From the “Shī‛a of A‛lī (ʿa)” to the “Religion of ‛Alī ”
Document Type : pajoohesh
Author
10.22081/jap.2025.78367
Abstract
The term dīn (“religion”) in the Qurʾān and in the common usage of the earliest generations of Muslims underwent certain semantic shifts and transformations. The expressions “dīn al-Islām” or “dīn Muḥammad” rapidly became current and widespread. During the Battle of Jamal, however, one of the opponents mockingly employed the expression “dīn ‛Alī.” This phrase recurs in a number of other contexts as well. Some interpretations of the expression—though marked by ambiguity—have taken it to imply a notion of “two religions.” This article seeks to critique and historically contextualize such interpretations, which arose particularly within extremist (ghulāt) readings of the earliest Shiʿi history. It examines the various usages of the expression, the motives behind them, and the broader atmosphere in which they circulated.
Keywords
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