Shia Islam1

Shia IslamFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Shia" redirects here. For other uses, see Shia (disambiguation).

The Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala Iraq is a holy site for Shia muslims

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Part of a series on

Shī‘a Islam

Beliefs and practices

Succession to Muhammad

Imamate of the Family

Mourning of Muharram

Intercession · Ismah

The Occultation · Clergy

Views

The Qur'an · Sahaba

Mu'awiya I · Abu Bakr

Umar · Ghulat

Holy days

Ashura · Arba'een · Mawlid

Eid ul-Fitr · Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Ghadeer

Eid al-Mubahila

History

Twelver · Ismāʿīlī · Zaidi

The verse of purification

Mubahala · Two things

Khumm · Fatimah's house

First Fitna · Second Fitna

The Battle of Karbala

Persecution

Ahl al-Kisa

Muhammad · Ali · Fatimah

Hasan · Hussein

Some companions

Salman the Persian

Miqdad ibn Aswad

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari

Ammar ibn Yasir

Bilal ibn Rabah

v · d · e

Shī‘a terms

Shi'a Islam

Moderate Shi'a

Real Shi'a

Shi'a of Ali

Shi'a of Uthman

Shi'a of Mauwiyah

Shia Islam (Arabic: شيعة, Shīʿah) is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are

called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī ( علي شيعة ), meaning

"followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".[1][2][3][4][5]

Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is based on the teachings of the Islamic holy book,

the Quran and the message of the final prophet of Islam,[6] Muhammad.[7] In contrast to other schools of

thought, the Shia believe that only God has the right to choose a representative to safeguard Islam, the Quran

and sharia (based upon verses in the Quran which stipulate this according to the Shia).[8] The Shia believe that

these Quranic verses make it clear that only God chooses a viceregent on Earth, therefore no one else has a

choice in the matter. This means that God's representatives like prophets and imams cannot be elected by

common Muslims, which is why the Shia disown the election and selection of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman ibn

Affan by the people, to represent Islam and the Quran. Thus the Shia do not consider Ali to be the fourth caliph,

rather the First Imam. The Shia believe that there are numerous narrations where Muhammad selected Ali as

his successor.[9][10]

The Shia believe that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt ("the People of the House"), and certain individuals

among his descendants, who are known as infallible Imams, have special spiritual and political authority over

the community and they acquired this authority since God gave it to them just the same way God

chose Adem, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud, 'Isa and other prophets,[6][11]Imams such as the offspring

of Abraham [12]  and from amongst the Children of Israel [13]  as well as kings, such as Saul.[14] Twelver Muslims

further believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of The Twelve Imams and was the

rightful successor to Muhammad and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three caliphs.[15][16] The grandsons of

Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali and Hussein ibn Ali are agreed upon by all Muslims to be the "leaders of all youths

in Paradise."[17][18][19] The Shia also believe that these sons of Ali were the true leaders and caliphs of the

Muslims.[20][21]

The Shia regard Ali as the second most important figure after Muhammad. Muhammad suggested on various

occasions during his lifetime that Ali should be the leader of Muslims after his demise. According to this view,

Ali as the successor of Muhammad not only ruled over the community in justice, but also interpreted the sharia

law and its esoteric meaning. Hence he was regarded as being free from error and sin (infallible), and

appointed by God by divine decree (nass) to be the first imam.[22] Ali is known as "perfect man" (al-insan al-

kamil) similar to Muhammad according to Shia viewpoint.[23] As a result, the Shia favor ahadith attributed to

Muhammad and imams and credited to his family and close associates, in contrast to Sunni traditions where

the Sunnah is largely narrated by Muhammad's companions, whom Sunnis hold to all be trustworthy.[24][25]

[26] Thus the Quran and Hadith interpretation and differences in Hadith narrators are the main distinction of the

Shia.[27]

Contents

  [hide] 

1 Etymology

2 Doctrine

3 Beliefs

o 3.1 Succession of Ali

o 3.2 Hussain

o 3.3 Imamate of the Ahl al-Bayt

o 3.4 Ismah

o 3.5 Intercession

o 3.6 The Occultation

4 History

o 4.1 Family tree of six Islamic Nabi and Shia Islam

o 4.2 Origin of the Shia

o 4.3 Early

o 4.4 Fatimid rule (909–1171)

o 4.5 Būyid rule

o 4.6 Safavid rule (1501–1736)

5 Community

o 5.1 Demographics

o 5.2 Persecution

o 5.3 Holidays

o 5.4 Holy Sites

6 Branches

o 6.1 Twelver

o 6.2 Ismaili

o 6.3 Zaidi

7 See also

8 Notes

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

[edit]Etymology

Shia in Arabic

The word Shia (Classical Arabic: شيعة shīʻah /ˈʃiːʕa/) means follower[28] and is the short form of the historic

phrase shīʻatu ʻAlī ( علي شيعة  /ˈʃiːʕatu ˈʕaliː/), meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".[1][3][4]

[5] The term has widely appeared in hadith and is repeated four times in the Quran;[2] for example verse

37:83[29] mentions Abraham as a Shia (follower) of Noah.[30] Shi'ite, Shiite, Shia, andShiism are alternative

terms.

[edit]Doctrine

The position of Ali is supported by numerous hadith, including Hadith of the pond of Khumm, Hadith of the two

weighty things, Hadith of the pen and paper, Hadith of the invitation of the close families, andHadith of the

Twelve Successors. In particular, the Hadith of the Cloak is often quoted to illustrate Muhammad's feeling

towards Ali and his family by both Sunni and Shia scholars. Therefore, the Shia believe that the Ahl al-Bayt

hadiths are predominant over the others sources.

Although there were several Shia branches through history, nowadays Shia Islam is divided into three main

branches.[31] The largest Shia sect in the early 21st century is the Ithnā‘ashariyyah (which constitute

approximately 85% of all Shia Muslims worldwide),[32] commonly referred to in English as the Twelvers, while

smaller branches include the Ismaili (10% of all Shia) and Zaidi (3.5% of all Shia), who dispute the Twelver

lineage of imams and beliefs.[33] Twelvers constitute the majority of the population in Iran (90%),[34] Azerbaijan

(75%),[1] Bahrain (70%),[35][36][37] Lebanon (65% of Muslims) and Iraq (65%). Zaidiyyah constitute a considerable

portion of Yemen (45%). Other countries with a significant proportion of Shia are Syria (15%), Kuwait (35%),

Pakistan (20%), India (23% of Muslims), Afghanistan (15%), Saudi Arabia (18%), Turkey (20%), United Arab

Emirates (16%), Qatar (15%), Albania(25%).

The Shia Islamic faith is vast and inclusive of many different groups.[1] Shia theological beliefs, and religious

practise such as prayers slightly differ from the Sunnis. While all Muslims pray five times daily, Shias have the

option of always combining Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha', as there are three distinct times mentioned

in the Quran. The Sunnis tend to combine only under certain circumstances.[38][39] Shia Islam embodies a

completely independent system of religious interpretation and political authority in the Muslim world.[40][41] The

Shia identity emerged during the lifetime of Muhammad,[42] and Shia theology was formulated in the 2nd

century AH, or after Hijra (8th century CE).[43] The first Shia governments and societies were established by the

end of the 3rd century AH/9th century CE. The 4th century AH /10th century CE has been referred by Louis

Massignon 'the Shiite Ismaili century in the history of Islam'.[44]

Whereas Sunnis believe the Mahdi will appear sometime in the future, Twelver Shia Muslims believe the Mahdi

was already on earth, is currently the "hidden Imam" who works through mujtahids to interpret the Quran; and

will return at the end of time.[45]

[edit]Beliefs

[edit]Succession of Ali

Main article: Shi'a view of Ali

See also: Hadith of the pond of Khumm, The Farewell Sermon, and Eid al-Ghadeer

A series of articles on

Prophet of Islam

Muhammad

Life

In Mecca · Hijra · In

Medina · Conquest of

Mecca · Wives · Farewell

pilgrimage · Family tree ·

Career

Qur'an · Hadith ·

Early reforms under

Islam ·Diplomacy · Military 

·Persecution by

Meccans ·Migration to

Abyssinia ·

Miracles

Isra and

Mi'raj · Relics ·Splitting of the

moon ·

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi ·

Views by subject

Jewish · Christian ·Slavery ·

Succession

Farewell

sermon ·Saqifah · Pen and

paper ·Family · Companions 

·History ·

Praise

Durood · Na'at · Mawlid 

·Ha ḍ ra  · Madih nabawi ·

Ya Muhammad ·

Perspectives

Islamic · Jewish · Bible 

·Medieval

Christian ·Historicity · Criticis

m ·Prophetic

biography ·Depictions · Films 

·Depictions in film ·

v · d · e

The Investiture of Ali at Ghadir Khumm (MS Arab 161, fol. 162r, AD 1309/8 Ilkhanidmanuscript illustration)

Shia Muslims believe that just as a prophet is appointed by God alone, only God has the prerogative to appoint

the successor to his prophet. They believe that God chose Ali to be the successor, infallible and divinely

chosen. Thus they say that Muhammad, before his death, appointed Ali as his successor.

Ali was Muhammad's first cousin and closest living male relative, as well as his son-in-law, having married his

daughter Fatimah.[1][46][47] 'Ali would eventually become the fourth Muslim caliph.[48]

Shia Muslims believe that after the last pilgrimage, Muhammad ordered the gathering of Muslims at the pond of

Khumm and it was there that Muhammad nominated Ali to be his successor. The hadith of the pond of Khumm

(Arabic:  خم غدير ) refers to the saying (i.e. Hadith) about a historical event of appointment, crucial to Islamic

history. This event took place on 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah of 10 AH in the Islamic calendar (March 10, 632 AD) at a

place called Ghadir Khumm, which is located near the city of al-Juhfah, Saudi Arabia.[49]

Shia Muslims believe it to be an appointment of Ali by Muhammad as his successor, while Sunni Muslims

believe it to be a simple defense of Ali in the face of unjust criticism.[46]

Shia Muslims further believe the wordings of sermon delivered by Muhammad was as follows;

Oh people! Reflect on the Quran and comprehend its verses. Look into its clear verses and do not follow its

ambiguous parts, for by Allah, none shall be able to explain to you its warnings and its mysteries, nor shall

anyone clarify its interpretation, other than the one that I have grasped his hand, brought up beside myself,

[and lifted his arm,] the one about whom I inform you that whomever I am his master (Mawla), this Ali is his

master (Mawla); and he is Ali Ibn Abi Talib, my brother, the executor of my will (Wasiyyi), whose appointment

as your guardian and leader has been sent down to me from Allah, the mighty and the majestic.—Muhammad, The Farewell Sermon[50]

When Muhammad died, Ali and Muhammad's closest relatives made the funeral arrangements. While they

were preparing his body, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah (Abu 'Ubayda) met with the leaders

of Medina and elected Abu Bakr as khalifa ("caliph"). Ali and his family were dismayed, but accepted the

appointment for the sake of unity in the early Muslim community.[46]

It was not until the murder of the third khalifa, Uthman, that the Muslims in Medina invited 'Ali to become the

fourth khalifa.[46]

While Ali was caliph, his capital was in Kufah, in current day Iraq.[51]

Ali's rule over the early Muslim community was often contested, to the extent that wars were waged against

him. As a result, he had to struggle to maintain his power against the groups who broke away after giving him

allegiance, or those who wished to take his position. After Ali's murder in 661 CE, his main

rival Muawiyah claimed the caliphate.[52]While the rebels who accused Uthman of nepotism affirmed Ali's

khilafa, they later turned against him and fought him.[46]

Ali ruled from 656 CE to 661 CE,[46] when he was assassinated.[53] while prostrating (sujud) in prayer. Shia add "

الله ولي� علي� و " "and Ali is the wali(chosen one) of God" (wa-'Aliyun waliyu l-Lāh), to

the adhan and Shahada but this is not obligatory.[54] Ali is regarded as the foremost authority on the Tafsir and

hadith.[55]

[edit]Hussain

Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq, where Aliis buried.

The Shia regard Hussein ibn Ali as an imam (which is considered as a divine spiritual leader appointed by God)

and a martyr. He is believed to be the third of the imams from the Ahl al-Bayt which are supposed to succeed

Muhammad and that he set out on his path in order to save the religion of Islam and the Islamic nation from

annihilation at the hands of Yazid I. He is notable for being the only imam following Ali which all Shia branches

agree on.[56]

[edit]Imamate of the Ahl al-Bayt

Main article: Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

A fictional representation of the Sword of Ali, the Zulfiqar, two swords were captured from the temple of the pagan polytheist God Manat during the Raid of Sa'd ibn

Zaid al-Ashhali. Muhammad gave them to Ali, saying that one of them was Al-Dhulfiqar, which became the famous sword of Ali and a symbol of the Shia Islam [57]

Most of the early Shia as well as Zaydis differed only marginally from mainstream Sunnis in their views on

political leadership, but it is possible in this sect to see a refinement of Shia doctrine. Early Sunnis traditionally

held that the political leader must come from the tribe of Muhammad—namely, the Quraysh. The Zaydis

narrowed the political claims of the Ali's supporters, claiming that not just any descendant of Ali would be

eligible to lead the Muslim community (ummah) but only those males directly descended from Muhammad

through the union of Ali and Fatimah. But during the Abbasid revolts, other Shia, who came to be known as

Imamiyyah (followers of the imams), followed the theological school ofJa'far al-Sadiq. They asserted a more

exalted religious role for imams and insisted that, at any given time, whether in power or not, a single male

descendant of Ali and Fatimah was the divinely appointed imam and the sole authority, in his time, on all

matters of faith and law. To those Shia, love of the imams and of their persecuted cause became as important

as belief in God's oneness and the mission of Muhammad.[32]

Later most of Shia, including Twelver and Ismaili, became Imami. Imamis Shia believe that Imams are the

spiritual and political successors to Muhammad.[32] Imams are human individuals who not only rule over the

community with justice, but also are able to keep and interpret the divine law and its esoteric meaning. The

words and deeds of Muhammad and the imams are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result,

they must be free from error and sin, and must be chosen by divine decree, or nass, through Muhammad.[58][59]

According to this view, there is always an Imam of the Age, who is the divinely appointed authority on all

matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali was the first imam of this line, the rightful successor to

Muhammad, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah.[32]

Kalema at Qibla of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt with phrase "Ali-un-Waliullah"

This difference between following either the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's family and descendants) or the Caliph

Abu Bakr has shaped Shia and non-Shia views on some of the Quran, the hadith (narrations from Muhammad)

and other areas of Islam. For instance, the collection of Hadith venerated by Shia Muslims is centered on

narrations by members of the Ahl al-Bayt and their supporters, while some Hadith by narrators not belonging to

or supporting the Ahl al-Bayt are not included (those of Abu Hurairah, for example). According to Sunnis, Ali

was the fourth successor to Abu Bakr while the Shia maintain that Ali was the first divinely sanctioned "Imam,"

or successor of Muhammad. The seminal event in Shia history is the martyrdom in 680 CE at the Battle of

Karbala of Ali's son Hussein ibn Ali, who led a non-allegiance movement against the defiant caliph (71 of

Hussein's followers were killed as well). Hussein came to symbolize resistance to tyranny.

It is believed in Twelver and Ismaili Shia Islam that 'aql, divine wisdom, was the source of the souls of the

prophets and imams and gave them esoteric knowledge called ḥikmah and that their sufferings were a means

of divine grace to their devotees.[32][60][61] Although the Imam was not the recipient of a divine revelation, he had

a close relationship with God, through which God guides him, and the imam in turn guides the

people. Imamate, or belief in the divine guide is a fundamental belief in the Twelver and Ismaili Shia branches

and is based on the concept that God would not leave humanity without access to divine guidance.[62]

In Shia Islam, there is a third phrase of the Shahada, Ali-un-waliullah, which depicts the importance of the

Imamate.[63]

- The fundamental first phrase La- ilaha-ill-al-lah is the foundation stone of Islam, the belief that "there is no god

but God". This is the confession of Tawhid.

- The second phrase, Mohammad-ur –rasul-al-lah, says "Mohammad is God's Rasul, Nabi, the Messenger,

Apostle". This is the acceptance of the "Nabuwat", or prophethood, of Muhammad.

- According to Shia Islam, Muhammad declared Ali bin Abu Talib as his successor and said that "for whoever I

am a Moula of them, Ali is his Moula". Hence, they say the Kalema required further confession of the third

phrase Ali-un- wali-ul-lah, meaning "Ali is his (Muhammad's) Wali", its caretaker, stressing the need that for

continuation of faith there is a requirement of Wali, the imams which are the real caretakers of Islam.

The Shahada includes three Islamic teachings, Tawhid, Nabuwat and Imamate. In this belief, the Nabi,

Muhammad and the imams are so linked together that these cannot be viewed separately. One leads to the

other and finally to God, "God", the Almighty.

In one of the Qibla of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah of the Fatimid Caliphate, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, was

engraved his name and the phrasekalema‐tut‐sahadat (see image above left), giving specific importance to the

third phrase Ali –un‐ wali ‐ ul –lah hence to the Imamate.

[edit]Ismah

After Muhammad, Ali is credited as the first young male to accept Islam

Main article: Ismah

Ismah is the concept of infallibility or "divinely bestowed freedom from error and sin" in Islam.[64]Muslims believe

that Muhammad and other prophets in Islam possessed ismah. Twelver and Ismaili Shia Muslims also attribute

the quality to Imams as well as to Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, in contrast to the Zaidi, who do not

attribute 'ismah to the Imams.

According to Shia theologians, infallibility is considered a rational necessary precondition for spiritual and

religious guidance. They argue that since God has commanded absolute obedience from these figures they

must only order that which is right. The state of infallibility is based on the Shia interpretation of the verse of

purification.[65][66] Thus they are, the most pure ones, the only immaculate ones preserved from, and immune to,

all uncleanness.[67] It does not mean that supernatural powers prevent them from committing a sin, but it is due

to the fact that they have an absolute belief in God so that they find themselves in the presence of God. [68]

They also have a complete knowledge of God's will. They are in possession of all knowledge brought by

the angels to the prophets (nabi) and the messengers (Rasul). Their knowledge encompasses the totality of all

times. They thus act without fault in religious matters.[69]

[edit]Intercession

Main article: Tawassul

Tawassul (Arabic: توسل) is an Islamic religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to God. A rough

translation would be: "To draw near to what one seeks after and to approach that which one desires." The

exact definition and method of tawassul is a matter of some dispute within the Muslim community.

Muslims who practice tawassul point to the Quran, Islam's holy book, as the origin of the practice. Many

Muslims believe it is a commandment upon them to "draw near" to God.[70] Amongst Sufi and Barelvi Muslims

within Sunni Islam, as well as Twelver Shia Muslims, it refers to the act of supplicating to God through

a prophet, imam or Sufi saint, whether dead or alive.[71]

[edit]The Occultation

Main article: The Occultation

This section requires expansion.

The Occultation in Shia Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure, the Mahdi, is an Imam who has

disappeared and will one day return alongside Jesus and fill the world with justice. Some Shia, such as the

Zaidi and Nizari Ismaili, do not believe in the idea of the Occultation. The groups which do believe in it differ

upon which lineage of the Imamate is valid, and therefore which individual has gone into occultation. They

believe there are many signs that will indicate the time of his return.

[edit]History

Main article: History of Shi'a Islam

[edit]Family tree of six Islamic Nabi and Shia Islam

            Adem (Adam) - 1  

            Nuh (Noah) - 2  

            Ibrahim (Abraham) - 3  

      Ismail (Ishmael)       Ishaq (Isaac)

            Yaqub (Jacob)

      Abdul Muttalib   Isa (Jesus) - 5   Musa (Moses) - 4

  Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib (died 570 AD)   Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (died 620 AD)          

  Muhammad (died 632 AD) - 6                    

  Fatimah (died 11 AH) 

Ali (died 661 AD)          

  Hasan ibn Ali (died 669AD)   Hussein ibn Ali (died 680AD)          

          Shia Islam          

[edit]Origin of the Shia

Part of a series on the

Imam of Islam

Ali

Life

Family tree · marital life · Descendants

Succession to Muhammad

Birthplace · First Fitna

Timeline of Ali's life

Hadith of the pond of Khumm

Legacy

Nahj al-Balagha · Qalam-e-Mowla

Zulfiqar · Imam Ali Mosque

Perspectives

Ali the Warrior · Ali as Caliph

The Fourteen Infallibles

The Twelve Imams

Ali in the Qur'an

Sunni · Shi'a

v · d · e

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (December 2010)

According to Encyclopædia Britannica and others,[72] the Shia are believed to have started as apolitical

party and developed into a religious movement, influencing Sunnis and produced a number of important sects.

Early in the history of Islam, the Shīʿites were a political faction (Arabic shīʿat ʿAlī, “party of ʿAlī”) that supported

the power of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (the fourth caliph [khalīfah, successor of Muhammad]) and, later, of his

descendants.[32]

Hossein Nasr disagrees with this as he writes:

Shi'ism was not brought into existence only by the question of the political succession to Muhammad as so

many Western works claim (although this question was of course of great importance). The problem of political

succession may be said to be the element that crystallized the Shi'ites into a distinct group, and political

suppression in later periods, especially the martyrdom of Imam Husayn-upon whom be peace-only accentuated

this tendency of the Shi'ites to see themselves as a separate community within the Islamic world. The principal

cause of the coming into being of Shi'ism, however, lies in the fact that this possibility existed within the Islamic

revelation itself and so had to be realized. Inasmuch as there were exoteric [Zaheri] and esoteric [Bateni]

interpretations from the very beginning, from which developed the schools (madh'hab) of the Sharia and Sufism

in the Sunni world, there also had to be an interpretation of Islam, which would combine these elements in a

single whole. This possibility was realized in Shi'ism, for which the Imam is the person in whom these two

aspects of traditional authority are united and in whom the religious life is marked by a sense of tragedy and

martyrdom... Hence the question which arose was not so much who should be the successor of Muhammad as

what the function and qualifications of such a person would be.[73]

[edit]Early

Disagreement broke out over who would succeed Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community. While the

Sunnis followed the companions of Muhammad, the Shia followed Ali. This dispute eventually led to the First

Fitna, which was the first major civil war within the Islamic Caliphate. The Fitna began as a series of revolts

fought against the first Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, caused by the assassination of his political predecessor,

Uthman ibn Affan. It lasted for the entirety of Ali's reign, and its end is marked by Muawiyah's assumption of the

caliphate (founding theUmayyad dynasty), and the subsequent recorded peace treaty between him and Hasan

ibn Ali.

The Second Fitna was when the first Umayyad Caliph Muawiya I was succeeded upon his death in 680 by his

son, Yazid I. Yazid's first opposition came from supporters of Hussein ibn Ali, who was the grandson of

Muhammad and the son of the former Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, who had been assassinated. Husayn and many

of his closest supporters were killed by Yazid's troops at the Battle of Karbala. This battle is often cited as the

definitive break between the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam, and until this day it has been commemorated each

year by Shia Muslims on the Day of Ashura.

[edit]Fatimid rule (909–1171)

Main article: Fatimid Caliphate

One of the earliest nations where the rulers were Shia (Ismaili) Muslims was the Fatamid Caliphate which

controlled much of North Africa, theLevant, parts of Arabia and Mecca and Medina.

[edit]Būyid rule

Main article: Buyid dynasty

The founders of the Būyid confederation were 'Imad al-Daula and his two younger brothers, Rukn al-

Dawla and Mu'izz al-Daula.

[edit]Safavid rule (1501–1736)

Main articles: Safavid dynasty and Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism

A major turning point in Shia history was the Safavid dynasty in Persia.

The ending of the relative mutual tolerance between Sunnis and Shias that

existed from the time of the Mongol conquests onwards and the resurgence of

antagonism between the two groups.

The beginning of the emergence of an independent body of ulama capable of

taking a political stand different from the policies of the state.

The growth in importance of Iranian centers of religious learning and change

from Twelver Shiaism being a predominantly Arabphenomenon.[74]

The growth of the Akhbari School which preached that only the Quran,

hadith in deriving verdicts, rejected the use of reasoning.

With the fall of the Safavids, the state in Persia – including the state system of courts with government-

appointed judges (qadis) – became much weaker, This gave the Sharia courts of mujtahids an opportunity to fill

in the slack and enabled "the ulama to assert their judicial authority." The Usuli School also increased in

strength at this time.[75]

Shia Rule

Extent of Shia rule under the Fatimids  

Extent of Shia rule under the Buyids  

Extent of Shia rule under the Safavid dynasty  

[edit]Akhbaris versus Usulis

The Akhbari movement "crystalized" as a "separate movement" with the writings of Muhammad Amin al-

Astarabadi (died 1627 AD) It rejected the use of reasoning in deriving verdicts, and believed only the Quran,

hadith, (prophetic sayings and recorded opinions of the Imams) and consensus should be used as sources to

derive verdicts (fatāwā). Unlike Usulis, Akhbari did and do not follow marjas who practice ijtihad.[76]

It achieved its greatest influence in the late Safavid and early post-Safavid era when it dominated Twelver Shia

Islam.[77] However, shortly thereafter Muhammad Baqir Behbahani (died 1792), along with other Usuli

mujtahids, crushed the Akhbari movement.[78] and it remains now in the Shia Muslim world only as a small

minority. One result of the resolution of this conflict was the rise in importance of the concept of ijtihad and the

position of the mujtahid (as opposed to other ulama) in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It was from this time

that the division of the Shia world into mujtahid (those who could follow their own independent judgment)

and muqallid (those who had to follow the rulings of a mujtahid) took place. According to author Moojan

Momen, "up to the middle of the 19th century there were very few mujtahids (three or four) anywhere at any

one time," but "several hundred existed by the end of the 19th century."[79]

[edit]Majlisi

"One of the most powerful and influential Shi'i ulama of all time" also preached during this era. Working during

the Safavid era, Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, worked diligently to rid Twelver Shiaism of the influence of Sufiism

(which had been closely linked to Shiaism) and philosophy, and propagate strict adherence to obedience of

Islamic law (sharia).[80] Majlisi promoted specifically Shia rituals such as mourning for Hussein ibn Ali and

visitation (ziyarat) of the tombs of the Imams and Imamzadas; and stressed "the concept of the Imams as

mediators and intercessors for man with God."[81]

[edit]Community

[edit]Demographics

Main article: List of countries by Muslim population

The Shia majority countries are Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain; all are coloured in red.

Distribution of Sunni and Shia branches of Islam

It is variously estimated that 10–20%[82][83][84][85] of the world's Muslims are Shia, while the remaining larger

percentage follow Sunni Islam.

...Shias are about 10-to-15 percent of the entire Muslim world. We don't have accurate statistics because in

much of the Middle East it is not convenient to have them, for ruling regimes in particular. But the estimates are

that they are about 10-to-15 percent of the Muslim world, which puts them somewhere between 165-to-190

million people....The overwhelming majority of that population lives betweenPakistan and Lebanon. Iran always

had been a Shia country, the largest one, with about 60 million population. Pakistan is the second-largest Shia

country in the world, with about 30 million population. And, potentially, there are as many Shias in India as

there are in Iraq.—Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future October 18, 2006, The Revival of Shia Islam[86][87]

They may number up to 200 million as of 2009.[83] The Shia majority countries are Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and

Bahrain.[88] They also constitute 36.3% of entire local population and 38.6% of local Muslim population of

Middle East.[89]

Shia Muslims constitute over 35% of the population in Lebanon,[90]over 45% of the population in Yemen,[91] 20-

40% of the population in Kuwait[83][92], over 20% in Turkey,[83][93] 10–20% of the population in Pakistan,[83] and 10-

19% of Afghanistan's population.[94][95]

Saudi Arabia hosts a number of distinct Shia communities, including the Twelver Baharna in the Eastern

Province, the Nakhawila of Medina, and the Ismaili Sulaymani and Zaidiyyah of Najran. Estimations put the

Shiite number of citizen at 2-4 million accounting for roughly 15% of the local population.[96]

Significant Shia communities exist on the coastal regions of West Sumatra and Aceh in Indonesia (see Tabuik).

The Shia presence is negligible elsewhere in Southeast Asia, where Muslims are predominantly Shafi'i Sunnis.

A significant Shia minority is present in Nigeria, centered around the state of Kano (see Shi'a Islam in Nigeria).

East Africa holds several populations of Ismaili Shia, primarily descendants of immigrants from South Asia

during the colonial period, such as the Khoja.

According to Shia Muslims, one of the lingering problems in estimating Shia population is that unless Shia form

a significant minority in a Muslim country, the entire population is often listed as Sunni. The reverse, however,

has not held true, which may contribute to imprecise estimates of the size of each sect. For example, the 1926

rise of the House of Saud in Arabia brought official discrimination against Shia.[97]

[edit]List of nations with Shia population

Figures indicated in the first three columns below are based on the October 2009 demographic study by

the Pew Research Center report,Mapping the Global Muslim Population.[83][84]

Nations with over 100,000 Shia[83][84]

Country Shia population[83][84]

Percent of Muslim

population that is

Shia[83][84]

Percent of global Shia

population[83][84]Minimum estimate/claim Maximum estimate/claim

Iran 66,000,000 – 70,000,000 90–95 37–40

Pakistan 17,000,000 – 26,000,000 10–15 10–15 43,250,000[98] – 57,666,666[99][100]

Nations with over 100,000 Shia[83][84]

Country Shia population[83][84]

Percent of Muslim

population that is

Shia[83][84]

Percent of global Shia

population[83][84]Minimum estimate/claim Maximum estimate/claim

India 16,000,000 – 24,000,000 10–15 9–14 40,000,000[101] – 50,000,000.[102]

Indonesia 5,000,000 – 6,000,000 2,77 3 <7,000,000

Iraq 19,000,000 – 22,000,000 65–70 11–12

Turkey 7,000,000 – 11,000,000 10–15 4–6

Yemen 8,000,000 – 10,000,000 35–40 5

Azerbaijan 5,000,000 – 7,000,000 65–75 3–4 85% of total population[103]

Afghanistan 3,000,000 – 4,000,000 10–15 <2 15–19% of total population[94]

Syria 3,000,000 – 4,000,000 15–20 <2

Saudi Arabia 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 10–15 1–2

Nigeria <4,000,000 <5 <2 5-10 million[104]

Lebanon 1,000,000 – 1,600,000[105] 30-35[106][107][108] <1 Estimated, no official census.[109]

Tanzania <2,000,000 <10 <1

Oman 700,000 – 900,000 5–10 <1 948,750[110]

Kuwait 500,000 – 700,000 30–35 <1 35–40% of total population[92]

Nations with over 100,000 Shia[83][84]

Country Shia population[83][84]

Percent of Muslim

population that is

Shia[83][84]

Percent of global Shia

population[83][84]Minimum estimate/claim Maximum estimate/claim

Germany 400,000 – 600,000 10–15 <1

Bahrain 400,000 – 500,000 60–70 <1

Tajikistan 400,000 7 <1

United Arab Emirates 300,000 – 400,000 10 <1

United States 200,000 – 400,000 10–15 <1

United Kingdom 100,000 – 300,000 10–15 <1

Bulgaria 100,000 10–15 <1

Qatar 100,000 10 <1

[edit]Persecution

Main articles: Persecution of Shia Muslims and Shi'a–Sunni relations

The dispute over the right successor to Muhammad resulted in the formation of two main sects, the Sunni and

the Shia. The Sunni, or "followers of the way," followed the caliphate and maintained the premise that any

devout Muslim could potentially become the successor to Muhammad if accepted by his peers. The Shia,

however, maintain that only the person selected by God and announced by the Prophet could become his

successor, thus Ali became the religious authority for the Shia people. Militarily established and holding control

over the Umayyad government, many Sunni rulers perceived the Shia as a threat – both to their political and

religious authority.[111]

The Sunni rulers under the Umayyads sought to marginalize the Shia minority and later the Abbasids turned on

their Shia allies and further imprisoned, persecuted, and killed them. The persecution of the Shia throughout

history by Sunni co-religionists has often been characterized by brutal and genocidal acts. Comprising only

about 10–15% of the entire Muslim population, to this day, the Shia remain a marginalized community in many

Sunni Arab dominant countries without the rights to practice their religion and organize.[112]

At various times Shia groups have faced persecution.[113][114][115][116][117][118] In 1514 the Ottoman sultan, Selim

I ,ordered the massacre of 40,000 Anatolian Shia.[119] According to Jalal Al-e-Ahmad, "Sultan Selim I carried

things so far that he announced that the killing of one Shiite had as much otherworldly reward as killing 70

Christians."[120] In 1801 the Al Saud-Wahhabi armies attacked and sacked Karbala, the Shia shrine in eastern

Iraq that commemorates the death of Husayn.[121]

In March 2011, the Malaysian government declared the Shia a 'deviant' sect and banned them from promoting

their faith to other Muslims, but left them free to practise it themselves.[122]]

[edit]Holidays

Main article: Shia days of remembrance

Shia Muslims in Bahrain hitting their chests during the time of Muharram in remembrance of the hardships Hussein ibn Ali went through.

Both Sunni and Shia, celebrate the following annual holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr  which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan

Eid al-Adha , which marks the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca

The following days are some of the most important holidays observed by Shia Muslims:

Eid al-Ghadeer  which is the anniversary of the Ghadir Khum, the occasion

when Muhammad announced Ali's Imamate before a multitude of Muslims.

[123] Eid al-Ghadeer is held on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The Mourning of Muharram and the Day of Ashura for Shia commemorates

Hussein ibn Ali's martyrdom. Imam Husayn was grandson of Muhammad, who

was killed by Yazid ibn Muawiyah, Ashurah is a day of deep mourning which

occurs on the 10th of Muharram.

Arba'een  commemorates the suffering of the women and children of Hussein

ibn Ali's household. After Hussein was killed, they were marched over the

desert, from Karbala (central Iraq) to Shaam (Damascus, Syria). Many

children (some of whom were direct descendants of Muhammad) died of thirst

and exposure along the route. Arba'een occurs on the 20th of Safar, 40 days

after Ashurah.

Mawlid , Muhammad's birth date. Unlike Sunnis who celebrate 12th of Rabi' al-

awwal as Muhammad's birthday, Shia Muslims celebrate the 17th of the

month, which also coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja'far al-

Sadiq.[124] After the 1979 Iranian revolution, the week of 12th to 17th was

called Shia-Sunni Unity Week.[125]

Fatimah 's birthday on 20th of Jumada al-Thani. It's also considered as the

"Women and Mothers' day".

Ali 's birthday on 13th of Rajab. It's also considered as the "Men and Fathers'

day".

Mid-Sha'ban  is the birth date of the 12th and final Imam of

Twelvers, Muhammad al-Mahdi. It is celebrated by Shia Muslims on the 15th

ofSha'aban.

Laylat al-Qadr , anniversary of the night of Quran's revelation.

Eid al-Mubahila  celebrates a meeting between the Ahl al-Bayt (household of

Muhammad) and a Christian deputation from Najran. Al-Mubahila is held on

the 24th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

[edit]Holy Sites

Main article: Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)

Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala. Two tall minarets of the Al Abbas Mosque are also seen in the picture.

Both Shia and Sunni Muslims share a certain veneration and religious obligations towards certainshrines and

holy sites, such as Mecca (Masjid al-Haram), Medina (Al-Masjid al-Nabawi) andJerusalem (Al-Aqsa Mosque).

In addition, there are several cities and sites which are highly revered by Shia Muslims. The most significant of

these sites are Imam Husayn Shrine and Al Abbas Mosquein Karbala, Imam Ali Mosque and Wadi-us-

Salaam cemetery in Najaf, Al-Baqi' cemetery in Medina,Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Kadhimiya

Mosque in Kadhimiya, Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra,Sahla Mosque and Great Mosque of Kufa in Kufa and

several other sites in the cities of Qom, Susaand Damascus.

Most of the holy Islamic sites in todays Saudi Arabia have been destroyed by Wahhabis and the Saudi Royal

Family, the most notable being the shrines and tombs in the Al-Baqi' cemetery in 1925.[126] In 2006, a bombing

resulted in the destruction of the shrine of Al-Askari Mosque.[127]

[edit]Branches

A tree depicting the branching of Shia Islam

The Shia faith throughout its history split over the issue of Imamate. The largest branch are the Twelvers, to

which over 85% of Shia belong. The only other surviving branches are the Zaidi and Ismaili. All three groups

follow a different line of Imamate.

Twelver Shia believe in the lineage of the Twelve Imams. The Twelver Shia faith is predominantly found in Iran

(est. 90%), Azerbaijan (est. 65%), Bahrain (est. 70%),[35][36][37] Iraq (est. 60%), Lebanon (est. 24%),[128] Kuwait

(est. 33%), Turkey (est. 15%), Albania (est. 10%), Pakistan (est. 10–15%) and Afghanistan (est. 15%).[129]

[130] The Zaidi Shia are predominantly found in Yemen (est. 40%).

The Zaidi dispute the succession of the fifth Twelver Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, because he did not stage a

revolution against the corrupt government, unlike Zayd ibn Ali. They do not believe in a direct lineage, but

rather that any descendant of Hasan ibn Ali or Hussein ibn Ali who stages a revolution against a corrupt

government is an imam.

The Ismaili dispute the succession of the seventhi imam, Musa al-Kadhim, believing his older brotherIsma'il ibn

Jafar actually succeeded their father Ja'far al-Sadiq.

Ismailis believe that Ja'far al-Sadiq thought his son, Isma'il ibn Jafar "al-Mubārak", would be heir to the

Imamate. However, Isma'il predeceased his father. Some of the Shia claimed Isma'il had not died, but rather

gone into occultation, but the proto-Isma'il group accepted his death and therefore that his eldest

son, Muhammad ibn Ismail, was now Imam. Muhammad remained in contact with this "Mubārakiyyah" group,

most of whom resided in Kufah.[131] Ismailis are dominant group inBadakhshan. They form small communities in

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, Yemen, China and Saudi Arabia[132] and have several subbranches.

[edit]Twelver

Main articles: Twelver and Criticism of Twelver Shi'ism

[hide]

Part of a series on Shī‘ah

Islam

Twelvers

The Fourteen Infallibles

Muhammad · Fatimah · and

The Twelve Imams:

Ali · Hasan · Husayn

al-Sajjad · al-Baqir · al-Sadiq

al-Kadhim · al-Rida · al-Taqi

al-Naqi · al-Askari · al-Mahdi

Concepts

Fourteen Infallibles

Occultation (Minor · Major)

Akhbar · Usul · Ijtihad

Taqleed · 'Aql · Irfan

Mahdaviat

Principles

Monotheism

Judgement Day · Justice

Prophethood · Imamate

Practices

Prayer · Fasting · Pilgrimage

Charity · Taxes · Jihad

Command Justice · Forbid Evil

Love the family of Muhammad

Dissociate from their Enemies

Holy cities

Mecca · Medina

Najaf · Karbala · Mashhad

Samarra · Kadhimayn

Groups

Usuli · Akhbari · Shaykhi

Nimatullahi · Safaviya

Qizilbash · Alevism · Alawism

Bektashi · Tabarie

Scholarship

Marja · Hawza  · Ayatollah 

·Allamah

Hojatoleslam · Mujtahid

List of marjas · List of

Ayatollahs

Hadith collections

Peak of Eloquence · The

Psalms of Islam · Book of

Fundamentals ·The Book in

Scholar's Lieu ·Civilization of

Laws · The Certainty · Book of

Sulaym ibn Qays · Oceans of

Light · Wasael ush-

Shia · Reality of

Certainty ·Keys of Paradise

Related topics

Criticism

This box: view · talk · edit

Twelver Shia or the Ithnā'ashariyyah' is the largest branch of Shia Islam, and the term Shia Muslimusually

refers to Twelver Shia Muslims only. The term Twelver is derived from the doctrine of believing in twelve

divinely ordained leaders, known as The Twelve Imams. Twelver Shia are also known as Imami orJa'fari,

originated from the 6th Imams name, Ja'far al-Sadiq, who elaborated the twelver jurisprudence.[133]

[edit]Doctrine

Twelver doctrine is based on five principles.[134] These five priciples known as Usul ad-Din are as follow:[135][136]

1. Monotheism , God is one and unique.

2. Justice , the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, fairness, and

equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics.

3. Last Judgment , God's final assessment of humanity.

4. Prophethood , the institution by which God sends emissaries, or

prophets, to guide mankind.

5. Leadership , A divine institution which succeeded the institution of

Prophethood. Its appointees (imams) are divinely appointed.

[edit]The Twelve Imams

See also: The Twelve Imams and Sunni reports about there being 12 successors to the Prophet

The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad for the Twelvers.[32] According to the

theology of Twelvers, the successor of Muhammad is an infallible human individual who not only rules over the

community with justice, but also is able to keep and interpret the divine law and its esoteric meaning. The

words and deeds of Muhammad and the imams are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result,

they must be free from error and sin, and must be chosen by divine decree, or nass, through Muhammad.[59]

[137] Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Hussein ibn Ali, who was the brother of

Hasan ibn Ali.[32] The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be

currently alive, and in occultation.[62]

List of Twelve Imams

1st Ali 600 - 661 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib , also known as Amīru al-Mu'minīn

2nd Hasan ibn Ali 625 – 669 Ḥasan ibn 'Alī , also known as Al-Hasan al-Mujtaba

3rd Hussein ibn Ali 626 – 680 Ḥusayn ibn 'Alī , also known as Al-Husayn ash-Shaheed

4th Zayn al-‘Ābidīn 658 – 713 'Alī ibn Ḥusayn , also known as Ali Zayn al-'Abideen

5th Muhammad al-Baqir 676 – 743 Muḥammad ibn 'Alī , also known as Muhammad al-Bāqir

6th Ja'far al-Sadiq 703 – 765 Ja'far ibn Muḥammad , also known as Ja'far aṣ-Ṣādiq

7th Musa al-Kadhim 745 – 799 Mūsá ibn Ja'far , also known as Mūsá al-Kāżim

8th Ali ar-Ridha 765 – 818 'Alī ibn Mūsá , also known as Ali ar-Riża

9th Muhammad al-Taqi 810 – 835 Muḥammad ibn 'Alī , also known as Muḥammad al-Jawad andMuḥammad at-Taqi

10th Ali al-Hadi 827 – 868 'Alī ibn Muḥammad , also known as Alī al-Ḥādī and ""Alī an-Naqī

11th Hasan al-Askari 846 – 874 Ḥasan ibn 'Alī , also known as Hasan al Askari

12th Muhammad al-Mahdi 869 – In occultationMuhammad ibn Ḥasan , also known as al-Hujjat ibn al-Ḥasan, Imam al-Mahdī, Imam al-Aṣr, etc.

[edit]Jurisprudence

Main article: Ja'fari jurisprudence

See also: Shi'a clergy

The Twelver jurisprudence is called Ja'fari jurisprudence. In this jurisprudence Sunnah is considered to be the

oral traditions of Muhammad and their implementation and interpretation by the twleve Imams. There are three

schools of Ja'fari jurispudence: Usuli, Akhbari, and Shaykhi. The Usuli school is by far the largest of the three.

Twelver groups that do not follow Ja'fari jurisprudence include theAlawi, Alevi, Bektashi, and Qizilbash.

In Ja'fari jurisprudence, there are ten ancillary pillars, known as Furu' ad-Din, which are as follow:[138]

1. Prayer

2. Fasting

3. Pilgrimage

4. Alms giving

5. Struggle

6. Directing others towards good

7. Directing others away from evil

8. Alms giving  "(One Fifth) (20% tax on yearly earnings after deduction of

house-hold and commercial expenses.)

9. Love those who are in God's path

10. Disassociation with those who oppose God

According to Twelvers, defining and interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence is the responsibility of Muhammad

and the twelve Imams. As the 12th Imam is in occultation, it's the duty of clerics to refer to the Islamic literature

such as the Quran and hadith and identify legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law to provide means to

deal with current issues from an Islamic perspective. In other words, Twelvers clerics provide Guardianship of

the Islamic Jurisprudent, which was defined by Muhammad and his twelve successors. This process is known

as Ijtihad and the clerics are known as Marja', meaning reference. The labels Allamah and Ayatollah are in use

for Twelvers clerics.

[edit]Ismaili

Main article: Ismailism

Part of a series on Shī‘ah Islam

Ismāʿīlism

Concepts

The Qur'ān · The Ginans

Reincarnation · Panentheism

Imām · Pir · Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq

‘Aql · Numerology · Taqiyya

Żāhir · Bāṭin

Seven Pillars

Guardianship · Prayer · Charity

Fasting · Pilgrimage · Struggle

Purity · Profession of Faith

History

Shoaib · Nabi Shu'ayb

Seveners · Qarmatians

Fatimids · Baghdad Manifesto

Hafizi · Taiyabi

Hassan-i Sabbah · Alamut

Sinan · Assassins

Pir Sadardin · Satpanth

Aga Khan · Jama'at Khana

Huraat-ul-Malika · Böszörmény

Early Imams

Ali · Ḥassan · Ḥusain

as-Sajjad · al-Baqir · aṣ-Ṣādiq

Ismā‘īl · Muḥammad

Abdullah /Wafi

Ahmed / at-Taqī

Husain/ az-Zakī/Rabi  · al-Mahdī

al-Qā'im · al-Manṣūr

al-Mu‘izz · al-‘Azīz · al-Ḥākim

az-Zāhir · al-Mustansir · Nizār

al-Musta′lī · al-Amīr · al-Qāṣim

Groups and Present leaders

Nizārī · Aga Khan IV

Dawūdī  · Burhanuddin

Sulaimanī  · Al-Fakhri Abdullah

Alavī  · Ṭayyib Ziyā'u d-Dīn

v · d · e

The Ismaili is a branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Shia community after the Twelvers. They get

their name from their acceptance of Isma'il ibn Jafar as the divinely appointed spiritual successor (Imam) to

Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept Musa al-Kadhim, younger brother of Isma'il,

as the true Imam.

After the death or Occultation of Muhammad ibn Ismaill in the 8th century, the teachings of Ismailism further

transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric

meaning (bā ṭ in ) of the faith. With the eventual development of Twelverism into the more

literalistic(zahir) oriented Akhbari and later Usuli schools of thought, Shiaism developed in two separate

directions: the metaphorical Ismailli group focusing on the mystical path and nature of God and the divine

manifestation in the personage of the "Imam of the Time" as the "Face of God", while the more literalistic

Twelver group focusing on divine law (sharī'ah) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) of Muhammad and his

successors (theAhlu l-Bayt), who as A'immah were guides and a light to God.[139]

Though there are several sub-groupings within the Ismailis, the term in today's vernacular generally refers to

the Nizari community who are followers of the Aga Khan and the largest group among the Ismailiyyah. Another

famous community which falls under the Isma'il's are the Dawoodi Bohra's whose religious leader in

Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, while there are many other the branches have extremely differing exterior

practices, much of the spiritual theology has remained the same since the days of the faith's early Imams. In

recent centuries Ismailis have largely been an Indo-Iranian community,[140] but they are found in India, Pakistan,

Syria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia,[141] Yemen, China,[142] Jordan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, East Africa

and South Africa, and have in recent years emigrated to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

[143]

[edit]Ismaili Imams

Main article: List of Ismaili imams

After the death of Isma'il ibn Jafar, many Ismaili believed the line of Imamate ended and that one day the

messianic Mahdi, whom they believed to be Muhammad ibn Ismail, would return and establish an age of

justice. One group included the violent Qarmatians, who had a stronghold in Bahrain. In contrast, some Ismailis

believed the Imamate did continue, and that the Imams were in hiding and still communicated and taught their

followers through a network of dawah "Missionaries".

In 909, Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, a claimant to the Ismaili Imamate, established the Fatimid Caliphate.

During this period, three lineages of imams formed. The first branch, known today as the Druze, occurred with

the Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. Born in 386 AH (985), he ascended as ruler at the age of eleven and was feared for

his eccentricity and believed insanity. The typical religiously tolerant Fatimid Empire saw much persecution

under his reign. When in 411 AH (1021) his mule returned without him, soaked in blood, a religious group that

was even forming in his lifetime broke off from mainstream Ismailism and did not acknowledge his successor.

Later to be known as the Druze, they believe al-Hakim to be the incarnation of God and the prophecized Mahdi,

who would one day return and bring justice to the world.[144] The faith further split from Ismailism as it developed

very unusual doctrines which often classes it separately from both Ismailiyyah and Islam. The second split

occurred following the death of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah in 487 AH (1094). His rule was the longest of any

caliph in any Islamic empires. Upon his passing away his sons, the older Nizar and the younger Al-

Musta'li fought for political and spiritual control of the dynasty. Nizar was defeated and jailed, but according to

Nizari tradition, his son escaped to Alamut where the Iranian Ismaili had accepted his claim.[145] From here on,

the Nizari Ismaili community has continued with a present, living Imam. The Mustaali line split again between

the Taiyabi (Dawoodi Bohra is main branch) and the Hafizi, the former claiming that At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim (son

of Al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah) and the imams following him went into a period of anonymity (Dawr-e-Satr) and

appointed a Da'i al-Mutlaq to guide the community, in a similar manner as the Ismaili had lived after the death

of Muhammad ibn Ismail. The latter (Hafizi) claimed that the ruling Fatimid Caliph was the Imam, and they died

out with the fall of the Fatimid Empire.

[edit]Pillars

Ismailis have categorized their practices which are known as seven pillars. They are as follow:

Walayah  (Guardianship)

Shia Shahada (Shia's Profession of Faith adding references to Ali to differ

from Islam's standard Shahada as testified by the majority of Muslims)[54]

Salah  (Prayer)

Zakāt  (Charity)

Sawm  (Fasting)

Hajj  (Pilgrimage)

Jihad  (Struggle)

[edit]Contemporary leadership

For Nizaris, there has been less of a scholarly institution because of the existence of a present Imam. The

Imam of the Age defines the jurisprudence, and may differ with Imams previous to him because of different

times and circumstances. For Nizari Ismailis the Imam is His Highness Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV. The

Nizari line of Imams has continued to this day as an unending line.

Divine leadership has continued in the Bohra branch through the institution of the "Unrestricted

Missionary" Dai. According to Bohra tradition, before the last Imam, At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, went into seclusion,

his father, the 20th Imam Al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah had instructed Al-Hurra Al-Malika the Malika (Queen consort)

in Yemen to appoint a vicegerent after the seclusion – the Unrestricted Missionary, who as the Imam's

vicegerent has full authority to govern the community in all matters both spiritual and temporal while the lineage

of Mustaali-Tayyibi Imams remain in seclusion (Dawr-e-Satr). The three branches of the Mustaali, the Alavi

Bohra, Sulaimani Bohra and Dawoodi Bohra, differ on who the current Unrestricted Missionary is.

[edit]Zaidi

Main article: Zaidiyyah

Zaidiyya, Zaidism or Zaydi is a Shia school named after Zayd ibn Ali. Followers of the Zaidi fiqh are called

Zaidis (or occasionally Fivers). However, there is also a group called Zaidi Wasītīs who are Twelvers (see

below). Zaidis constitute roughly 40–45% of Yemen.[146]

[edit]Doctrine

The Zaydis, Twelvers and Ismailis recognize the same first four Imams, however, the Zaidis recognise Zayd ibn

Ali as the fifth. After the time of Zayd ibn Ali, the Zaidis recognized that any descendant of Hasan ibn Ali or

Hussein ibn Ali could be Imam after fulfilling certain conditions.[147]Other well known Zaidi Imams in history

were Yahya ibn Zayd, Muhammad al-Nafs az-Zakiyah and Ibrahim ibn Abdullah. In matters of Islamic

jurisprudence, the Zaydis follow Zayd ibn Ali's teachings which are documented in his book Majmu'l

Fiqh (in Arabic: قه مجموعBالِف ). Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya, founder of the Zaydi state in Yemen, instituted

elements of the jurisprudential tradition of the Sunni Muslim jurist Abū Ḥ anīfa , and as a result, Zaydi

jurisprudence today continues to somewhat parallel that of the Hanafis.[citation needed]

The Zaidi doctrine of Imamah does not presuppose the infallibility of the Imam, nor that the Imams receive

divine guidance. Zaidis also do not believe that the Imamate must pass from father to son, but believe it can be

held by any Sayyid descended from either Hasan ibn Ali or Hussein ibn Ali (as was the case after the death of

Hasan ibn Ali). Historically, Zaidis held that Zayd was the rightful successor of the 4th Imam as he led a

rebellion against the Umayyads in protest of their tyranny and corruption. Muhammad al-Baqir did not engage

in political action and the followers of Zayd believed that a true Imam must fight against corrupt rulers.[citation needed]

[edit]Timeline

The Idrisids (Arabic: األدارسة) were Arab[148] Zaydi Shia[149][150][151][152][153][154] dynasty in the western Maghreb ruling

from 788 to 985 C.E., named after its first sultan, Idris I.

A Zaydi state was established in Gilan, Deylaman and Tabaristan (northern Iran) in 864 C.E. by the Alavids;

[155] it lasted until the death of its leader at the hand of the Samanids in 928 C.E. Roughly forty years later the

state was revived in Gilan and survived under Hasanid leaders until 1126 C.E. After which from the 12th-13th

centuries, the Zaydis of Deylaman, Gilan and Tabaristan then acknowledge the Zaydi Imams of Yemenor rival

Zaydi Imams within Iran.[156]

The Buyids were initially Zaidi[157] as well as the Banu Ukhaidhir rulers of al-Yamama in the 9th and 10th

centuries.[158] The leader of the Zaydi community took the title of Caliph. As such, the ruler of Yemen was

known as the Caliph, al-Hadi Yahya bin al-Hussain bin al-Qasim ar-RassiRassids (a descendant of Hasan ibn

Ali the son of Ali) who, at Sa'dah, in 893-7 CE, founded the Zaydi Imamate and this system continued until the

middle of the 20th century, when the revolution of 1962 CE that deposed the Zaydi Imam. The founding

Zaidism of Yemen was of theJarudiyya group, however with increasing interaction with Hanafi and Shafi'i rites

of Sunni Islam, there was a shift from the Jarudiyya group to the Sulaimaniyya, Tabiriyya, Butriyya or Salihiyya

groups.[159] Zaidis form the second dominant religious group in Yemen. Currently, they constitute about 40–45%

of the population in Yemen. Ja'faris and Isma'ilis are 2–5%.[160] In Saudi Arabia, it is estimated that there are

over 1 million Zaydis (primarily in the western provinces).[citation needed]

Currently the most prominent Zaydi movement is Houthis' movement known by the name of Shabab Al

Mu'mineen (Believing Youth) who have been the subject of an ongoing campaign against them by the Yemeni

Government in which the army has lost 743 men and thousands of innocent civilians have been killed or

displaced by government forces causing a grave humanitarian crisis in north Yemen.[161]

[edit]See also

List of extinct Shi'a sects

List of Shia books

List of Shi'a Muslim scholars of Islam

List of Shi'a Muslims

Shia Crescent

Nikah mut‘ah

Bada'

Rafida

Hosay

Hosay massacre

[edit]Notes

1. ^ a b c d e The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Jacob E. Safra, Chairman of the Board, 15th Edition,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-85229-6630, Vol 10, p. 738

2. ^ a b "The Term "Shia" in Quran and Hadith". Al-islam.org. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

3. ^ a b "Central Intelligence Agency". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

4. ^ a b "Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

5. ^ a b "Major Branches of Religions". Adherents.com. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

6. ^ a b "Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam." Oxford University Press, 2002

| ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p. 40

7. ̂  "From the article on Shii Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Oxfordislamicstudies.com.

Retrieved 2011-05-04.

8. ̂  Quran 2:30. “"I will create a vicegerent on earth."”,Quran 38:26. “"O David! We did indeed make

thee a vicegerent on earth"”, Quran 28:68. “"Thy Lord does create and choose as He pleases: no

choice have they (in the matter)"”

9. ̂  Sahih al-Bukhari, “"...The Prophet Muhammad said to 'Ali, "Will you not be pleased from this that

you are to me like Aaron was to Moses?"” 5:57:56, Quran 19:53. “And, out of Our Mercy, We gave

him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet.”

10. ̂  Tarikh at-Tabari, vol. 2, pp. 62-63; Tarikh al-Kamil, vol. 2, pp. 40-41; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal,

vol. 1, p. 111; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 13, pp. 210-212, "(Prophet Muhammad

said) Verily, he ('Ali) is my brother, the executor of my will and my successor among you. So, listen

to him and obey him."

11. ̂  Corbin (1993), pp. 45–51[Full citation needed]

12. ̂  Quran 2:124. “And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which

he fulfilled: He said: "I will make thee an Imam to the Nations." He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from

my offspring!" He answered: "But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers."”

13. ̂  Quran 32:23–24. “We did indeed aforetime give the Book to Moses: be not then in doubt of its

reaching (thee): and We made it a guide to the Children of Israel. And We appointed, from among

them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and

continued to have faith in Our Signs.”

14. ̂  Quran 2:247. “Their Prophet said to them: "Allah hath appointed Talut as king over you." They

said: "How can he exercise authority over us when we are better fitted than he to exercise authority,

and he is not even gifted, with wealth in abundance?" He said: "Allah hath Chosen him above you,

and hath gifted him abundantly with knowledge and bodily prowess: Allah Granteth His authority to

whom He pleaseth. Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things."”

15. ̂  "The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions," Brandon Toropov, Father Luke Buckles, Alpha;

3rd edition, 2004, ISBN 978-1-59257-222-9, p. 135

16. ̂  "Shi'ite Islam" by Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (1979), pp. 41–44

17. ̂  Sunan ibn Majah, Hadith No.118, It was narrated that ibn Umar said: The Messenger of God

(s.w.s) said; "Hasan and Husain will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise,and their father is better

than them"

18. ̂  Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 62,82, v3, pp 3,64, v5, p391

19. ̂  Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, p660, on the authority of Abu Sa'id and Hudhayfa

20. ̂  Usool Kafi; Muhammad bin Yaqoob Kulaini; Vol. 1 Tradition 525

21. ̂  Baqar Qarshi, 'Hayat al Imam al Hasan bin Ali', Najaf, Matba' al Adaab, 1973, vol.1, p.103

22. ̂  Motahhari, Perfect man, Chapter 1

23. ̂  How do Sunnis and Shi'as differ theologically? Last updated 2009-08-19, BBC religions

24. ̂  Al-Kifayah, by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, pg. 46, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1988,

"Allah and his Prophet declared the Companions to be upright and trustworthy, and, therefore, there

is no need to investigate their reliability, however, one must investigate the condition of those after

them"

25. ̂  Momen, Moojan, Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.174.

26. ̂  Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures retrieved 24 April 2011

27. ̂  Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p.40

28. ̂  Duncan S. Ferguson, (2010), Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions, p.192

29. ̂  Quran 37:83

30. ̂  The Term "Shia" in Quran and Hadith

31. ̂  "Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p.40

32. ^ a b c d e f g h "Shīʿite". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-25.

33. ̂  Tabataba'i (1979), p. 76

34. ̂  "Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p. 45.

35. ^ a b Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p. 45

36. ^ a b Religion in Bahrain

37. ^ a b Challenges For Saudi Arabia Amidst Protests In The Gulf – Analysis

38. ̂  "Learn to do Shia Prayer - Islamic Prayer - Shia Salat". Revertmuslims.com. Retrieved 2011-05-

04.

39. ̂  "Joining Prayers and Other related Issues". Al-islam.org. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

40. ̂  "Druze and Islam". American Druze.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.

41. ̂  "Ijtihad in Islam". AlQazwini.org. Retrieved 2010-08-12.

42. ̂  "Shi'ite Islam," by Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, translated by Sayyid Husayn

Nasr, State University of New York Press, 1975, p. 24

43. ̂  Dakake (2008), pp. 1 and 2

44. ̂  In his "Mutanabbi devant le siècle ismaëlien de l'Islam", in Mém. de l'Inst Français de Damas,

1935, p.

45. ̂  "Comparison of Shias and Sunnis". Religionfacts.com. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

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p. 525

47. ̂  "Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p. 46

48. ̂  The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Jacob E. Safra, Chairman of the Board, 15th Edition,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-85229-6630, Vol 22, p. 17.

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50. ̂  The Last Sermon of Muhammad by Shia Accounts

51. ̂  The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Jacob E. Safra, Chairnman of the Board, 15th Edition,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-85229-6630, Vol 10, p. 738

52. ̂  The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Jacob E. Safra, Chairman of the Board, 15th Edition,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1998, ISBN 0-85229-6630, Vol 10, p. tid738

53. ̂  "Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxfoy uprd University Press,

2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p. 46

54. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of the Middle East". Mideastweb.org. 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

55. ̂  Designation of Ali as successor to Muhammad www.al-islam.org

56. ̂  Discovering Islam: making sense of Muslim history and society (2002) Akbar S. Ahmed

57. ̂  Religious trends in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, By Ghulam Mustafa (Hafiz.), Pg 11, Author writes:

Similarly, swords were also placed on the Idols, as it is related that Harith b. Abi Shamir, the

Ghassanid king, had presented his two swords, called Mikhdham and Rasub, to the image of the

goddess, Manat....to note that the famous sword of 'Ali, the fourth caliph, called Dhu-al-Fiqar, was

one of these two swords

58. ̂  Nasr (1979), p.10

59. ^ a b Momen (1985), p. 174

60. ̂  Corbin 1993, pp. 45-51

61. ̂  Nasr (1979), p. 15

62. ^ a b Gleave, Robert. "Imamate". Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1.

MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-865604-0.

63. ̂  KALMA, Encyclopaedia of Ismailism, by Mumtaz Ali Tajddin.

64. ̂  Dabashi, Theology of Discontent, p.463

65. ̂  Quran 33:33

66. ̂  Momen (1985), p. 155

67. ̂  Corbin (1993), pp. 48 and 49

68. ̂  Dabashi (2006), p. 463

69. ̂  Corbin (1993), p. 48

70. ̂  Sunni Hanbali Position from Islam Tomorrow

71. ̂  "Tawassul through the awliyah". Islamic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

72. ̂  See:

Lapidus p. 47

Holt p. 72

73. ̂  Nasr, Shi'ite Islam, preface, pp. 9 and 10

74. ̂  Momen, Moojan, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.123

75. ̂  Momen, Moojan, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.191, 130

76. ̂  Nasr, Vali (2006). The Shia revival : how conflicts within Islam will shape the future. New York:

Norton. p. 69. ISBN 9780393062113

77. ̂  Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam : the history and doctrines of Twelver

Shi'ism. Oxford: G. Ronald. p. 127.ISBN 0853982015

78. ̂  Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam : the history and doctrines of Twelver

Shi'ism. Oxford: G. Ronald. p. 222.ISBN 0853982015

79. ̂  Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam : the history and doctrines of Twelver

Shi'ism. Oxford: G. Ronald. p. 204.ISBN 0853982015

80. ̂  Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam : the history and doctrines of Twelver

Shi'ism. Oxford: G. Ronald. p. 115.ISBN 0853982015

81. ̂  Momen, Moojan (1985). An introduction to Shi'i Islam : the history and doctrines of Twelver

Shi'ism. Oxford: G. Ronald. p. 116.ISBN 0853982015

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129. ̂  "Religious Minorities in the Muslim World". Iml.jou.ufl.edu. 2005-04-01. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

130. ̂  "A History of Islam from a Baha'i Perspective". Bahai-library.com. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

131. ̂  Česky. "Ismailism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

132. ̂  "A" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-05-04.

133. ̂  Vincent J. Cornell (2007), Voices of Islam: Voices of tradition, p.237

134. ̂  Shiite doctorine Encyclopedia Iranica Retrieved 2011-07-08

135. ̂  Joanne Richter, (2006), Iran the Culture, p.7]

136. ̂  Mulla Bashir Rahim, An Introduction to Islam, by Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project

137. ̂  Nasr (1979), p. 10

138. ̂  Iran the Culture Joanne Richter (2007), p.7

139. ̂  "Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i". Retrieved 2007-04-25.

140. ̂  Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p. 76

141. ̂  "Congressional Human Rights Caucus Testimony   – NAJRAN, The Untold Story" . Retrieved 2007-

01-08.

142. ̂  "News Summary: China; Latvia". Retrieved 2007-06-01.

143. ̂  Daftary, Farhad (1998). A Short History of the Ismailis. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University

Press. pp. 1–4. ISBN 0-7486-0687-4.

144. ̂  "al-Hakim bi Amr Allah: Fatimid Caliph of Egypt". Retrieved 2007-04-24.

145. ̂  Daftary, Farhad (1998). A Short History of the Ismailis. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University

Press. pp. 106–108. ISBN 0-7486-0687-4.

146. ̂  http://www.yemenincanada.ca/map.php[dead

link],http://www.library.uu.nl/wesp/populstat/Asia/yemeng.htm[dead link]

147. ̂  Sunni-Shi’i Schism: Less There Than Meets the Eye 1991 Page 24

148. ̂  Hodgson, Marshall (1961), Venture of Islam, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 262

149. ̂  Ibn Abī Zarʻ al-Fāsī, ʻAlī ibn ʻAbd Allāh (1340), Raw ḍ al-Qir ṭ ās: Anīs al-Mu ṭ rib bi-Rawd al-Qir ṭ ās fī

Akhbār Mulūk al-Maghrib wa-Tārīkh Madīnat Fās, ar-Rabāṭ: Dār al-Manṣūr (published 1972), pp. 38

150. ̂  http://hespress.com/?browser=view&EgyxpID=5116

151. ̂  Introduction to Islamic theology and law, By Ignác Goldziher, Bernard Lewis, pg.218

152. ̂  Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, Part 24, By James Hastings, pg.844

153. ̂  The Idrisids

154. ̂  Shi'ah tenets concerning the question of the imamate

155. ̂  Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi, A short History of the Yemenite Shi‘ites (2005) Referencing:

Iranian Influence on Moslem Literature

156. ̂  Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi, A short History of the Yemenite Shi‘ites (2005) Referencing:

Encyclopedia Iranica

157. ̂  Walker, Paul Ernest (1999), written at London ; New York, Hamid Al-Din Al-Kirmani: Ismaili

Thought in the Age of Al-Hakim, Ismaili Heritage Series, 3, I.B. Tauris in association with the

Institute of Ismaili Studies., pp. 13, ISBN 1860643213

158. ̂  Madelung, W. "al-Uk ̲ h ̲ ay ḍ ir."  Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E.

Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 07 December

2007(registration required)

159. ̂  Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi, A short History of the Yemenite Shi'ites (2005)

160. ̂  "Universiteit Utrecht Universiteitsbibliotheek". Library.uu.nl. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

161. ̂  Shia Population of the Middle East

[edit]References

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online . Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc..

Encyclopædia Iranica . Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia

University. ISBN 1-56859-050-4.

Martin, Richard C.. Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1.

MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-865604-0.

Corbin, Henry  (1993 (original French 1964)). History of Islamic Philosophy,

Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard. London; Kegan Paul

International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili

Studies. ISBN 0710304161.

Dakake, Maria Massi (2008). The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in

Early Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 0791470334.

Holt, P. M.; Bernard Lewis (1977a). Cambridge History of Islam, Vol. 1.

Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521291364.

Lapidus, Ira (2002). A History of Islamic Societies (2nd ed.). Cambridge

University Press. ISBN 978-0521779333.

Momen, Moojan (1985). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and

Doctrines of Twelve. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300035314.

Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein  (1988). The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil)

in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite

Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195119150.

Tabatabaei, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn ; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator)

(1979). Shi'ite Islam. Suny press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3.

[edit]Further reading

Peter J. Chelkowski (ed.), Eternal Performance: Taziyah and Other Shiite

Rituals (Salt lake City (UT), Seagull Books, 2010) (Seagull Books -

Enactments).

Corbin, Henry  (1993). History of Islamic Philosophy, translated by Liadain

Sherrard and Philip Sherrard. Kegan Paul International in association with

Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0710304161.

Halm, Heinz (2004). Shi'ism. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0748618880.

Halm, Heinz (2007). The Shi'ites: A Short History. Markus Wiener

Pub. ISBN 1558764372.

Lalani, Arzina R. (2000). Early Shi'i Thought: The Teachings of Imam

Muhammad Al-Baqir. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 1860644341.

Momen, Moojan (1985). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and

Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism. Yale University Press.ISBN 0300034997.

Shirazi, Sultanu'l-Wa'izin. Peshawar Nights, A Transcript of a Dialogue

between Shia and Sunni scholars. Ansariyan Publications.ISBN 978-

9644383205.

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein ; Hamid Dabashi (1989). Expectation of the Millennium:

Shiʻism in History. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-88706-843-X.

Rogerson, Barnaby (2007). The Heirs of Muhammad: Islam's First Century

and the Origins of the Sunni Shia split. Overlook Press.ISBN 1585678961.

Wollaston, Arthur N. (2005). The Sunnis and Shias. Kessinger

Publishing. ISBN 1425479162.

Moosa, Matti (1988). Extremist Shiites: The Ghulat Sects. Syracuse University

Press. ISBN 0815624115.

[edit]External links

YaHusain.com, Shia Website with informative lectures in English & Urdu

Islamic - Shia Website

Al-Islam.org, A Digital Islamic Library

Shiite Muslim Ashura

A Shi'i/Sunni debate

“The Shia Crescent”  Rise of Shias in 21st century

Patheos Library – Shi'a Islam

Shia Source

Imam Al-Khoei Foundation  (Twelver)

Official Website of Nizari Ismaili  (Ismaili)

Official Website of Alavi Bohra  (Ismaili)

Dawoodi Bohra  (Ismaili)

The Institute of Ismaili Studies  (Ismaili)

Shia  at the Open Directory Project

Institute for Interreligious Dialogue , Tehran

al-shia.org  Aalulbayt Global Informations Center

Majlis Videos [show]v · d · e

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[show]v · d · eShi'a Islam in Africa

[show]v · d · eIslam topics

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Shi'a Islam

Shi'a Islam Overview

Shi'a Islam Origins

Shi'a Islam History

Shi'a Islam Beliefs

Shi'a Islam Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism

Shi'a Islam Ethics, Morality, Community

Shi'a Islam Quick Facts

Formed 632 CE

Origin Middle East

Search Patheos.com

Followers 150,000,000

Deity Allah

Sacred Texts Qur'an (Nahjul Balagha)

Headquarters None

Shi'a Islam

Shi'a Islam Overview

Author

Anna Akasoy

Shia Muslims account for approximately 15 percent of the total Muslim population in the world. Shia has the greatest

influence in the contemporary world in Iran where nearly 90 percent of Muslims are Shia, but Shia are also the majority in

Iraq, Bahrain, and Yemen. The division between the Shia and Sunni is rooted in disputes over the proper succession of

leadership after the death of the Prophet Mohammed in 632 C.E. The Shia maintain that the rightful successor of the

Prophet was his son-in-law Ali, and that leadership of and authority in the community was then passed to a council of

twelve scholars (called the ulema, or Imams), the last of whom, Imam Madhi, mysteriously disappeared but will reappear to

lead the Shia to victory in the future. The Imam is regarded by Shia Muslims to be both a political leader and a special kind

of being, one who is without sin and whose doctrinal positions (and pronouncements) are infallible. Although Shia and Sunni

Muslims agree on many doctrinal and ritual matters, the Shia hold past Imams and saints in particularly high regard. The

most important of these figures are memorialized by often elaborate tombs, which have become important pilgrimage

places and objects of devotion. Shia put particular emphasis on the death of Ali; he was assassinated in 661, in Najaf, Iraq,

which has become an important place of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims. Another very significant figure is Husayn, who was

murdered in Karbala (Iraq) in 680; Shia commemorate this event each year on Ashura, a day of mourning recognized

throughout the Shia world, and, particularly, by pilgrims to Karbala.

Shi'a Islam Origins

Shi'a Islam Beginnings

The origins of Shiism lie in the disagreement about the succession of Muhammad in the 7th century, when the 'Party of Ali'

supported the prophet's son-in-law. The First Civil War (656-661 C.E.) cemented the divisions within the young Muslim

community.

Shi'a Islam Influences

Early Shiism reflects, like all of Islam, the political and religious culture of late antiquity. Its more distinctive features may

be attributed to its southern Arabian and non-Arab supporters in Kufa and their traditions of charismatic leadership.

Shi'a Islam Founders

Ali and his son Husayn, who was killed by the Umayyads in Karbala, are the most prominent historical figures in Shiite

salvation history.

Shi'a Islam Scriptures

In addition to the Quran, Shiites consult traditions of the prophet as transmitted by their own authorities. Shiite approaches

to the Islamic scripture, the Quran, differ from Sunnis in two respects: the integrity of the preserved text and exegetical

methods, with a strong esoteric tendency characterizing Shiite interpretations.

Shi'a Islam Historical Perspectives

Shiism developed over several centuries, but few, if any, sources remain that give an accurate impression of the earliest

days. Later developments reflect often negotiated narratives. Furthermore, Shiite-majority Iran has often been incorrectly

used as a paradigm for all of Shiism.

Shi'a Islam History

Shi'a Islam Early Developments

In the aftermath of Husayn's defeat in Karbala, several rebellions with Shiite associations took place in Iraq against the

Umayyads. In 750, the Abbasid revolution ended Umayyad rule, but the Shiite demands for an Alid on the throne were not

met.

Shi'a Islam Schisms, Sects

Internal disagreements among Shiites developed mostly in the 9th and 10th centuries and concern the line of succession,

the nature of the Hidden Imam, and activist or quietist attitudes regarding political life.

Shi'a Islam Exploration, Conquest, Empire (incl. violence, persecution)

The most significant change in the development of Shiism in the early modern period took place when the Safavids, initially

a Sunni Sufi order, converted to Shiism, conquered Iran, and forced the population to Shiism. Under the Safavids, the

scholars gained more and more power, a development that culminated in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Shi'a Islam Missions, Spread, Changes, Regional Adaptations

Shiite learning and public religiosity flourished from the 10th to the 11th century, when two Shiite dynasties in particular

ruled over large parts of the Islamic world: the Buyids over Iran and Iraq and the Ismaili Fatimids over North Africa and

Egypt.

Shi'a Islam Modern Age

Shiites in the modern world experience very different living conditions. Sectarian identities are often crucial for political

allegiances.

Shi'a Islam Beliefs

Shi'a Islam Sacred Narratives

Shiite sacred narratives often concern the family of Muhammad, most notably Ali, Husayn, and Fatima. Another set of

stories concerns the Imams, who were eventually considered infallible, and the return of the Twelfth Imam, known as the

Mahdi.

Shi'a Islam Ultimate Reality and Divine Beings

Shiites share many beliefs regarding God with the Sunnis, but also believe in the Imams as entities in between God and

mankind. The Neoplatonic trend is particularly pronounced in intellectual Ismailism.

Shi'a Islam

Shiite theologians discussed the nature of God and its implications for human nature (such as the problem of free will)

along similar lines as rationalist Sunni theologians. A common prominent tendency of Shiite and Sufi thought are esoteric

and holistic views of humankind as part of the created world.

Shi'a Islam Suffering and the Problem of Evil

Suffering and martyrdom are important elements of Shiite thought and religious culture. They form a crucial part in Shiite

salvation history and serve as a spiritual perspective and moral ideal.

Shi'a Islam Afterlife and Salvation

Shiite Islam has an elaborate apocalyptic vision with the Mahdi as the key protagonist. After the Resurrection, people will

be judged according to their deeds and rewarded or punished in paradise or hell. Unlike Sunnis, Shiites acknowledge the

possibility of intercession through the Imams.

Shi'a Islam Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism

Shi'a Islam Sacred Time

In addition to the common Muslim events connected with the pilgrimage and fasting in Ramadan, Shiites commemorate

Husayn's martyrdom and other events in early Islamic history such as Muhammad's appointment of Ali as his successor at

Ghadir Khumm.

Shi'a Islam Sacred Space

Apart from mosques, the most important sacred spaces for Shiites are the shrines of the Imams located mostly in Iran and

Iraq, which believers visit during pilgrimages. They have received patronage from rulers and often become important

centers of learning.

Shi'a Islam Rites and Ceremonies

The most distinctive Shiite rituals are the Muharram passion plays (taziyah), during which Shiites remember the martyrdom

of Husayn. The elaborate theatrical forms of these ceremonies developed in Qajar Iran.

Shi'a Islam Worship and Devotion in Daily Life

Important forms of worship and devotion in daily life include following the regulations of Islamic law and the examples of

the Imams.

Shi'a Islam Symbolism

In addition to the symbols used during the Muharram rituals, Shiites display symbols in everyday contexts that allude to the

members of the house of the Prophet.

Shi'a Islam Ethics, Morality, Community

Shi'a Islam Leadership/Clergy

While Shiite religious scholars have been quietists for centuries, the Islamic Revolution in Iran put these scholars in the

position of great authority. This was the culmination of a longer development, in which scholars gradually assumed the

prerogatives of the Hidden Imam.

Shi'a Islam Community Organization and Structure

Shiites are part of the same community as Sunnis, but the relationship remains controversial. Important institutions within

the Shiite community include the scholars, guilds, and, in the modern world, political parties and militias.

Shi'a Islam Principles of Moral Thought and Action

Shiites find guidance in the Quran, in law, and in the sacred narratives around the family of the prophet and the Imams.

The branches within Shiism have held different views regarding the need for political action in different historical epochs.

Shi'a Islam Vision for Society

While all Shiites tend to consider current conditions as unjust and expect the restoration of justice from the Mahdi, they

differ regarding their own duty and possibilities to improve the here and now.

Shi'a Islam Gender and Sexuality

The protagonists of Shiite sacred narratives are often used to promote ideals of gender behavior. These differ according to

historical period and geographical region. Shiite law differs from Sunni law by allowing temporary marriage for the sake of

pleasure.

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