The Four Books


The Four Books are the four canonical hadith collections of Shia Islam. The term is used mostly by Twelver Shias.
NameCollectorNo. of
hadith		-----------
Kitab al-Kafi Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni al-Razi 16,199
Man La Yahduruhu al-FaqihMuhammad ibn Babawayh9,044
Tahdhib al-AhkamShaykh Muhammad Tusi13,590
Al-IstibsarShaykh Muhammad Tusi5,511
Total ahādith44,344

Shia Muslims use different hadith books than those used by Sunni Muslims, who prize the six major hadith collections. Unlike Sunnis, Twelver Shi'i Muslims uphold the Twelve Imams as their absolute authority of religion after the prophet Muhammad, and thus much of their hadith is transmitted on the authority of the Imams. Shi'ites considers many hadith transmitters in Sunni tradition to be unreliable, particularly due to their indifferent or, at times, antagonistic stance towards Ahl al-Bayt.