Al-mu'alla b. khunays : The man and his role in early shi'ite history

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to survey the life and deeds of an important Shiite personality, al-Mu'allā b. Khunays, a companion of the Sixth Imam (in Twelver Shī'ism), Ja'far al-Sadiq, one who has not, as far as we are aware, had any scholarly work devoted to him until now. In this study we analyze the role of Al-Mu'allā in the propagation of early Shiite thought through an examination of his life, his close relations with Ja'far al-∼∞Sādiq, and the enrichment of Shiite philosophy and jurisprudence in a number of domains as a result of these relations.