Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Historical Inquiry in Shiʿi Studies: Description, Explanation, and Epistemic Justification

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sayyid Mustafa Mutahhari 1
Mohammad Nasser Vaezi 2
1 Assistant professor, Islamic Studies Department and the head of Oriental Languages Department, Higher Education Complex for Language, Literature, and Culturology, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Culturology, Higher Education Complex for Language, Literature and Culturology, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran, (Corresponding author).
10.22034/jatj.2026.572475.1083
Abstract
This article examines the methodological foundations of historical studies in the field of Islamic and Shiʿi thought, with particular emphasis on the dual processes of description and explanation as constitutive components of scholarly justification. The study aims to clarify the nature of historical inquiry by distinguishing between purely descriptive approaches and descriptive–analytical approaches that seek to explain historical phenomena through causal, rational, and narrative models. Employing a qualitative and analytical method grounded in epistemological analysis, the article surveys major theories of historical explanation and investigates their application within religious and doctrinal research. The findings demonstrate that explanatory historical studies are inseparable from justificatory frameworks, especially in contexts where belief, truth, and epistemic authority are presupposed. The article further argues that coherentism and reliabilism represent the two most influential methodological approaches governing justification in Shiʿi historical studies, each yielding distinct outcomes in the interpretation of sources and propositions. The study concludes that greater methodological clarity regarding justification, source selection, and explanatory models can significantly reduce ambiguities in contemporary historical research and contribute to more rigorous and epistemically grounded studies of Shiʿi intellectual tradition.
Keywords
Historical Methodology
Shiʿi Thought
Description and Explanation
Epistemic Justification
Coherentism and Reliabilism
Historiography of Islam
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Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings
Volume 3, Issue 4
Winter 2026
Pages 15-30

  • Receive Date 30 January 2026
  • Accept Date 31 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 31 May 2026
  • Publish Date 01 March 2026