مسند زيد بن علي بين الرواية والتركيب (دراسة إسنادية تحليلية)

Narration and Composition of Musnad Zaīd ibn ʿAlī: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This article critically examines the attribution of the book Musnad Zaīd ibn ʿAlī to its namesake through a two-pronged analysis grounded in Ḥadīth methodology. First, the text’s chain of transmission is thoroughly examined, revealing significant discrepancies tafarud across twelve generations following Zaīd. The involvement of unreliable narrators further undermines the text’s authenticity. Second, the historical reception of the book is analyzed, with evidence suggesting its absence from scholarly circles between the third and sixth centuries. Notably, even Zaīd’s close relatives and prominent Zaīdi imāms, who closely followed his teachings, seemed unaware of the book’s existence until its "discovery" by Jaʿfar bin Ahmad al-Bahlūlī. This historical anomaly and Jaʿfar’s role in presenting the text and its singular transmission chain raises strong suspicions regarding his potential authorship.