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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
This article contains Arabic
text, written from right to
left in a cursive style with
some letters joined. Without
properrendering support, you
may see unjoined Arabic
letters written left-to-right
instead of right-to-left or
other symbols instead
of Arabic script.
[hide]
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
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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
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65. ̂ Quran 33:33
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68. ̂ Dabashi (2006), p. 463
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[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
Shi'a Islam in Asia
[show]v · d · eShi'a Islam in Africa
[show]v · d · eIslam topics
[show]v · d · eTheology
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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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