The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in IranIn Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran, Roy Mottahedeh recounts the life and education of Ali Hashemi, a contemporary mullah of Qom, the Iranian shrine city where traditional Shi'i learning is taught. Incidents in the narrative on Hashemi illustrate prominent themes in Iranian culture and history, as well as trends that led to the 1979 Revolution. The Mantle of the Prophet not only contains a fully realized portrait of the young mullah Ali Hashemi. but also cogent sketches of a variety of prominent Iranians, historical and contemporary. No one who reads this book will ever again be able to accept the media stereotype of the Shi'i as kill-crazy fanatics. The joy of religious mystery and the search for knowledge, reason and justice are shown to be the inspiration of the Shi'i faith, which has suffered much for its survival. An image that lingers on long after the reader finishes the book is that of Hashemi's elderly mullah teacher Marashi, who rises two hours before dawn to follow the example of the Fourth Imam by crying "Forgiveness!" three hundred times during his prayers. |
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Al-e Ahmad Ali's ancient Ansari Arabic Avicenna Ayatollah Bagher Baha'is bazaar became began believed Borujerdi called century constitution courtyard cultural erfan Euromania European existence Faiziyeh father felt Ferdowsi foreign friends gave Ghazzali Ha'eri Hafez hand hay'ats Hosain Imam intellectual Iran Iranian Iraq Isa Sadiq Islamic law Jamal ad-Din jurisconsult Kasravi Khomeini king knew Koran leader light lived looked madreseh Marashi ment Mirza Shirazi Mohammed mosque Mossadegh Mowlana mullahs Muslims mysticism Najaf never nian Parviz Persian philosophy poetry political prayer prison Prophet Qajar Qomi regime religion religious revolution Reza Shah Rostam Safavi samanu Satan seemed shah's Shemr Shi'ism Shiah Islam Shiah learning Shirazi shrine Sohravardi sometimes spoke Sufi Sunni talabehs Taleqani teacher Tehran things thousand tion tradition University of Tehran village wanted word wrote Zoroastrian