This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica is the eighth of a projected 16-volume set, largely consisting of an abridged and edited translation of the Persian D尨irat al-Ma尪rif-i Buzurg-i Islm蘋, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world, to which a number of original articles, written specifically for the English edition, have been added. One of the unique features of this work of reference lies in the attention it gives to Shi尪i Islam and its rich and diverse heritage, which makes it complementary to other encyclopaedias. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, it offers the Western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shi尪i Islam, the Persian contributions to Islamic civilisation, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition.
This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica, covering 廎兀b蘋b al-尪Ajam蘋 to al-廎工wayz蘋, contains a range of articles of an original and analytically significant nature, with special attention given to Shi尪ism and Sufism. There are biographies of seminal figures in Islamic history, including the Prophets grandsons, Imams al-廎兀san and al-廎工sayn, as well as the great Persian lyric poet, 廎勾fi廕; the Ithn尪ashar蘋 scholar, al-尪Allma al-廎夕ll蘋; the founder of the Nizr蘋 Ismaili state in Persia, 廎兀san-i 廜糎bb廎; and arguably the most renowned mystic in the entire history of Sufism, 廎工sayn b. Man廜贖r al-廎兀llj. Regarding the esoteric traditions, there are also articles on Hujw蘋r蘋, author of Kashf al-ma廎古贖b, the first Sufi manual in Persian; the early ascetic, al-廎兀san al-Ba廜ψ蘋; the sage of Herat, Khwjah 尪Abd Allh An廜r蘋 Haraw蘋; and the Malay Sufi master, 廎兀mza Fan廜贖r蘋. Core Islamic disciplines are also addressed, including the foundations of Islamic history, scholarship, religious practice and theology, in articles on subjects such as 廎兀餃蘋喧堯, 廎兀wza 尪Ilmiyya, 廎兀轍轍, 廎兀梁蘋梁硃, and 廎兀聆娶硃. As with previous volumes, the articles demonstrate above all the richness of the Shi尪i traditions in Islam.
Clearly the editors of ISLA have selected articles they consider will augment the existing reference sources and they have completed this selection task with acumen and skill. The work as a whole remains, however, a specialist encyclopaedia […] – or perhaps more accurately, it is an encyclopaedia for specialists […]. In that sense, it is a valuable addition […] to the reference work available at present. Perhaps its greatest merit is that it brings to an international audience a key example of and an excellent advertisement for high-quality Iranian scholarship which has hitherto been available but known only to a few.
Robert Gleave, Journal of the American Oriental Society
[The] publication of Encyclopaedia Islamica is a notable step forward in including the Shia viewpoint in scholarship on Islam.
Mousa al-Reza Wahdati, Journal of Shia Islamic Studies
Printed on coated paper, the five volumes so far published are an impressive achievement both in production as well as in scholarship related to Persian themes.
Yashab Tur, Islamic Sciences