Imāmiyya and Sīra Writing in the Second and Fourth Centuries AH

Sīra writing (that is, works about life and practices of the Prophet), which emerged in the Islamic world from mid-second century AH onwards, was not limited to a particular sect but rather was practiced by various Islamic factions, including the Imāmiyya. Sources have pointed to an impressive number of sīras written by Imāmi scholars. These works have been written in different categories, including the Prophet’s battles (al-maghāzi), his virtues (faḍāʾil), evidence of his prophethood (dalāʾil), delegations of the Prophet (wufūd), narrations or hadiths, and the like. An analysis of the available texts from these categories’ points to the emergence of a model among Imāmi authors, which was different from the common Sunni tradition in terms of context and method. Accordingly, in this article we adopt a descriptive approach to introduce the famous Imāmi sīra writers, followed by a content analysis of their available works to explain and clarify the fact that within the period in question, sīra writing was a common tradition among the Imāmiyya, which has sustained through different forms and models.