Atlas of Shia ( fa, اطلس شیعه) is a book in

Persian language Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...

, written by

Rasul Jafarian Rasul Jafarian ( fa, رسول جعفریان; born June 30, 1964) is an Iranian clergyman and researcher in field of Iranian history. He is currently the Professor of the Department of History at the University of Tehran, the Director of The sp ...

, which has been compiled in 743 pages and 12 chapters. According to

The specialized library on Islam and Iran The Specialized library on Islam and Iran was established on 1995 in Qom, Iran. This library contains resources, especially in the field of History of Iran and History of Islam. The library is the first specialized history library in Iran and the ...

, "''Atlas of Shia'' is an authorial-research work whose main purpose is to present a geographical-historical picture of the

Shiites Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

throughout the history of Islam from the beginning to the present. In this book, an attempt has been made to present the history of

Shiism Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

in the form of geographical maps and to show the limits of the progress of Shiism in every historical period and in every geographical point". The book present a geographical map to show the progress of Shiism in each historical period on a map. ''Atlas of Shia'' was unveiled at the 22nd

Tehran International Book Fair Tehran International Book Fair ( fa, نمایشگاه بین‌المللی کتاب تهران) is an annual international book fair held in Tehran, Iran. The event is held in a 120,000 square meter venue at Tehran's Grand Prayer Grounds. While ...

with the presence of

Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar Mostafa Mohammad Najjar ( fa, مصطفى محمدنجّار, born 2 December 1956) is an Iranian politician and retired IRGC general. He was interior minister of Iran from 2009 to 2013 and minister of defense in the first cabinet of Mahmoud Ah ...

. After unveiling the book at the book fair with a purchase restriction, public libraries and scientific centers could purchase the book at a 10% discount due to limited book circulation.

Purpose and motivation

The book ''Atlas of Shia'' has been compiled on the recommendation of

Ali Khamenei Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia ''marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third president o ...

and on the order of the

National Geographical Organization of Iran The National Geographical Organization of Iran or National Geographical Organization of the Armed Forces of Iran ( fa, سازمان جغرافیایی ایران, or fa, سازمان جغرافیایی نیروهای مسلح) is an Iranian gove ...

. The main purpose of this work is to present a geographical-historical picture of the Shiites throughout the history of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

from the beginning to the present day. Shiites in this book include the Twelver Imams and include the

Zaidiyyah Zaydism (''h'') is a unique branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali‘s unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. In contrast to other Shia Muslims of Twelver Shi'ism and Isma'ilism, Zaydis, ...

Isma'ilism Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...

, and

Alavids Alid dynasties of northern Iran or Alavids (). In the 9th–14th centuries, the northern Iranian regions of Tabaristan, Daylam and Gilan, sandwiched between the Caspian Sea and the Alborz range, came under the rule of a number of Arab Alid dyna ...

, as well as their history. Jafarian has tried to achieve his goals of writing the book through the following three methods: * Providing historical materials and explanations about the evolution of Shiites * Providing geographical maps * Providing tables

Publication status

The book ''Atlas of Shia'' was published by the ''National Geography Organization of Iran'' in 2008. ''Atlas of Shia'' has been translated into

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

and a software version of it have been prepared and distributed. According to the author ''

'', the Arabic translation of this book, which was done with the support and emphasis of

Ali al-Sistani Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been described ...

, is more accurate and powerful than the original

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

version. The translation work of the book lasted from 2010 to 2012 and was published in ''Al-Huda International Publications'' and was unveiled in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Chapters

The book ''Atlas of Shia'' is composed of 12 chapters, which are: * Chapter One (Beginning of Shiism): In the definition of Shiism and the expression of sects * Chapter Two (Shiite Imams): Life of the Twelve Shiite

Imams Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

* Chapter Three (Shiism in the cities of Iran): A study of different Shiite areas of history and destiny * Chapter Four (Shiite governments in Iran): From the

government in

Tabaristan Tabaristan or Tabarestan ( fa, طبرستان, Ṭabarestān, or mzn, تبرستون, Tabarestun, ultimately from Middle Persian: , ''Tapur(i)stān''), was the name applied to a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. ...

to the government of

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...

* Chapter Five (Shiism in Iraq): A study of important Iraqi Cities in the past and present and transformation of Shiites in the regions until the nowaday government of Iraq * Chapter Six (Shiism in the Arabian Peninsula): A study of Shiism in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

and its eastern cities and areas such as

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

and... * Chapter Seven (Shiism in

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...

): The arrival of Shiism in Levant and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

and the study of Shiism in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

and the current situation of Lebanese Shiites * Chapter Eight (Shiism in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

): A study of the

Idrisid dynasty The Idrisid dynasty or Idrisids ( ar, الأدارسة ') were an Arab Muslim dynasty from 788 to 974, ruling most of present-day Morocco and parts of present-day western Algeria. Named after the founder, Idris I, the Idrisids were an Alid an ...

and the

Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...

, invasion and influence of Shiism in different African countries in the Last hundred years * Chapter Nine (Shiites in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

): Shiite states in areas such as

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

and areas of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and the situation of Shiites in these areas and Shiite influence in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

* Chapter Ten (Shiites in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

): Shiites of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

as well as

İstanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

and other cities of Turkey * Chapter Eleven (Shi'ism in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

): A discussion of the Shiites of

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, as well as

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, and the influence of Shi'ism in Europe in the last century * Chapter Twelve (Shi'ism in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

): A survey of Shiites in the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

And Shiite institutions in these areas

Outcomes

After publication of the book, finally in July 2011 at the

University of Isfahan The University of Isfahan (UI) (Persian: دانشگاه اصفهان Dāneshgāh-e Esfāhān) is a state-operated university located in Isfahan, Iran. It is ranked among the top 10 universities in Iran. The university is located on Azadi square ...

and in collaboration with the ''Faculty of Literature and Humanities'' and its students, a meeting was held during which, leading to numerous articles and research on the ''Atlas of Shia''. In this working group, which is known as the Atlas of Shia Criticism Working Group, critiques of the book were reviewed. In the continuation of this conference, Rasul Jafarian took the place of the speaker and responded to some criticisms. In the end, Rasul Jafarian was praised for writing the book Atlas of Shia.

Awards

In the 27th Book of the Year Festival of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the book ''Atlas of Shia'' in the field of History was selected and honored. The book also won the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards and the

Farabi International Award The Farabi International Award is given annually by the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to humanities. Farabi Award winners become a member of Iran's National Elites Foun ...

at the same time.

References

External links

Atlas of Shia on wikishia

'Comprehensive Atlas of Shia History' to reach Quran Fair

Shia Atlas to Be Translated into Arabic

Atlas of Shia" Presented at Muscat Int’l Book Fair"

The Shi'ite Atlas. "Atlas-e Shi'a" Farsi Edition on Amazon

Rasul Jafarian - Google Scholar

Rasul Jafarian articles in English on SID

Rasul Jafarian English articles on Magiran
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlas of Shia Islam in Asia Islam in Africa Atlases Historical atlases Shia Islam Shia Islam in Asia Shia Islam in Africa Shia Islam in Europe Shia Islam in Afghanistan Shia Islam in Algeria Shia Islam in Turkey Rasul Jafarian's books