Early Shiʿi Kufan Traditionists' Perspective on the Rightly Guided Caliphs
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3968575 |
|---|---|
| Authors | I-Wen Su (0000-0001-5172-2810, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 141 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2021-09-19 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the American Oriental Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-0279 • E-ISSN: 2169-2289 |
| Publisher | American Oriental Society (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.7817/jameroriesoci.141.1.0027 |
| OpenAlex | W3141014048 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 1 |
This article revisits a widely accepted yet unsubstantiated trajectory of early Kufan Zaydi history, namely, that with ʿAlī recognized as the fourth rightly guided caliph by the proto-Sunni traditionists, represented by Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (d. 241/855), the Batri traditionists were Sunnified. Analysis of Safīna's hadith transmission and the transmitters of the first four caliphs' virtues suggests that the four-caliphs thesis was likely circulated in Kufa by the late eighth century and that Kufan traditionists of various sectarian persuasions played an important role in its formation . This paper argues that the Kufan Shiʿi traditionists came to identify with their tradition- ist townspeople as a result of shared qualities and mutual enemies. By revisiting a narrative that is often taken for granted, this study proffers new insights into the formation of a defining Sunni doctrine-the four-caliphs thesis-as well as the transformation of the Kufan Shiʿis
Ancient history · Art · Doctrine · Linguistics · Narrative · Perspective (graphical · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Families in Therapy and Culture · History · Islamic Studies and History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |