Zaidi Jurisprudence and Its Origins in the Classical Era: Preliminary Notes

Abstract

The study, referred to by the researcher as "preliminary notes," explored the characteristics of Zaidi jurisprudence and its origins, shedding light on its role within the Islamic intellectual framework of the era examined. It addressed key questions associated with these two disciplines. Employing methods of description, induction, and analysis, the researcher constructed a historical narrative by probing Zaidi sources to uncover their explicit and implicit insights. The research is organized into an introduction and eight sections, divided into three main sections and five subsections. It examines the foundational texts and the emergence of jurisprudential schools during the late formative period, the second phase of foundational texts along with the development of interactions with others, and the Zaidi-to-Zaidi reception of these texts during the first and second classical periods. Additionally, the study profiles the leading Zaidi jurists and their establishment as religious and authoritative references. It traces the attention and reception these texts garnered across jurists of various ranks, highlighting significant evolutions influenced by diverse factors. The research also catalogs notable writings on jurisprudence and its principles and discusses how Zaidi communities across Kufa, Hijaz, northern Iran, and Yemen managed to exchange, transmit, and share scientific and cultural knowledge. Ultimately, it concludes that Zaidi jurisprudence and its principles evolved through multiple stages due to historical, political, cultural, and geographical influences, resulting in a diverse array of juristic and theoretical works.