Is Ziyārat ʿĀshūrāʾ Authentic? A Discussion in ʿIlm al-Rijāl

Abstract

This article investigates the authenticity of Ziyārat ʿĀshūrāʾ from a Biographical Studies (ʿilm al-rijāl) perspective. The first part is primarily devoted to an analysis of the reporters in the ziyāra's chains of transmission as reported in Kāmil al-ziyārāt and Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid. The article then examines some other related rijālī matters, such as the different approaches and methods used for evaluating the authenticity of traditions; the much-debated passage in Ibn Qūlawayh's introduction to Kāmil al-ziyārāt; the opinions of contemporary marājiʿ on the ziyāra's authenticity; and the different standards used for deriving rulings on obligatory and unlawful matters compared with those used for determining the reliability of ziyāras and duʿāʾs.