance and statecraft in contemporary Islamic intellectual thought.

Speaker: Dr. Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), Harvard University

Time: Monday, April 29th, 2024, 3PM EST

Location: Swartz Hall - Room 125; 45 Francis Ave, (online option also available)

Register at bit.ly/siffin

The Maqtal of Hussain: al-Ṭabarānī's Approach to the Uprising in Karbala

The term “maqtal” originates from Arabic and denotes the place or time of a person’s killing. Initially used in early Arabic sources to record deaths resulting from battles or political turmoil, it later became a specialized term for compilations narrating incidents of killings. Since the era of the Prophet Muhammad, struggles related to Islam and assassinations arising from disagreements over the issue of the caliphate have been referred to as “maqtal” in reports (akhbār), history (tārīkh), and genealogy books (ansāb). Over time, this led to the writing of independent works under the name “maqtal” or its plural “maqātil.” The most significant example of this genre is Maqtal al-Hussain (d. 680 CE). The objective of this study is to conduct a historical investigation into the famous scholar and hadith compiler (muḥaddith) Abū Qāsim Sulaymān al-Ṭabarānī’s (d. 971) Maqtal of Imam Hussain, which falls within the tradition of the maqtal genre. This research will analyze the relationship between the narrators and the work, the historical context in which the author lived, and the transmissions concerning the Karbala incident during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods. The study aims to explore why al-Tabarānī chose not to include historical reports about the murder of Imam Hussain, despite the work being titled Maqtal of Hussain.

Speaker: Dr. Hasan Hüseyin Güneş, Visiting Scholar, CMES, Harvard University & Associate Professor, Bartın University (Turkey)

Register for the event at bit.ly/maqtalhussain

The event will be available both online and in-person

What happened to the Muslim community after Muhammad's death? What makes a legitimate caliph? One of the most enduring sources of conflict among Muslims is the question of power and authority after the Prophet Muhammad. In their new book, Caliphate and Imamate (Cambridge University Press, 2023), Professors Nebil Husayn and Hassan Ansari produce an anthology of classical Arabic texts in English translation that examines the above questions. This book offers an engaging introduction to the diverse writings of influential scholars representing six classical Islamic schools of theology: Sunnism, Zaydism, Twelver Shiʿism, Muʿtazilism, Ibadism, and Ismaʿilism. In this presentation, Dr. Husayn considers the legacy of the family of ʿAlī as political actors within the context of Zaydi and Twelver Shiʿism. Sponsored by the Jaffer Family Foundation of NY.

Register: bit.ly/familyofali1

Shi’a Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams that follow him not only as political and spiritual leaders but also the center of creation, the cosmos, and consciousness. Who is the figure of the Imam, and how can we understand the station and function of such a pivotal concept as the Imam in Shi’a Islam? This workshop will explore the philosophical and epistemological approaches to understanding the nature, function of authority, and legitimacy of the Imam in Shi'a Islam. The lecture, by Dr. Payam Mohseni (Harvard), will also briefly cover aspects of the pluralism and various approaches toward the Imam throughout various Shi’a traditions. Open to all students at Harvard and the Boston area interested in the study of Islam, epistemology, and beyond. Light refreshments will be served. Registration required; admittance based on availability.

Speaker:
Payam Mohseni, Director of the Harvard Divinity School’s Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs

Time: Tuesday, 03/05, at 3:30 pm EST

To register for the event, visit bit.ly/imamology

The Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School once again cordially invites you to participate in a workshop, "Ashura: The Life and Legacy of Imam Hussain." We are proud to present a unique multimedia workshop taking place between December 20th to January 20th.

The workshop includes: academic lectures, philosophy of Ashura storytelling, sayings of the Imams, a special narrative rendition on the life of Imam Hussain, and more.

The workshop provides attendees with resources to study Ashura and the life of Imam Hussain at their own pace within the timeframe of the workshop. There is no daily set time or limited viewing hours for the lectures.

Lectures include:

- An Overview of the Scholarly Study of Ashura and the Life of Imam Hussain
- Life of Imam Hussain (4/626 – 54/680)
- The Legacy of Karbala: Social and Political Reverberances after Ashura in Pre-Modern Islamic History
- Symbolism of Iconic Ashura Rituals in South Asia
- New content available!

Register by December 19th, 11:59PM EST.

Register here: bit.ly/ashura-harvard-2024

This workshop, as part of the Project on Shi'ism's larger research track on Ashura at Harvard, is sponsored by the Jaffer Family Foundation of New York.

Harvard Divinity School

Within academia, much research has been completed on sectarianism and the Sunni-Shi'a split in Islam. But how confidant are we regarding our theoretical understanding of confessional pluralism in Islam? More importantly, do we have accurate indigenous understandings of sect and identity within Shi'a and Sunni interpretations of Islam? How have Muslim scholars understood what it means to be part of the Shi'a or Sunni schools of thought over time? This workshop, led by Dr. Mohammad Sagha (Harvard University), will explore these questions and provide a theoretical and historical overview of the origins and development of sects and sectarianism in Islam.

The workshop will review scholarly approaches within religious studies, regional studies, and Islamic studies and provide methodological and conceptual avenues for understanding the origins, development, and importance of Shi’ism and Sunnism within Islam over time. A particular emphasis will be provided on internal Islamic scholarly understanding of sects and sectarianism.

Open to all students at Harvard interested in questions of religious identity, sectarianism, Islam, and beyond. Light refreshments will be served. Registration required; admittance based on availability.

Sponsored by the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Harvard Divinity School.

Speaker:
Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University

Info: bit.ly/sects-islam
Register: bit.ly/sects-islam-2

ALI: Introducing the Imam Ali Research Track at Harvard Divinity School

Register:

In-Person - bit.ly/lifeofali
Online - bit.ly/lifeofalionline

Date:
Thursday, October 5, 2023, 5:00pm to 6:30pm

Location:
Swartz Hall - 120 James Room East - 45 Francis Ave, Cambridge MA 02138

Abstract

The figure of Ali ibn Abi Talib has been simultaneously both enigmatic and manifest throughout Islamic history. As one of the first Muslims and the key companion, cousin, and son-in-law to the Prophet Muhammad, Ali occupied a paramount role from the very origins of Islam. Both the first Shi’a Imam–and progenitor of the line of imamate–and fourth Sunni Caliph, the legacy, memory, and centrality of Ali is a key pillar of Shi’a and Sunni Islam. His ideals of justice, leadership, wisdom, and esoteric knowledge continue to form a bedrock of Islamic ideals. This panel discussion brings together scholars and specialists to discuss the field of study surrounding Imam Ali–in the past, present, and future. Open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Speakers

Hassan Abbas, Distinguished Professor, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies

Seyfeddin Kara, Assistant Professor of Islamic Origins, University of Groningen

Sarah Mokh, PhD Candidate, New York University

Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in Modern Middle East, Harvard University

Hasnain Walji, Executive Director, United Global Initiative

Learn more at bit.ly/lifeofaliresearch

Join the Harvard Divinity School's Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs for an open house and networking opportunities with other students and scholars interested in the study of Shi'a Islam. Several scholars and faculty at Harvard will also provide remarks regarding interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Shi'a Islam from religious studies, political science, history, and other academic disciplinary approaches. Refreshments will be served. Open to the public.

Learn more about this event here: bit.ly/shiismopenhouse

The intention of this lecture is to investigate the intricacies and substance of a genre of devotional literature and liturgical practice in Twelver Shī‘īsm, namely the Ziyārat (visitational eulogy) of Imam al-Ḥusayn. In doing so, this talk will present a historical and close philological-thematic study of this ziyāra, a text that is consistently found throughout classical and contemporary Shi‘ī prayer manuals and formative hadith works such as al-Kāfī. The ziyāra has been ascribed by Twelver Shī‘īs to the sixth Imām, Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq (d. 148/765). Open to the public with registration.



Speaker:

Vinay Khetia, Academic Director, Shia Research Institute, Toronto

Register here:

bit.ly/ziyarat1 (In-Person)

bit.ly/ziyarat2 (Online)



Learn more: https://shiism.hds.harvard.edu/event/ziy%C4%81rat-im%C4%81m-al-%E1%B8%A5usayn-liturgical-text-early-sh%C4%AB%E2%80%98%C4%AB-%E1%B8%A5ad%C4%ABth-and-its-role

The Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School cordially invites you to participate in a workshop, "Ashura: The Life and Legacy of Imam Hussain." As millions of Muslims prepare to commemorate Ashura with Muharram drawing near, we are proud to present a unique multimedia workshop taking place between July 17th to the 31st.



The workshop includes: academic lectures, philosophy of Ashura storytelling, sayings of the Imams, a special narrative rendition on the life of Imam Hussain, and more.



The workshop provides attendees with resources to study Ashura and the life of Imam Hussain at their own pace within the timeframe of the workshop. There is no daily set time or limited viewing hours for the lectures.



Lectures include:

- An Overview of the Scholarly Study of Ashura and the Life of Imam Hussain
- Life of Imam Hussain (4/626 – 54/680)
- The Legacy of Karbala: Social and Political Reverberances after Ashura in Pre-Modern Islamic History

- Symbolism of Iconic Ashura Rituals in South Asia

- New content available!



Register by July 15, 11:59PM EST.



Register here: http://bit.ly/ashura-harvard.



This workshop, as part of the Project on Shi'ism's larger research track on Ashura at Harvard, is sponsored by the Jaffer Family Foundation of New York.

Join Rutgers ABSA, NYU MSA, and Columbia MSA on Sunday, April 23, and Monday, April 24, for panel discussions co-sponsored with the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School on Arts and Civilization: Muslims and Pop Culture in the West!

Please note that the event will be taking place at Rutgers University, Busch Campus on Sunday 04/23 at 6 PM and at both NYU and Columbia University on Monday 04/24. See below for more details. A livestream link will be provided to online attendees for the paneling taking place at Rutgers University at 6PM on Sunday, April 23rd.

The panel will include Project Director Dr. Payam Mohseni, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East at Harvard Dr. Mohammad Sagha, and PhD Candidate in Islamic Studies at NYU Sarah Mokh for a conversation on dynamism of civilizational dialogue inherent within Islamic thought and art-culture.