How an old Yemeni legal manual helped to decipher the South Arabian script

Manuscript copies of well-known works, especially notes in them and other traces of use, can reveal surprising details. On close inspection, the Zaydi manuscript presented here turns out to be one of the oldest copies of Kitāb al-Azhār, which also has an exciting history of provenance and reception.

Al-Muʾayyad bi-llāh’s theological treatise, al-Tabṣira

Is Islamic Thought Western? 10 Theses on 'Western Philosophy'

A Short History of Zaydi fiqh

What is Zaydi fiqh? How has it developed over time? How Shīʿi or Sunni is it? In this blog piece we want to share some thoughts on the development of Zaydi fiqh as a discipline central for the Zaydi community. We will also point out topics that still await to be researched.

Laylat al-Qadr as Sacred Time

Ramadan as a holy month has special rituals performed throughout its full 29-30 days, fasting from sunup to sundown, and extra communal prayers in the nights. Apart from these, it also has a special night which is specified as the pinnacle of sacred time, Laylat al-Qadr, the night of decree.

Muslim Champions of Free Will: The Zaydi Thirty Topics Tradition in Yemen

Which Muslim theologians were among the staunchest supporters of human free will and the absolute singularity of God? One answer to this question is the Zaydi Shīʿa of Yemen, whose rich theological traditions remain largely trapped in manuscripts in Yemen and Europe.

ʿAbbāsid Ideology and the Alleged Exchange of Letters between Abū Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr and al-Nafs al-Zakiyya

The Origins of Sunnism

Rudolf Strothmann and the Beginnings of Zaydi Studies in Germany