Bata Hashim. Exploring the Mind of God: An Introduction to Shiʿite Legal Epistemology. Brill,2023. � 162 �.. 2023

Shi'ite Muslims advocate that knowledge of Sharia (normally translated as Islamic law) can only be disclosed to believers by an infallible (macsum) being. The condition of infallibility (cisma) ensures that Sharia knowledge is communicated in an accurate manner without any distortion. This is impor�tant because Sharia lays down guidance and instructions that ensure order and regulation in all spheres of a believer's life. If diligently followed, Sharia ensures that believers can attain prosperity and perfection in both spiritual and socio-communal aspects of their lives, together with being granted salva�tion in the hereafter. Shi'ites accept God, the Prophet Muhammad (d. 632), and the Twelve Imams as infallible Divine Lawgivers (shark), who can never err in disclosing Sharia knowledge to believers. However, around the late gth and early 10th century CE, Twelver Shi'ites lost direct access to infallible indi�viduals. Since then, and until the present day, knowledge of Sharia is predomi�nantly provided to the majority of Shi'ite Muslims by a clerical class of Shi'ite jurists-cum-theologians.

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Islamic Legal Theory

After the demise of the Prophet in the 7th century, a young and expanding Muslim community was left without a leader.

The Emergence of Shi'ism and the Twelvers

Formative Period of Shi'ite Legal Theory

Medieval Period of Shite Legal Theory

CHAPTER 2 The Non-authoritativeness of Conjecture

The first epistemological underpinning modern Ushlis uphold is that of the non-authoritativeness of conjecture(adam al-hujjiyyat al-zann).