‘Alid-Najafi Genealogists and a Twelver Shi‘i Network in an Era of Supraconfessional Philo-‘Alidism

Abstract This study examines a notebook compiled in the latter half of the fifteenth century by an ‘Alid expert on the genealogy of the kin of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib to shed light on the attitudes of the Twelver Shi‘i community during an era often noted for the rise of supraconfessional philo-‘Alidism. The codex reveals the activities of its compiler and three earlier ‘Alid genealogists, all of whom may be characterized as Najafi in one sense or another. The network that supported the transregional activities of these genealogists—together with their supraconfessional clientele—reflects a Twelver Shi‘i approach to the spread of philo-‘Alidism among Sunnis. These genealogists drew on their expertise, ‘Alid descent, and ties to Najaf—believed to be ‘Ali's burial site—to expand their own activities as well as those of their co-confessionalists. One of them also promoted reverence for the Twelve Imams in Sunni-majority Egypt in ways that remained within Sunni bounds. These findings suggest that the Twelver Shi‘i community—far from confessionally ambiguous, at least at its core—contributed to the Shi‘i-inflected dimensions of philo-‘Alidism among Sunnis.