Reza Shah-Kazemi

Reza Shah-Kazemi (born 1 June 1960) is an author who specializes in comparative mysticism, Islamic Studies, Sufism and Shi'ism. He is the founding editor of the Islamic World Report and currently a research associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies with the Department of Academic Research and Publications.^[1] He received degrees in International Relations and Politics at Sussex and Exeter University, before receiving his doctorate in Comparative Religion from the University of Kent in 1994. He later acted as a consultant to the Institute for Policy Research in Kuala Lumpur.^[2]

He has served as managing editor of the Encyclopaedia Islamica, the English translation and edition of the Persian Great Islamic Encyclopedia (دائرةالمعارف بزرگ اسلامی / Da'irat al-Ma'arif-i Buzurg-i Islami). He was also one of the 138 signatories of the Open Letter titled "A Common Word Between Us and You," addressed to "Leaders of Christian Churches everywhere" on October 13, 2007.^[3] In 2009, he was included in the list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims by Georgetown University and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.^[4]

Reza Shah-Kazemi was born on 1 June 1960 in London. He obtained a First Class Honours in International Relations for his BA degree from Sussex University (1979-1984). Subsequently, he earned an MA in Politics with Distinction at Exeter University (1984-1985) which was followed by a PhD in Comparative Religion at University of Kent (1989-1994).^[5]

In 1994, he co-launched the Islamic World Report, which has since evolved into a publishing company. Between 1997 and 1999, he served as a consultant to the Institute for Policy Research (IKD) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During this period, he also held the position of general editor for the IKD Monograph Series.

Presently, he holds the role of Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, serves as a trustee of the Matheson Trust, and in the past, was a contributor to the BBC World Service program, "Pause for Thought."

He was married to Sonia Nureen (Gul Hassan) Shah-Kazemi, who died on February 24, 2021.^[6] At the time of her death, the couple was working on a compilation, to be entitled, “Letting the Qur’an Speak for Itself".^[7]

Having spent a year in Paris dedicated to the study of French, he is from a Persian background, and is fluent in Persian.

He is a Perennialist.^[8]

• Book of the Year on Walaya (Kitab-i Sal-i Vilayat), awarded for Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam Ali, November 2007.
• International Book Award (Jayazeh-yi Jahani), awarded for Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam Ali, February 2008.

Publications

• Seeing God Everywhere: Qur’anic Perspectives on the Sanctity of Virgin Nature (Cambridge: The Muslim Academic Trust, 2021). ISBN 9781902350141
• Imam 'Ali: Concise History, Timeless Mystery (I.B. Tauris, 2022) ISBN 9781784539368
• A Muslim Perspective on Christian Mysteries: The Incarnation and the Crucifixion (Edmonton: Chester Ronning Centre, 2015). (Note: Look at Forthcoming.)
• Interpreting the 'Spirit of Assisi': Challenges to Interfaith Dialogue in a Pluralistic World (Vesuvius Press, 2013) ISBN 9781619562004 [contributor]
• The Spirit Of Tolerance in Islam (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012) ISBN 9780857735270
• "Loving Compassion in Islam and Buddhism: Rahma and Karunā", Religions-Adyan, Issue 1, 2011 [contributed article]
• Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism (Independent Publishing Group, 2010) ISBN 9781891785627 [contributor]
• The Sacred Foundations of Justice in Islam (World Wisdom, 2007) ISBN 978-1-933316-26-0
• The Underlying Religion: An Introduction to the Perennial Philosophy (World Wisdom, 2007) ISBN 978-1-933316-43-7 [contributed article]
• My Mercy Encompasses All: The Koran's Teachings on Compassion, Peace and Love (Shoemaker & Hoard, 2007) ISBN 978-1-59376-144-8
• Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam Ali (I. B. Tauris, 2007) ISBN 978-1-84511-526-5
• Paths to Transcendence (World Wisdom, 2006) ISBN 978-0-941532-97-6
• Sufism: Love and Wisdom (World Wisdom, 2006) ISBN 978-0-941532-75-4 [contributed article]
• The Other in the Light of the One: The Universality of the Qur'an and Interfaith Dialogue (Islamic Texts Society, 2006) ISBN 978-1-903682-47-0
• Paths to the Heart (World Wisdom, 2004) ISBN 978-0-941532-43-3 [contributed article]
• Seeing God Everywhere: Essays on Nature and the Sacred (World Wisdom, 2004) ISBN 978-0-941532-42-6 [contributed article]
• Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition (World Wisdom, 2004) ISBN 978-0-941532-60-0 [contributed article]
• Doctrines of Shi`i Islam: A Compendium of Imami Beliefs and Practices (I. B. Tauris, 2001) ISBN 978-1-86064-780-2
• Algeria: Revolution Revisited (Islamic World Report) (I. B. Tauris, 1998) ISBN 978-1-86064-368-2
• Avicenna (Heroes from the East) (Hood Hood Books Ltd, 1997) ISBN 978-1-900251-23-5
• Crisis In Chechnia (Islamic World Reports) (Isbs, 1996) ISBN 978-1-901230-00-0
• Bosnia: Destruction of a Nation, Inversion of a Principle (Islamic World Reports) (Isbs, 1996) ISBN 978-1-901230-01-7
• Turkey: The Pendulum Swings Back (Islamic World Reports) (Isbs, 1996) ISBN 978-1-901230-02-4

Translations

• Doctrines of Shi’i Islam (Manshūr-i ‘Aqā’id-i Imāmiyya, by Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani) [annotated translation from the Persian] (London: IB Tauris/Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2001). ISBN 978-1-86064-780-2

Edited volumes

• Encyclopaedia Islamica, vol. 5 (Leiden: Brill and Institute of Ismaili Studies 2015) (Managing Editor). Editors-in-chief: W. Madelung, F. Daftary.
• Encyclopaedia Islamica, vol. 4 (Leiden: Brill and Institute of Ismaili Studies 2013) (Managing Editor). Editors-in-chief: W. Madelung, F. Daftary.
• Encyclopaedia Islamica, vol. 3 (Leiden: Brill and Institute of Ismaili Studies 2011) (Managing Editor). Editors-in-chief: W. Madelung, F. Daftary.
• Encyclopaedia Islamica, vol. 2 (Leiden: Brill and Institute of Ismaili Studies 2009) (Managing Editor). Editors-in-chief: W. Madelung, F. Daftary.
• Encyclopaedia Islamica, vol.1 (Leiden: Brill and Institute of Ismaili Studies 2008) (Managing Editor). Editors-in-chief: W. Madelung, F. Daftary.
• Algeria: Revolution Revisited (London: Islamic World Report, 1997).
• Turkey: The Pendulum Swings Back (London: Islamic World Report, 1996).
• Bosnia: Destruction of a Nation, Inversion of a Principle (London: Islamic World Report, 1996).

Forthcoming

• Muslim Perspectives on Christian Mysteries: Trinity, Incarnation and Crucifixion (Note: Look at Publications)
• A Blessed Peacemaker: Imam Ali and the Inner Paths of Sunni-Shia Unity (2025)^[9]

• Institute of Ismaili Studies
• Sufism
• The Matheson Trust

• Life and Work
• Institute of Ismaili Studies Profile
• Green Knight Multimedia Profile
• Researchgate Profile
• Academia Profile

• Defining Without Confining: reflections on a prophetic usage of sacred space Archived 6 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine
• Recollecting the Spirit of Jihad
• Eckhart’s Image of the Eye and the Wood: An analogy which explains ‘all that I have ever preached about’
• A Message of Hope at the Eleventh Hour: Martin Lings, 1909-2005