Conclusion

TL;DRAbstract

Historical studies of early Shī‘ism are generally limited by a lack of contemporaneous sources and a reliance on theological works such as heresiographies. Although many scholars have made use of these materials to construct careful and erudite narratives for the origins of sectarianism, it is difficult to dispel doubts that they are simply back-projections intended to validate subsequent political and theological developments. This book is an attempt to make use of recent methodological advances in the dating of early sources (particularly traditions ascribed to the Prophet or other early authorities) to test the reliability of the origin narratives of Imāmī and Zaydī Shī‘ism.

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