Ian Keith Anderson Howard

Ian Keith Anderson Howard

Ashura Researcher
Full Name	Ian Keith Anderson Howard
Well-known As	Researcher in Shi'a Studies
Birth	1939
Place of Birth	Britain
Death	2013
Notable roles	Lecturer in Islamic and Shi'a Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland • Professor at The Shiah Institute, London
Activities	Islamic Studies • Shi'a Studies

Ian Keith Anderson Howard (1939–2013), also known as I. K. A. Howard, was a British scholar in the field of Islamic studies. He was considered a pioneer of Shi'a studies in the West and one of the most significant Western researchers in the field of 'Ashura studies.

Howard is regarded as one of the few orientalists who dedicated significant time to studying and translating Shi'a works. In an era when there was little attention paid to Shi'a in Western universities, he worked to introduce it. It is said that he played a significant role in introducing Imam al-Husayn (a) to the English language, and his approach to Shi'a studies is reported to be sympathetic, extensive, and profound.

His works are reported to be primarily related to Shi'a, covering areas such as the biography of the Imams (a), Imamate, and 'Ashura studies; including the translation of al-Shaykh al-Mufid's al-Irshad and reports of Arabic sources concerning the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a).

Howard received his PhD in Shi'a jurisprudence and law from the University of Cambridge, England. From 1976, he taught Islamic and Shi'a studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is reported that in 2012, he was appointed as a professor at the Shi'ah Institute in London, in recognition of his academic contributions in the field of Shi'a studies.

Status as a Scholar

Ian Keith Anderson Howard (I. K. A. Howard) was a prominent British scholar in Islamic studies who is counted among the pioneers of Shi'a studies in the West and one of the most important Western researchers in the field of 'Ashura studies.

Howard's experience of living and teaching in Islamic countries is considered to have fostered a deep interest and understanding of the Middle East, Islam, and Shi'a, influencing his academic approach to Islamic studies.

It is reported that his sympathetic approach in the field of the biography of the Imams (a) led to the publication of a major part of his works in journals and publications related to Shi'a studies.

He is also considered one of the orientalists who played an important role in introducing Imam al-Husayn (a) and analyzing the Event of Karbala from the perspective of human values in English-language works.

Works

It is reported that Howard's works are primarily related to Shi'a and cover fields such as the biography of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), Imamate, and 'Ashura studies; these works include authoring books and articles as well as translating Shi'a works into English. In some sources, his works are listed as follows:

• Fasting on the Day of Ashura in Imami Shi‘i Literature (1975)
• The Circumstances Surrounding the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn (1975)
• The Development of the Theory of Fasting on the Day of Ashura (1975)
• Early Imami Shi‘i Jurisprudence (1976)
• An Account of the Events Following the Martyrdom of al-Husayn b. ‘Ali by Shaykh Saduq (1977)
• An Introduction to al-Shaykh al-Mufid's Kitab al-Irshad (1977)
• The Tawwabun (1978)
• Husayn: The Sincere Witness of Faith (1979)
• Husayn: The Dimensions of True Faith (1979)
• The Possible Origins of Shi‘i Legal Doctrines (1980)
• Al-Irshad: The Book of Guidance to the Lives of the Twelve Imams (Translation of al-Shaykh al-Mufid's Kitab al-Irshad) (1981)
• Imam 'Ali: The Beacon and the Shield (Translation of al-Imam 'Ali Nibras wa Mitras by Sulayman Kattani) (1983)
• The Theory of Imamate in the Works of Nasir al-Din Tusi (1983)
• Major Shi‘i Books: Tahdhib al-Ahkam and al-Istibsar (1983)
• Major Shi‘i Books: Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih (1983)
• Major Shi‘i Books: al-Kafi (1983)
• Major Shi‘i Books: Kitab al-Irshad (1983)
• The Origin of the Uprising of Imam Husayn and its Impact on the Convergence of the Muslim Community (1985)
• The Uprising of Husayn (a) and its Impact on Islamic Awakening (1986)
• Husayn the Martyr: A Commentary on the Accounts of His Martyrdom in Arabic Sources (1986)
• Ashura Lectures (1990)
• Al-Irshad: A Guide to the Lives of the Twelve Imams (2007)
• A Historical Survey of Arabic Sources on the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn (2014)
• The Islamic Revolution of Imam Husayn, (n.d).
• Al-Shaykh al-Mufid's Account of the Imamate of 'Ali b. al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin (n.d.)
• Al-Shaykh al-Mufid's Account of the Tragedy of Karbala (n.d.)

Academic Biography

It is reported that Ian Keith Anderson Howard turned to Islamic studies through an indirect path. He began his academic career by obtaining a degree in Greek from the University of Wales in 1961.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, he taught English in Lebanon and Yemen; this experience paved the way for his deep interest in the Arabic language and Middle Eastern studies.

He received a degree in Arabic from the University of London and a Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1972. In 1975, he obtained his PhD in Shi'i jurisprudence and law from the University of Cambridge.

From 1976 until the late 1990s, he taught Islamic and Shi'i studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. During this time, in addition to teaching, he supervised over forty university theses in the field of Islamic studies.

His academic interests were reported to be extensive, covering areas such as Islamic law, Qur'anic studies, theology, Islamic political thought, and Islamic mysticism.