"The religious beliefs, ceremonies and rise to political power of the Nusayris in Syria are documented here in fascinating detail."—International Affairs
"Moosa’s book is an accessible and useful summary of what is known about the heterodox Shiites."—American Historical Review
"This study is unique and surely will hold a prominent place in Islamic literature for generations to come."—Journal of Third World Studies
"Extremist Shiites: The Ghulat Sects is an extremely useful work. It contains a mass of information on little known Muslim sects, their origin, development, religious practices, and present status—the last being perhaps the most significant part of the research done on this subject."—Journal of Church and State
Description
Little is known in the West about the division of the Islamic world into Shiites and Sunnites and even less about the stratification of these two groups, with most of the attention going to the Sunnites. Moosa’s comprehensive study of the origins and cultural aspects of the different extremist, or Ghulat, Shiite sects in the Middle East is a ground-breaking work. These sects whose ‘extremism’ is essentially religious are generally a peaceful people and, except for the Nusayris of Syria, are not political activists.
About the Author
Matti Moosa was a professor of history and comparative religions at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also the author of Maronites in History.
March 2022