"A Critical Review of the entry of "Imam Husain" in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (EI2) focusing on the Legendary Aspects Attributed to Him"

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (Leiden) can be regarded as one of the most significant examples of transformation and specialization in Western Islamic studies, holding a prominent position among Western reference works related to Islam. Among its notable entries is the article “Imam Husain” authored by Laura Veccia Vaglieri. A part of this entry, titled “Legends”, recounts narratives that reflect particular aspects of the spiritual life of Imam Husain. A critical examination of this section is necessary because the portrayal of such narratives under the label of "legends" not only risks fostering a distorted perception of the ideological foundations of Shi‘ism in academic circles but may also contribute to the reduction of the spiritual and religious stature of Shi‘i leaders in the eyes of readers. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to answer the question: To what extent does the content of the “Legends” section in the aforementioned article possess academic credibility and lend itself to scholarly critique and evaluation? The findings suggest that much of the material in this section is based on weak or sparsely cited sources—an issue partly rooted in the repeated and at times uncritical transmission of unreliable reports found in certain Shi‘i texts.