The past twenty years have witnessed an upsurge in research centred on critical analysis of the Shi’ite Ḥadīth canon, known as the Kutub al-Arba’ah. Little research however, has explored the emergence of the term Kutub al-Arba’ah. To this end, this thesis aims to detail the emergence of the term Kutub al-Arba’ah, and its subsequent usage and development in history. This will enable not only a greater understanding of the canonical texts, but also illuminate the pivotal role played by the Kutub alArba’ah in debates on authority in post-ghayba Twelver Shiʿism
