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Validation of Conflicting Narratives in al-Kashi’s Rijāl Concerning Ṣafwān ibn Yaḥyā
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Elham Zarrinkolah   |
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Abstract: (16 Views) |
| One of the prominent figures in Shi‘a history—known as a hadith narrator and a companion of Imams al-Kāẓim (as), al-Riḍā (as), and al-Jawād (as)—is Abū Moḥammad Ṣafwān ibn Yaḥyā Bayā’ Sabiri from Kufa. Although he is recognized as a renowned traditionist, jurist, theologian, and one of the "Consensus Companions" (Aṣḥāb al-Ijmā‘), the biographical work Rijāl al-Kashī reports conflicting narratives about his character: five praising and one criticizing him. Given Ṣafwān's pivotal role in the transmission and dissemination of the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), and in countering deviant sects, assessing the credibility of these reports is of great importance. This article, employing a library-based method and critical analysis of the narratives and their chains of transmission, evaluates these accounts. The findings reveal that the single critical narration lacks credibility due to the weakness of its narrators, the unreliability of its chain, and its contradiction with other narratives in al-Kashī, as well as with Ṣafwān’s recognized jurisprudential authority, status as an official agent (wakīl), moral integrity, and the consensus on his trustworthiness. Even if the chain and text of the critical narrative were considered reliable, it could still be reconciled with the praising narratives by interpreting it as a case of dissimulation (taqīyyah) or a context-specific, temporary judgment. |
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| Keywords: Ṣafwān ibn Yaḥyā, Rijāl al-Kashī, Narratives, Contradiction, Praise, Criticism. |
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Full-Text [PDF 344 kb]
(7 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/05/18 | Accepted: 2025/03/17 | Published: 2025/03/17
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