Ismaili Studies
For most of their history, the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765), as his successor. have been studied almost exclusively on the basis of evidence provided by their detractors, but the last few decades have seen significant changes. A new generation of scholars has continued to build on the work of pioneering scholars and made some key discoveries, generating new perspectives for studying Ismaili history and thought.
Modern scholarship
Modern scholarship in Ismaili studies is set to continue at an even greater pace as the Ismailis themselves are now becoming widely interested in studying their literary heritage and history – a phenomenon attested by an increasing number of Ismaili-related doctoral dissertations written in recent decades by Ismailis. In this context, a major role is played by IIS. The Institute serves as the central point of reference for Ismaili studies while making its own contributions through various programmes of research and publications. Numerous scholars worldwide participate in these academic programmes, and many more benefit from the accessibility of the Ismaili manuscripts held at the Institute’s Ismaili Special Collections Unit.
Our research
The IIS’s research on Ismaili history, its intellectual traditions and analysis of manuscripts in its collection have led to numerous books being published on Ismaili studies. In this context, two specific publication series have been developed, the Ismaili Heritage Series and the Ismaili Texts and Translations Series. We also have a series devoted to the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity, in which a complete critical edition and annotated English translation of the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-ṢafāʾFrom Arabic, lit. ‘Brethren of Purity’, a group of learned scholars who were based in Basra and Baghdad around the last quarter of the t10th century CE. It is more… is being published.
Ismaili Heritage Series
The Ismaili Heritage Series makes available to wide audiences the results of contemporary scholarship on the Ismailis and their rich intellectual and cultural heritage as well as certain aspects of their more recent history and achievements.
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Ismaili Texts and Translations Series
The Ismaili Texts and Translations Series produces critical editions together with English translations and contextualising introductions, which are essential for further progress in the field.
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