Resplendence of Wilayah: An Analytical Biography of Imam ‘Ali

“Those who generate the waves which move human societies are the formidable characters that make history,” writes Ayatollah Ja‘far Subhani in his introduction to this important work detailing the life and work of the first Imam. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib generated waves through divinely instituted means of guidance, bringing to fruition the inherent dignity and nobility of human society and building upon the foundations of human civilisation laid by the Prophet.

After the completion of Ayatollah Ja‘far Subhani’s biography of the Prophet, Resplendence of Eternity, the next logical step was to apply the same method to compose a biography about Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. Thus, Resplendence of Wilayah came into being. Well-referenced and astutely researched, it divides the life of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Commander of the Faithful, into five periods: his early life; his life after the Prophetic mission (bi‘thah) began; his life after the migration to Medina; his life after the death of the Prophet and before his own assumption of the caliphate; and his caliphate until his martyrdom.

It is distinguished by a thoughtful and philosophical approach, which situates the dynamics of ‘Ali’s life into the broader context of human history. Comprehensive, readable, and reliable, it offers detailed insight into the life of this great man.

Ayatollah Ja‘far Subhani (b. 1929) is a high-ranking Shi‘i scholar (marja‘), theologian, jurisprudent, Qur’anic exegete, and a distinguished teacher at the Hawzah of Qum. His thematic approach to the exegesis of the Qur’an is reflected in his Manshur-i Jawid (The Eternal Charter, 14 vols.) and Mafahim al-Qur’an (The Concepts of the Qur’an, 7 vols.), among others. A prolific author, he has written many books on a wide array of subjects, including theology, Islamic sects, heresiography (al-milal wa al-nihal), hadith transmission authorities, contextual analytical study of hadith (dirayah), principles of hadith, philosophy, principles of jurisprudence, jurisprudence, history, fundamentals of belief (‘aqa’id), and biographies of Shi‘i luminaries. He has edited 12 classical sources written before the thirteenth century AD.