Ghulat

Ghulat ( ; Exaggerating ) is the adjectival form of Ghuluww ( ; Exaggeration ), and is a term used in the theology of Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who ascribe divine characteristics either to a member of Muhammad 's family, generally Ali or a later Imam of the Shi'a , to an early companion of the Prophet such as Salman al-Farisi or else to a later religious leader. The usage derives from the idea that the importance or the veneration of such a religious figure has been "exaggerated".

"extremists", the adjectival form of ghuluww ), is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to figures of Islamic history (usually a member of Muhammad 's family ( Ahl al-Bayt )) or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology. In later periods, this term was used to describe any Shi'i group not accepted by the Zaydis , orthodox Twelvers , and sometimes the Ismailis . The usage derives from the idea that the importance or the veneration of such a religious figure has been "exaggerated".

Ghulāt ( , singular ghālī ) is used in the theology of orthodox Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to figures of Islamic history (usually some members of the Ahl al-Bayt ) or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream, orthodox Shi'a theology. In later periods, this term was used to describe any Shia group not accepted by the Zaydis , orthodox Twelvers , and sometimes the Isma'ilis . The usage derives from the idea that the importance or the veneration of such a religious figure has been "exaggerated".

Branch of early Shi'i Islam The ghulāt ( , 'exaggerators', 'extremists', 'transgressors', singular ghālin ) were a branch of early Shi'i Muslims . The term mainly refers to a wide variety of now extinct Shi'i sects who were active in 8th/9th-century Kufa (southern Iraq ), and who despite their sometimes significant differences shared a number of common ideas including the attribution of a divine nature to the Imams, the belief that souls can migrate between different human and non-human bodies ( tanāsukh or metempsychosis ), a particular creation myth involving pre-existent 'shadows' ( aẓilla ) whose fall from grace produced the material world, and an emphasis on secrecy and dissociation from outsiders. They were named ghulāt by other Shi'i and Sunni Muslims for their purportedly exaggerated veneration of Muhammad ( c. 570 –632) and his family , most notably Ali ibn Abi Talib ( c. 600 –661) and his descendants, the Shi'i Imams . The ideas of the ghulāt have at times been compared to those of the late antique gnostics , but the extent of this similarity has also been questioned. Some ghulāt ideas, such as the notion of the occultation ( ghayba ) and return ( rajʿa ) of the Imam, have been influential in the development of Twelver Shi'ism . Later Isma'ili Shi'i authors such as Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (died c. 957 ) and Abu Ya'qub al-Sijistani (died after 971) also adapted ghulāt ideas to reformulate their own doctrines. The only ghulāt sect still in existence today are the Alawites , historically known as 'Nusayris' after their founder Ibn Nusayr (died after 868). A relatively large number of ghulāt writings have survived to this day. Previously, only some works that were preserved in the Isma'ili tradition were available to scholars, such the Mother of the Book published in 1936 ( Umm al-kitāb , 8th–11th centuries), the Book of the Seven and the Shadows published in 1960 ( Kitāb al-Haft wa-l-aẓilla , 8th–11th centuries), and the Book of the Path published in 1995 ( Kitāb al-Ṣirāṭ , c. 874 –941). However, between 2006 and 2013 numerous ghulāt texts that have been preserved in the Nusayri-Alawi tradition were published in the Alawite Heritage Series . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). On the ghulāt in general, see Halm 2001–2012 ; Hodgson 1960–2007b ; Anthony 2018 . See, e.g., Tijdens 1977 ; Halm 1982 . See, e.g., Bayhom-Daou 2003 ; Asatryan & Burns 2016 . The ghulāt influences on Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman's Kitāb al-Kashf are discussed by Asatryan 2020 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFAsatryan2020 ( help ) . On Alawism-Nusayrism in general, see Bar-Asher 2003 ; Bar-Asher & Kofsky 2002 ; Friedman 2010 . Full Italian translation in Filippani-Ronconi 1966 , partial German translations in Tijdens 1977 , Halm 1981 , Halm 1982 . New edition by Ibn ʿAbd al-Jalīl 2005 . The first major study to take the newly available texts into account is Asatryan 2017 .

Branch of early Shi'i Islam The ghulāt ( Arabic : غُلَاة , lit. ' exaggerators, extremists ' ) were a branch of early Shi'a Islam . The term mainly refers to a wide variety of extinct Shi'i sects active in 8th- and 9th-century Kufa in Lower Mesopotamia , and who, despite their sometimes significant differences, shared several common ideas. These common ideas included the attribution of a divine nature to the Imams , metempsychosis (the belief that souls can migrate between different human and non-human bodies), a particular gnostic creation myth involving pre-existent 'shadows' ( azilla ) whose fall from grace produced the material world, and an emphasis on secrecy and dissociation from outsiders. They were named ghulat by other Shi'i and Sunni Muslims for their purportedly "exaggerated" veneration of Muhammad ( c. 570 –632) and his family , most notably Ali ( c. 600 –661) and his descendants, the Imams . The ideas of the ghulat have at times been compared to those of the late antique gnostics, but the extent of this similarity has also been questioned. Some ghulat ideas, such as the notion of the Occultation ( ghayba ) and return ( raj'a ) of the Imam, have been influential in the development of Twelver Shi'ism . Later Isma'ili Shi'i authors such as Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (died c. 957 ) and Abu Ya'qub al-Sijistani (died after 971) also adapted ghulat ideas to reformulate their own doctrines. The only ghulat sect still in existence today are the Alawites , historically known as Nusayris after their founder Ibn Nusayr (died after 868). A relatively large number of ghulat writings have survived to this day. Previously, only some works preserved in Isma'ilism were available to scholars such as the Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book, 8th–11th centuries), which was published in 1936, the Kitab al-Haft wa-l-azilla (Book of the Seven and the Shadows, 8th–11th centuries) published in 1960, and the Kitab al-Siraṭ (Book of the Path, c. 874 –941) published in 1995. However, between 2006 and 2013 numerous ghulat texts that have been preserved in the Alawite tradition were published in the Alawite Heritage Series . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). On the ghulāt in general, see Halm 2001–2012 ; Hodgson 1960–2007b ; Anthony 2018 . See, e.g., Tijdens 1977 ; Halm 1982 . See, e.g., Bayhom-Daou 2003 ; Asatryan & Burns 2016 . The ghulāt influences on Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman's Kitāb al-Kashf are discussed by Asatryan 2020a . On Alawism-Nusayrism in general, see Bar-Asher 2003 ; Bar-Asher & Kofsky 2002 ; Friedman 2010 . Full Italian translation in Filippani-Ronconi 1966 , partial German translations in Tijdens 1977 , Halm 1981 , Halm 1982 . New edition by Ibn ʿAbd al-Jalīl 2005 . The first major study to take the newly available texts into account is Asatryan 2017 .