AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, delivered remarks on Thursday at the unveiling ceremony of the Encyclopedia of Shiite Knowledge, held at the Assembly’s conference hall.
In his address, Ayatollah Ramazani outlined several defining features of the encyclopedia, describing it as a major scholarly effort to present the school of AhlulBayt comprehensively and systematically.
He identified the first characteristic as comprehensiveness and depth, saying the collection offers a broad, precise, and in-depth view of the AhlulBayt school, encompassing individual, social, political, cultural, and devotional dimensions. “It seeks to provide a holistic introduction to the AhlulBayt tradition,” he said.
A second feature, he noted, is the credibility of sources. Ayatollah Ramazani stressed that the encyclopedia relies primarily on first-hand sources and is based on problem-oriented research methods aimed at addressing concrete questions.
He also emphasized the clarity of language, noting that despite engaging with complex and in-depth subjects, the text remains fluent, accessible, and understandable for a wide audience.
Another key aspect, he said, is the work’s responsiveness to doubts and misconceptions surrounding Shiite thought, positioning the encyclopedia as a reference that directly engages contested issues.
Ayatollah Ramazani further pointed to the quality of contributors, saying the volumes were authored by qualified scholars and respected researchers, some of whom are regarded as leading intellectual figures in the field.
Highlighting the importance of collective scholarship, he described teamwork as one of the project’s major strengths. He noted that much contemporary research remains individual in nature, adding that effective, outcome-oriented scholarship requires a shift toward structured group research, which this encyclopedia exemplifies.
Finally, he said the work focuses on priority themes, including Islam and politics, as well as issues related to lifestyle. Ayatollah Ramazani recommended that future research further expand these themes and address all relevant dimensions in greater detail.
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