Studying Shīʿa Hadith and History
Introduction Did the companions all recite the Qur’an in the same way? If not, did this variation go back to the prophet (he taught it differently to different companions) and ultimately the Divine Author, or was it a result of the natural human condition (they tried their utmost to remain faithful to the original prophetic … Continue reading Tahrif or Not? A Shi’i Perspective on the Seven Ahruf Reports (Pt. I)
Introduction[1] I am often asked the question: How could the Rijālī authors like Ṭūsī and Najāshī pronounce verdicts on men who came much earlier than them – separated as they are by a chasm of a century or two? The answer lies in how we can speak of men who lived in the past in … Continue reading How Rijālīs Know: The Case of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Faḍḍāl
Introduction Where do we draw the line as far as the Taqiyya that the Imams had historically engaged in is concerned? The standard view of the Madhhab is that the Imams would not purposely mislead the overwhelming majority of their own Ashab through statements given in Taqiyya. My own argument in support of the standard … Continue reading Does the Imam Misguide His Companions? (A Response)
Introduction[1] Why did disputes occur after the death of some of the Imams such that the main-body of Imami Shi’is splintered into groups - with each group backing a different candidate as Imam? How can we reconcile between this undeniable historical phenomenon with the presence of Nass reports (in which the Imam names his successor) … Continue reading How to Know Your Imam (Pt. I)
Introduction What if someone proposes that Imam al-Sadiq purposely introduced false positions among his Ashab to such an extent that the overwhelming majority of them became misguided (adopted the false positions) - with the truth remaining only in the hands of an ‘elite few’? This is what John Andaluso proposes in order to claim that … Continue reading Safety in Numbers: The Principle of Shuhra and its Use (A Response)
Shiitic Studies 