Abstract
The Imāmī (Twelver) Šī ī polemicist Alī-Qulī adīd al-Islām (d. after 1123/1711), commonly identifed as the ex-Augustinian missionary António de Jesus, is well-known for his Persian refutations of Christianity. The present study argues that his previously unidentifed treatise on biblical 'proofs' of Mu ammad's prophethood, I bāt-i nubuvvat, is extant in the two fragmentary copies: Qum, Mar ašī, MS 614 and Tihrān, Malik, MS 6348. Compared with Alī-Qulī's hitherto known works, the newly discovered treatise, dated ca. 1702, shows signifcant convergences regarding the argument (etymological inquiries), textual sources (European books and dictionaries), and biblical citations (extra-canonical material, 5 Ezra [=2 Esdras 1 2]). The author's allegorical interpretation of the Christian Scriptures through Qur ān and Šī ī adī represents a cross-scriptural Muslim exegesis that transcends linguistic, cultural, and religious boundaries to further authenticate Imāmī Šī ī doctrine with the help of the Bible.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 137-160 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Melanges de l'Institut Dominicaine des Etudes Orientales du Caire |
| Volume | 35 |
| State | Published - 11 Oct 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alī-Qulī adīd al-Islām (d. after 1123/1711)
- Christian converts to Šī ī Islam
- Muslim anti-Christian polemic
- Muslim exegesis of the Bible
- Proofs of prophethood
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
- History