The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran Paperback – December 1, 2008

If there is a good book that is along the same lines that tells of the clergy in America or Israel I am interested. I pray.

Very worthwhile and useful: to try to understand and appreciate the psychology of a people you need to know its history.

Iran is the only majority Muslim country today that still has a conscious connection to its pre-Islamic past. This book is not only about Islam. It also explores what you may call "Iranian Consciousness" rooted in the region's historical experiences with multiple religions and intellectual trends. In the beginning of the book Ali Hashemi' resistance to overtly celebrate the fall of the monarchy brings into mind Khatami's emotionless stare at the Azadi stadium that was captured on television cameras after the Iranian national team scored a goal. It gives you a clue to the mindset of the clerical class in Iran. One also has to add to this the question that was posed to Khomeini as his plane was about to land in Iran: What is your feeling about coming back to Iran? Khomeini replied "NOTHING." Towards the end of the book there is a mention of Imam Hussain and Rustam. Only a few Iranians will take one over the other as a superior hero.

There are many books on the 1979 revolution in Iran but this is by far one of the most engaging. Mixing history with the story of a cleric from Qom allows the author to exemplify the general and put the particular in the larger historical and cultural context. This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in the history of Iran, its culture and politics. You will not only learn a lot but you will enjoy yourself too.

As a self-taught student of Persian and Iranian history, I could not turn the pages of Roy Mottahedeh's "Mantle of the Prophet" fast enough. Not your average work of historical writing, "Mantle" reads more like a first-class piece of literary fiction. The reason I majored in history as an undergraduate was because I enjoyed the "stories" that came with every class. If you want to learn, I mean really learn, something from a book or a class, you have to enjoy what you are reading/studying. Roy Mottahedeh makes you enjoy what you are reading. The insider perspective, told by a narrator you can truly connect with puts "Mantle of the Prophet" at the top of my list...and in a prominent place in my library. Well done!M. M. FrickAuthor of  Open Source

While there is some very good aspects of this book, the problems far out weigh the positive parts of the work. The book focuses on individuals which gives the work a micro feel to it. It follows some of the intellectuals in Iranian society throughout history which gives the reader an idea of the varied intellectual milieu, and also shows how these differing strains culminated in the Iranian Revolution. The problem is the book loses the big picture, and the author doesn't do an adequate job tying everything together. The book just jumps around too much without giving the reader a clear picture of how all these different narratives work together which leaves one feeling as if they wandering aimlessly.The other large problem is that the book has a narrow audience. The work is a great starter to get a reader introduced to the many currents of intellectual thought in Iran, but these are not the people who are going to be drawn to this work, instead those with a deep interest in Iran will come to this work. The problem is that there are better books that cover the same subject with better focus. Books by Mehrzad Boroujerdi and Ali M. Ansari treat the same subject more adaptly. If one is already pretty familiar with Iranian history and its intellectual history then much of this work will be somewhat redundant.In the end there are just better works out there that are better reads. This book left me feeling empty and often I was simply disinterested in the author's story. While the individuals were always interesting, the author doesn't bring the story together so that the reader is just reading the individual stories as isolated islands unto themselves. In the end I just can't recommend this book.

This book is a piece of crap. I am currently studying the history of Iran and using this book as a main textbook. I have not met anyone who has enjoyed this book so far, and this book only makes me appalled by Iranian history. How can a country's history be so boring? Or is it just the stupid author that makes it insipid? With all the revolutions that happened in Iran, I think the latter. I was really excited to learn more about the history of Iran, for it has become such a controversial nation last few years, but now, I am very much disgusted by my stupidest decision. Also the author mumbles everywhere and does not focus. He needs to find a big goddamn idea and weave everything together. With these being said, I give the author credit because I sincerely believe that no other writer can write something this tedious than he can. I should have taken Chinese history class when my friend told me to. I knew Kung-Pao chicken always tasted better than falafels.

Good review of cultural, social, religious and political factors and events leading to the Iranian revolution. A bit dense for someone who is not familiar with the Iranian culture and history. However, it provides a nice window into the thoughts of the average Iranian of various backgrounds as well as the complexity of the Iranian society. .

It was an ok read

This book is an exceptional piece of work, not surprising given that Mottahedeh is Professor of Islamic History at Harvard and half Iranian by heritage. He gives a detailed account of the Religious and spiritusl training of the Clerical establishment in Iran since the medieval period upto to modern times using as a prop the story of a young cleric Ali and his evolution from exoteric to more esoteric understandings of Islam during the years leading upto Khomeinis revolution. All of the key religious figures of Iran are profiled in this panoramic sweep, and their relations with the powers of the day. Borujerdi - Khomeinis intellectual guide, Sadeq and a host of lesser knowns are all described in some detail.The training of a Mullah in Shia Islam is rigorous, based on the trivium of Classical Greek learning with logic and rhetoric and public speaking drilled into the students at an early age. Mottahedeh makes it very clear that many in the clerical establishment were and are men of formidable learning and erudition, and a bedrock that cannot be easily moved by the forces of secularism which are far less marshalled in their learning, and for the most part not a match for the intellectually rigorous Mullocracy. This may come as a shock to those who have assumed that the term 'Mad Mullah' is definitive of the Clerical establishment. This is very far from the case.Mottahedeh covers their influence in education, the development of the law, their attempts to challenge the millenial rule of Monarchy and autocracy with a Persianised interpretation of classical Greek inspired democracy over several centuries. Key figures in Iranian history little known to the West are brought to the fore in this book. One learns the significance of Qom, the rivalry with Najaf and sees the rise and moral decline of this powerful body of men that have shaped Irans history for centuries. It is clear that separating Religion and Politics is virtually impossible, since it is Islam more that any force which has created a complex legal system that has outlived Monarchy and struggles with varying success against the forces of secularism. This is a fascinating and important book, that any serious reader about Iran should have on their shelf.

Brilliant - the best book on Iran and the Iranian revolution that I have read (and I have read a few being, like the author, half-Iranian). Anyone who wants an insight into the history of Islam in Iran, the the political thought of Ayatollah Khomeini and an understanding of the forces that drove and powered the revolution should read this book. It's also extremely well written and very readable. Can't praise highly enough.

As enlightening as it is about the history, culture and educational style of the Shiah schools of learning - I managed to discern a few minor incorrect details (but nothing large enough to decrease the overall value of the book). It is very humorous, especially in the first half of the book - this is probably mostly to do with the Roy Mottahadeh’s writing style. His style isn’t detached, every character presented is characterised by Roy’s impression - if Roy finds the character’s life humorous he will present it comically, if he finds it disagreeable the character will be described in disagreeable terms, and so on... I had many laugh out loud moments. As such much of the work is read like a story - for that reason it was an easy fluent read, but that was also one of the reasons I took much of what was said (which I could not personally verify) with a grain of salt. I disagree with his conclusions (The boom stops at the Iran-Iraq war), And I disagree with some points made in the introduction, as well as the tone of the introduction. I dislike the unusual style of the bibliography (or lack thereof), and as I said before I pinpointed a few factual mistakes during his elaboration/presentation of ideas. The mistakes were probably because in the little that is cited, I noticed that part of what he said was derived from Western intellectuals- not actual Muslim scholars (for example with regards to the part about the devil) - not all, he clearly read into many Iraninan and Arabic works before writing this book. However I gave the book 4 stars because most of what is said is accurate, especially in regards to the lifestyle and intellectual prowess and diligence of the mullah students - I have had first hand experience with this. I especially enjoyed many of the philosophical ideas posited, and was really intrigued by the part on the development of shiah thought since the occultation of the last Imam. Especially about the lineage of leading Ayatollahs - the school’s tradition of passing down knowledge and thus having an intellectual lineage. The part on mysticism was really good overall. I disagree with the authors take on the conflict between Cyrus and Hossein in the modern Iranian (the authors conclusion regarding this was disappointing). And I’m weary of the author‘s portrayal of Khomeini - I wouldn’t depend on it in forming my own perspective. Overall the book was 4 stars: a lot more accurate than many others; very well written with personality and an ease in reading; mostly informative; insightful; educational; the storytelling is so brilliant I momentarily got sucked in to many moments - I genuinely would read it again in the near future. I’m aware of how discombobulated my review is - apologies.