The Theos Agnostos: Ismaili and Shaykhi Perspectives

Abstract

In this article, I have attempted to explore a theology common to the Ismaili and Shaykhi Shi’a Muslim schools of religious thought, which places an emphasis upon the absolute transcendence and singularity of God. The doctrine of Imamate (religious leadership) in both schools revolves around this doctrine, where the figure of the Imam is seen as the supreme
horizon beyond which nothing more can be known of God. I will explore the ways this complex doctrine is approached by both Ismaili and Shaykhi authors, and the soteriological ramifications of this belief.