Newest translation and publication

as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!

We pray that everyone is well and in high iman! Alhamdulillah, we have just completed another translation project, namely, The Sincere Friend of the Qur´an: The Collected Letters and Speeches of Imam Zayd b. 'Ali (as). 

We decided to submit and answer some questions related to this project:

In brief, what is this book about?
This book is a collection of the letters, treatises, speeches, sermons and poetry of Imam Zayd bin 'Ali, upon him be peace. Throughout his life, he addressed various topics that ranged from Islamic theology to ethics to succession to refutations of other philosophies and the like. 

Why did you translate this book?
We translated it specifically to share some of the imam's insights on these topics in his own words. Many people have unfairly claimed that many principles ascribed to Imam Zayd by those who are labelled 'Zaydi' do not accurately reflect the opinions and teaching of Imam Zayd, upon him be peace. This translation seeks to exonerate those followers of Imam Zayd from this claim, as well as introduce the English-speaking world to the profundity of the imam's thought and school.  

This translation project is smaller than your previous projects; it is a little less than 230 pages. Why is this book so small compared to previously-published projects?
I would say that the primary reason is that the life of Imam Zayd, upon him be peace, was wrought with political strife and war. He was actively pursued by the authorities of his time. Therefore, he did not have the luxury of being able to freely write and propagate his views. This could be the reason that we have no known books authored by the imam, upon him be peace. Instead, we have a collection of sayings, poetry, treatises, etc from him, as was transmitted by his students and historians. 

Does this mean that the material in the book was transmitted from both Zaydi and non-Zaydi sources?
Indeed. Of course, the majority of the transmitters of the content were loyal to the 'Alawi cause; however, there are transmissions by the general body of the Muslim scholarly community, such as historian, Ibn Asakir. 

In what ways does this translation differ from your previous translation projects?
Unlike previous projects, we utilised a Qur´anic translation, rather than translate the verses ourselves. We used the Marmaduke Pickthall translation. Another difference is, as previously mentioned, we included the names in the chains of transmission. 

Why is the book entitled 'The Sincere Friend of the Qur´an'? 
I would say that it is because Imam Zayd, upon him be peace, was well.known for being wholly reliant on the Holy Qur´an in his methodology; he quotes from it throughout his writings and speeches. This earned him the nickname Haleef al-Qur´an, or the Sincere Friend of the Qur´an. Although he quotes from the Prophetic narrations in some cases, the majority of his citations are from the Qur´an. The wisdom in such is that the Book of Allah serves as a common source framework for the various factions of Muslims to whom he appealed. For example, in one of his works in particular, he cites a myriad of Qur´anic references to prove the praiseworthiness of belonging to the minority and the blameworthiness of belonging to the majority. Similarly, in one of his treatises dedicated to proving the primacy of the Prophetic Progeny, upon them be peace, he quotes from the Qur´an exclusively without the use of ahadith.  

Your last two examples are interesting. What would you say is the significance?
I would say that in the case of the first example, it was important to the small trusted followers of Imam Zayd, upon him be peace, to know that the truth is not typically found with the majority. Instead, it is often with the minority. This was something that could help fortify their faith and convince them of the rightness of their course and struggles, despite the overwhelming number of opponents. This definitely calls into question the status of the status quo!

As for the second example, the status of the Prophet's Family is something that has been argued amongst the sects. Although there is a general respect for them, there is a disagreement as to how this respect translates into their role regarding the Ummah. The imam uses the Qur´an--the common reference point of all Muslims, irrespective of their sect--to demonstrate the historical role the families of Prophets played in the propagation and preservation of the pristine teachings of that Prophet. 

I'm sure these points were points of controversy. Are there any other topics or themes in the book that could be considered controversial?
Yes. The imam has a treatise dedicated to the circumstances surrounding the killing of 'Uthman bin 'Affan. The standard narrative portrays his killers as a group of rebels from Egypt who stormed his house and slaughtered him much to the chagrin of the Companions. However, Imam Zayd, upon him be peace, is reported to have stated in his treatise that the third caliph was in fact killed by some of the Companions, or at least, it can be said that they endorsed his killing. Such a view, although not popular, does have substantiation in the historical sources. Even Western academics, such as Martin Hinds in his "The Murder of Uthman", draw upon these sources to prove the point forwarded by the imam. 

Any last thoughts you would like to leave about  this newest publication ?
Not really. We just pray that the readers find it interesting and support our work. It is the least expensive of our books, so the cost shouldn't be too prohibitive for many. We also ask the readers to support our work by spreading the word. 

We would also encourage readers to review and/or provide commentary on social media sites. One brother in particular has been providing commentary on  our first book  on his youtube page. Efforts like this are much appreciated and help to support and engage our work.  

Lastly, what are your current projects?
We are working on a number of translations--one of which is volume two of the  Holding Fast to the Rope of Allah  translation we released this year. We are also working on another collected works translation--this time of Sayyid Imam Mansur Billah al-Qasim bin Muhammad, upon him be peace. We are also contemplating creating a website dedicated to our books.

Thank you for joining us! Much success in your endeavours!
My pleasure! Jazak Allah khayr!      

IRS