Constitutive Elements that Shapes the Narrative Phenomenon in Shi'i Thought

Abstract

The primary factor that seperates Shia from Ahl al-Sunnah and other opposition groups is that they have independent hadith and history material on which they build their sects. The narration of the hadith in Shia comes to the forefront with its emphasis on the idea of "imam", which is one of the important elements that distinguish them from Ahl al-Sunnah. The features of the hadith narration, centered on the "innocent imam" were completely ended with the ghaybah al-sugra (occultation) first and then the ghaybah al-kubra. Because, on the one hand advantage of taking the hadiths from the innocent loses its validity, on the other the question of the reliability of the transmitted hadiths has emerged. Thus, it is observed that this situation, which provided an important psychological superiority to the opponents in the early period, turned into a big problem that must be overcome by the Shia fistly becasue of the issue of child imams then with the ghaybah al-sugra and the ghaybah al-kubra. By considering this situation, in this article we will focus on the basic elements that shapes the shiite hadith conception and their distinctive features.