A Study and Critique of the Narrations of Ashura in Shaykh Saduq's Book

The chapter of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom epic in Shaykh Saduq’s book entitled al-Amāli is one of the old Shiite sources in this regard, remaining from fourth century. Some narrations of this book were misused by Gholāt and spread from tenth century onwards having tremendous influence of Shia thoughts in next centuries. Shaykh Saduq has narrated five detailed narrations in five sessions which do not fit into a comprehensive chapter. Despite the fact that Shaykh Saduq's report is based on hadiths, the tone and tense of his narrations, like Ibn Aʻtham Kufi’s, is present tense. In addition, Shaykh Saduq's narrations are also very similar to Ibn Aʻtham’s account to the extent that both reports are presumed to be derived from storytellers 'legends known in Iraq, which gradually became parts of transferors’ narrations, thereby reaching Shaykh Saduq. His narrations about Imam Husayn and the day of Ashura in addition to textual disturbances are sometimes incompatible with certain historical events, and the status of the infallible Imams. This paper seeks to point out some of these false allegations and investigate their historical and narrative content