The latter half of the third century AH was a decisive turning point in the formation of
the Imamiyyah Shi’a. The fundamental fractures of Shiite internal differentiation occurred
during this period, and the journey continued with the construction of new
codes. During this period, Shiite circles grappled with problems such as “child imams,”
“occultation,” and the number of imams. The search for unity in theory became the
most important issue of this period, and ways out were sought with a new construct.
This study examines Muhammad b. Ya‘kûb b. Ishaq al-Kulayni (d. 329/940-41), author
of al-Kâfî, the first of the Kütüb-i Erbaa to appear on the historical stage during what
could be considered a traumatic period for Shiism, and his influence on Shiite thought.
In this study, which focuses on Kulayni, the environment in which Kulayni was born
and which influenced the formation and development of his ideas was examined primarily
within the framework of the principle of deepening, from social, political, economic,
and cultural perspectives. After describing Shiite thought up to Küleynî, information
was provided about Küleynî’s life, the environment in which he lived, and his scholarly
personality, and his only surviving work, al-Kâfî, was introduced. Subsequently, the
study focuses on the praise and criticism directed at Küleynî, as well as the doubts
raised around him, particularly in recent times due to the influence of sectarian conflict.
Finally, a section is opened in which the traces of Kulayni on Shiite thought are followed,
and Kulayni’s purpose in writing al-Kâfî, the strategy of obscuring him after the
rise of Usuliism, and the process of his gaining authority during the Safavid period are
examined.
As a result of this study, it has been determined that Shiite thought was influenced and
shaped through the work of a cornerstone scholar such as Kulayni, and that this influence
contributed ontologically to Shiite-Imami thought during his own period and in
subsequent periods. The study was based on the method of textual analysis.
Keywords: Shia; Imamiyya; Ithnaasheriyya; Kuleyni; al-Kâfî, Shia Hadith