The Words of the Imams: Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq and the Development of Twelver Shīʿī Ḥadīth Literature

Abstract

Ḥadīth compilations are a fundamental part of the sources available to Muslims: not only as part of their legal framework, but also in matters of theology and ethics. Readers of ḥadīth, from both the laity and scholars, primarily engage with ḥadīth as tools to derive rulings and pass normative judgements, looking past the compiler. Considering that Shaykh al-Ṣadūq plays a pivotal role in Shīʿī ḥadīth, this review examines what is gained by attending to the compiler as well as the compilation.