Ṭūmār (15) Broken Ladder (8) A Critical Analysis of the Sources Underlying the Myth of Preservation: A Critique of the Biographical Structure of Abū Ja‛far al-Warrāq—From Stasis to Narrative Inertia (05)
Document Type : pajoohesh
Author
10.22081/jap.2026.80063
Abstract
In his book Ṭu‛ūn wa Shubuhāt al-Shī‛a al-Imāmīyya Ḥawl Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī wa al-Radd ‛Alayhā, ‛Ādil ‛Izzāzī attempts to reconstruct and narrate the biography of Abū Jaʿfar al-Warrāq as the author of Shamāʾil al-Bukhārī. A critical examination of this account reveals that ‛Izzāzī’s portrayal suffers from a form of narrative stasis and analytical inertia, lacking the capacity to provide a historically rich and multi-layered understanding of Abū Ja‛far’s personality and role. Among the most significant indicators of this narrative stagnation are the reliance on biographical clichés, the use of broad and non-analytical descriptions, a superficial engagement with historical evidence, the predominance of a single interpretive voice without consideration of alternative perspectives, and generalized assessments of the scholarly standing of the figure under discussion. Collectively, these shortcomings undermine the internal coherence of the narrative, diminish its analytical vitality, and weaken its scholarly credibility. As a result, instead of offering a comprehensive and well-documented reconstruction of Abū Ja‛far al-Warrāq’s life and significance, the work presents a simplified, one-dimensional, and inadequate portrait of him as a transmitter, author, and participant in the hadith tradition.
Keywords
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