Battle of Siffin: The Intrigues Against Imam Ali's Statebuilding Project

Full title: Battle of Siffin: The Intrigues Against Imam Ali's Statebuilding Project & Its Legacy in the Modern Middle East
This talk explores the politics and legacy of the Battle of Siffin - a foundational moment in the early political memory and history of Islam that pitted Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib against a rebellion in Syria led by Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. As the first Shi'a Imam and fourth Sunni Caliph, the figure of Ali looms large in the consciousness of Muslims from the very early Islamic period until today. The talk is divided into two sections. The first explores the dialogue and politics between Ali and the diverse battle factions in his army at the Battle of Siffin. It analyzes Imam Ali's state building project, the interests of various elite generals and divisions within Imam Ali’s army, the context behind internal Muslim conflict and the political order of the early Islamic state, and the distinctions made by Ali regarding the roots and reasons behind internal civil conflict within the Muslim body politic. The second section analyzes how contemporary thinkers and scholars in the modern Middle East have interpreted the legacy of Imam Ali, the Battle of Siffin, and the "First Muslim Civil War” as a lens through which to understand the intersection between early Islamic history and modern political theology as well as debates over governance and statecraft in contemporary Islamic intellectual thought.
Speaker: Dr. Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), Harvard University
This event took place on April 29, 2024.
For more information: hds.harvard.edu

[@ThomasRuf-dc3lx]

Mixing some buddha right in time.

[@HamedHashemin]

I cannot believe the divinity school posts video material like this. The brash title was a bit of a shock. I played the video and its content was not any more nuanced or levelled either. The tone is professional but the content is not. It’s unabashedly sectarian, repeating word-by-word what you can find in any mosque or “tekkie” in Iran or Pakistan.
The speaker doesn’t provide you any analytical perspective, nor he applies any academic source criticism. The result is mishmash of quotes and cherry picked pieces of history from 14-centuries-long religious saga. With a bit of different picks, one could deliver a talk making the case for the exact opposite position, or any other random position for that matter. Because the method is not academic.
There must be a difference between a ceremonial speech at a church or a mosque and a talk delivered at the Harvard divinity school.

[@athousandsprings]

Well - said and I agree. Do you have any recommendations for lectures that cover similar topics but from an analytical perspective or with academic criticism?

[@HamedHashemin]

@@athousandsprings My current favourite is Gabriel Said Reynolds. Besides being one of the top Quranic experts, he has this CZcams channel and invites greatest academicians in Islamic studies across the spectrum, and publish their interviews.

[@nargisrahman6026]

Very disappointing