Reconstructing Early Shiʿi Hadith Sources: Methodological Reflections and Critical Assessments

Dr Ali Aghaei (Institute for Islamic Theology at Humboldt University of Berlin) presented on “Reconstructing Early Shiʿi Hadith Sources: Methodological Reflections and Critical Assessments” during a two-day internal workshop with the research project Embodied Imamate team at Leiden University (March 26–27, 2025).

The paper explored methodological challenges and possibilities in reconstructing the earliest layers of Shiʿi hadith literature. While modern hadith studies have developed significantly in the context of Sunni sources, the Shiʿi tradition remains comparatively understudied. Drawing on recent scholarship the presentation examined the so-called Bio-Bibliographical Method, which uses isnād analysis and Shiʿi bibliographical dictionaries to trace the origins of later hadith compilations. Through a critical assessment of this approach, Aghaei reflected on key methodological assumptions such as the nature of written transmission and the reliability of later bibliographical sources and offered both a constructive outlook on how digital and historical methods might contribute to identifying and contextualizing now-lost sources in the Shiʿi hadith tradition.