• Section 1: The Origin and Growth of Shi'ism
  • The Origin and Growth of Shi'ism
  • The Cause of the Separation of the Shi'ite minority from the Sunni Majority
  • The Two Problems of Succession and Authority in Religious Sciences
  • The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and its Disagreement with the Shiite view
  • The Termination of the Caliphate of Ali Amir al-mu'minin and His method of Rule
  • The benefit that the Shia derived from the Caliphate of Ali
  • The Transfer of the Caliphate to Muawiyah and Its transformation into a Hereditary Monarchy
  • The Bleakest days of Shi'ism
  • The Establishment of Umayyad Rule
  • Shi'ism During the 2nd Century
  • Shi'ism in the 3rd Century
  • Shi'ism in the 4th Century
  • Shi'ism from the 5th Century to the 9th Century
  • Shi'ism in the 10th Century and 11th Centuries
• Section 2: Divisions within Shi'ism
  • Divisions within Shi'ism
  • Zaydism and Its Branches
  • Ismailism and Its Branches
  • The Batinis
  • The Nizaris, Mustalis, Druzes and Muqannaah
  • Differences Between Twelve-Imam Shi'ism and Ismailism and Zaydism
  • Summary of the History of Twelve-Imam Shi'ism

• Section 3: Three methods of religious thought
  • Three Methods of Religious Thought
    • First Method: The Formal Aspect of Religion
      • Different Facets of the Formal Aspect
      • Traditions of the Companions
      • The Book and Tradition
      • The Outward and Inward Aspects of the Quran
      • The Principles of Interpretation of the Quran
      • Hadith
      • The Method of Shi'ism in Authenticating the Hadith
      • The Method of Shi'ism in following the Hadith
      • Learning and Teaching Islam
      • Shi'ism and the Transmitted Sciences
    • Second Method: The Way of Intellection and the Intellectual Reasoning
      • Philosophical and Theological thought in Shi'ism
      • Shiite Initiative in Islamic Philosophy and Kalam
      • Shiite contributions in Philosophy and Intellectual Sciences
      • Outstanding Intellectual Figures of Shi'ism
    • Third Method: Intellectual Intuition or Mystical Unveiling
      • Man and Gnostic Comprehension
      • Appearance of Gnosis (Sufism) in Islam
      • Guidance Provided by the Quran and Sunnah for Gnostic knowledge

• Section 4: On the Knowledge of God
  • The World Seen from the Point of View of Being and Reality: The necessity of God
  • Another point of view concerning the Relation between Man and the Universe
  • The Divine Essence and Qualities
  • The Meaning of Divine Qualities
  • Qualities of Action
  • Destiny and Providence
  • Man and Free Will
• Section 5: On the Knowledge of the Prophet
  • Toward the Goal: General Guidance
  • Special Guidance
  • Reason and law
  • That Mysterious Wisdom and Consciousness Called Revelation
  • The Prophets - Inerrancy of Prophecy
  • The Prophets and Revealed Religion
  • The Prophets and Proof of Revelation and Prophecy
  • The Number of the Prophets of God
  • The Prophets who are Bringers of Divine Law
  • The Prophecy of Muhammed
  • The Prophet and the Quran
• Section 6: Eschatology
  • Man is composed of spirit and body
  • A discussion of spirit from another perspective
  • Purgatory
  • The Day of Judgement - Resurrection
  • Another Explanation
  • The Continuity and Succession of Creation
• Section 7: On the Knowledge of the Imam
  • The Meaning of Islam
  • The Imamate and Succession
  • Affirmation of the Previous Section
  • The Imamate and Its role in the exposition of the Divine Sciences
  • The Difference between Prophet and Imam
  • The Imamate and its Role in the Esoteric Dimensions of Religions
  • The Imams and leaders of Islam
  • The Spiritual Message of Shi'ism

The Qur'an in Islam
Its Impact and Influence on the Life of Muslims
by Allamah M. H. Tabatabai

• Dedication
• The Value of the Qur'an in the Eyes of the Muslims
  • The Qur'an Contains a Pattern of a Complete Way of Life for Man
  • The Qur'an as a Document of Prophethood
• The Teachings of the Qur'an
  • The Universal Import of the Qur'an
  • The Perfection of the Qur'an
  • The Eternal Quality of the Qur'an
  • The Qur'an as a Self-Contained Proof
  • The Inner and Outer Dimensions of the Qur'an
  • The Wisdom Contained in the Two Facets of the Qur'an: The Inner and the Outer
  • The Two Kinds of Qur'anic Verses: The Explicit and the Implicit
  • The meanings of the Explicit and the Implicit Verses, According to the Commentators and Scholars
  • The Method of Guidance and Explanation used in the Rest of the Qur'an
  • The Commentary of the Imams of the Prophet's Family concerning the Explicit and the Implicit Verses
  • The Qur'an Possesses Revelation and Exegesis
  • The Meaning of Exegesis, According to the Commentators and Scholars
  • The Meaning of Exegesis in the Tradition of the Qur'anic Sciences
  • Applicability and Validity of the Qur'an
  • Qur'anic Commentary: Its Advent and Development
  • The Science of Qur'anic Commentary and the Different Groups of Commentators
  • The Methods Used by the Shi'ite Commentators and their Different Groupings
  • How Does the Qur'an Lend Itself to Interpretation?
  • An Example of Commentary on the Qur'an with the Aid of the Qur'an
  • The Validity of the Commentary of the Prophet and the Imams
• The Revelation of the Qur'an
  • General Beliefs of Muslims concerning the Revelation of the Qur'an
  • The View of Contemporary Non-Muslim Writers concerning the Revelation and Prophecy
  • What the Qur'an Itself Says concerning this Matter
  • The Angel Gabriel
  • The Angels and the Devils
  • The Call of Conscience
  • The Reality of the Prophet's Mission
  • What the Qur'an says about the Meaning of Revelation and Prophecy
  • Man 's Innate Nature
  • Man 's Path in Traversing the Road of Life
  • Man as a Social Being
  • The Manifestation of Social Differences and the Necessity of Law
  • The Intellect is not Sufficient in Guiding Man towards Respect of the Law
  • The Only Way to Guidance is that of Revelation
  • The Revelation of the Qur'an
  • Some Questions Answered
  • The Path of Revelation is Protected Against Mistakes
  • The Hidden Reality of Revelation
  • How the Qur'an was Revealed
• The Relationship of the Qur'an to the Sciences
  • Praise of Knowledge and the Stimulation of the Desire to Study
  • The Sciences which the Qur'an Invites Men to Study
  • The Sciences Particular to the Study of the Qur'an
  • The Sciences which Developed because of the Qur'an
• The Order of the Qur'an's Revelation and the Growth of the Qur'anic Sciences
  • The Order in which the Verses of the Qur'an were Revealed
  • Conclusions to be Drawn
  • The Reasons for the Revelations
  • The Method Used in Describing "The Reasons for the Revelations"
  • Further Traditions Concerning the Order and Place Revelation of the Chapters
  • The Gathering of the Qur'an into One Volume (Before the Death of the Prophet)
  • After the Death of the Prophet
  • The Importance Muslims Attached to the Qur'an
  • The Qur'an is Protected from any Alteration
  • The Recitation, Memorization and Transmission of the Qur'an
  • The Different Groups of Reciters
  • The Seven Reciters
  • The Number of Verses in the Qur'an
  • The Names of the Chapters
  • Calligraphy, Orthography and Diacritical Marks Used in the Qur'an

A Shi'ite Anthology
by Allamah M. H. Tabatabai

• Introduction by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
• Translator's Introduction
• Foreword
• On the Unity of God
  • The Prophet
  • 'Ali, the First Imam
  • Al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam
  • Ja'far al-Sadiq, the Sixth Imam
  • Musa, the Seventh Imam
  • 'Ali al-Rida, the Eighth Imam
• The Ruler and Society
  • 'Ali's Instruction to Malik al-Ashtar
• The Spiritual Life: Prayer and Supplication
  • Al-Husayn, the Third Imam
  • Ali Zayn al-'Abidin, the Fourth Imam
  • Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam
• Appendix
  • The Twelve Imams
• Bibliography

'Aqaed al-Shia al-Imamiyah Arabic
by Allamah Mohammad Rida al-Muzaffar

• INTRODUCTION
  • Doctrine of the Necessity for Seeking Knowledge
  • Doctrine of the Necessity for Taqlid in the Various Branches of the Religion
  • Doctrine of the Necessity for Juristic Reasoning
  • Doctrine Concerning the Position of mujtahid
• TAWHID
  • Doctrine of Belief in Allah
  • Doctrine of Divine Unity (Tawhid)
  • Doctrine of the Attributes of Allah
  • Doctrine of the Justice of Allah
  • Doctrine of the Commands of Allah
  • Doctrine of al-Qada' and al-Qadar
  • Doctrine of Bada'
  • Doctrine of Religious Ordinances
• THE PROPHETHOOD
  • Doctrine of Prophethood
  • Prophecy is from Divine Grace (Lutf)
  • Doctrine of Prophetic Miracles
  • Doctrine of the Infallibility of the Prophets
  • Doctrine of the Attributes of the Prophet
  • Doctrine of the Prophets and their Books
  • Doctrine of Belief In Islam
  • Doctrine of the Lawgiver of Islam
  • Our Belief in the Holy Quran
  • The Proof of Islam and the Previous Religions
• THE IMAMATE
  • Doctrine of the Imamate
  • Doctrine of the Infallibility of the Imam
  • Doctrine of the Attributes of the Imam and Knowledge of the Imam
  • Doctrine of Obedience to the Imams
  • Doctrine of Love for the Household of the Prophet
  • Our Belief in the Imams
  • The Imamate must be from Allah
  • Doctrine of the Number of the Imams
  • Doctrine of the Mahdi
  • Doctrine of the Return (Raj'ah)
  • Doctrine of Dissimulation (Taqiyyah)
• TEACHINGS FOR THE SHI'A FROM AHLUL-BAYT
  • The Doctrine Concerning Du'a'
  • Themes in the Ad'iyah from al-Sahifat al-Sajjadiyyah
  • Our Belief in Ziyarah to the Holy Shrines
  • The Meaning of "Shia" in the Opinion of Ahlul-Bayt
  • The Avoidance of Oppression
  • Doctrine of Non-Cooperation with Oppressors
  • Doctrine of Non-Participation in Oppressive Government
  • The Imams Call People to Islamic Unity
  • Doctrine of the Rights of Brotherhood between Muslims
• ESCHATOLOGY
  • Doctrine of the Resurrection
  • Doctrine of Bodily Resurrection
• APPENDIX
• Notes

Asel al-Shiah wa Usuleha, Arabic: [ 1 ] .. [ 2 ]
By Allamah Mohammad Husayn Aal Kashif al-Ghita

• Introduction
• The Origins of the Shia
• The Fundamentals of the Religion
• The Shia - The Divine Code of Living
  • Fiqh
  • Salat
  • Sawm
  • Zakat
  • Khums
  • Hajj
  • Jihad
  • The Enjoining of Good and The Prevention of Evil
  • Mutual Dealings Marriage, Divorce
  • Inheritance
  • Endowments, Gifts and Charities
  • Passing Judgement
  • Slaughtering and Hunting
  • The Nature of Foodstuffs
  • Penology (Hudud)
• Allegations Against the Shia Bada, Taqiyah
• Endnotes