Twelve infallible men: the imams and the making of shi'ism

'Twelve Infallible Men' focuses on the role of narratives of the imams in the development of a distinct Shi'a identity.

During the tenth century, at a critical juncture in Islamic history, a group of scholars began assembling definitive works containing accounts of the twelve imams' lives.

These collective biographies constructed a sacred history, portraying the imams as strong, beautiful, learned, and pious.