Encyclopedia of Imami Works Documents Shiite Scholarly Heritage in 23 Volumes

Encyclopedia of Imami Works Documents Shiite Scholarly Heritage in 23 Volumes
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A major scholarly project titled “Encyclopedia of Imami Works” has been released as a comprehensive effort to document the intellectual heritage of Shiite scholars, spanning 23 volumes and representing a significant publication by the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine’s Department of Islamic and Human Knowledge Affairs.

Compiled using a methodology based on direct examination and verification of both manuscripts and printed works, the encyclopedia marks a notable shift in the documentation of Islamic scholarship. Its author, Sayyid Ahmad al-Husseini al-Ashkouri, relied on field-based analysis of texts, reviewing details such as size, subject matter, structure, and content to ensure accuracy and depth.

According to Sheikh Mohammed al-Dhalimi, head of the department’s Knowledge Care Division, the project is among the most prominent encyclopedic initiatives undertaken by the institution, offering extensive documentation of Imami Shiite writings across disciplines including jurisprudence, theology, linguistics and biographical studies.

Inspired by “Al-Dhari’a ila Tasanif al-Shi’a” by Agha Bozorg Tehrani, the new encyclopedia differs in its rigorous methodology, requiring direct verification of each work before inclusion. The project involved tracking manuscripts across libraries and documenting them in detail, alongside brief author biographies.

The work, completed over more than two years and subjected to academic and linguistic review, aims to provide researchers and libraries with a reliable and comprehensive reference on Shiite intellectual output across centuries.