Pre-Existence: a Myth and its Implications in Imami-Shiʿi Thought

The notion that events bearing far-reaching consequences for the human condition took place prior to the creation of the world and of man has been a central theme in the Islamic literary tradition. In this lecture, Dr Roy Vilozny (University of Haifa) seeks to demonstrate how the raw materials of this notion in Imami-Shiʿi thought – namely, its expressions in the earliest literary strata, the Qurʾan and the ḥadith – were addressed, creatively interpreted and elaborated upon by thinkers of two later periods: the Buwayhid (945-1055 CE) and Safavid (1501-1722 CE). This event was the eleventh in the "Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series", convened by Dr Fârès Gillon (The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London), and took place on Thursday 14 July, 2022. Learn more about the series: https://www.iis.ac.uk/research/islami...