The intellectual heritage of Shi’a Islam has been preserved through centuries of scholarship, transmitted in thousands of manuscripts and expressed across a rich tradition of Qur’anic exegesis, hadith, theology, jurisprudence, history, and devotional literature. These sources continue to shape religious thought and practice today, yet many remain understudied, misunderstood, or disconnected from contemporary academic discourse. As new manuscripts come to light and long-standing theological questions continue to be revisited, there remains significant scope for rigorous research that deepens our understanding of the Shi’a tradition.
The Texts and Traditions stream is dedicated to the critical study of this intellectual heritage. Through the analysis of manuscripts, textual transmission, hadith literature, classical scholarship, and theological concepts, the stream investigates both foundational sources and enduring questions within Shi’a thought. Research encompasses topics ranging from manuscript studies and the authentication of texts to theological concepts such as ghuluww, as well as focused studies on works including Nahj al-Balāgha, Ziyārat ʿĀshūrāʾ, and other influential texts that have shaped Shi’a belief and practice throughout history.
By combining the methodologies of the Islamic sciences with contemporary academic research, the stream seeks to preserve, clarify, and critically engage the Shi’a intellectual tradition. Its aim is not only to contribute original scholarship to the field, but also to make that scholarship more accessible to students, researchers, and the wider community, strengthening the connection between the rich legacy of the past and the questions facing Muslims today.