Kitab Al-Irshad (The Book of Guidance)

Author: Shaykh al-Mufid | Translated by: I.K.A. Howard | Hardback | 676 pages

This is the earliest surviving history of the Twelve Imams who are revered in Shi’a Islam as the primary sources of religious guidance after the passing away of the Prophet (saw). Written by one of the most prolific authors of the medieval period, this work offers a brief account of the circumstances pertaining to the function of the imamate and the manner of its transmission, set within a comprehensive account of each of these twelve towering personalities. The first half of the work is devoted to the first Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib. It provides, in addition, a fascinating insight into the religious and social circumstances of these first centuries of Islam.