Shi'a Islam

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See also

Vocabulary of Islam Index of articles on Islam

Shi'a Islam or Shi`ism (from the Arabic word شيعة, Persian: شیعه) is the second largest denomination of the religion of Islam. Shi'a Muslims adhere to what they consider the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt (family). Thus, unlike Sunni Muslims, Shi'as reject the rule of the initial three Caliphs as Sunni reject the Imamate of the Shia 12 Imams. The singular/adjective form is shi`i (Arabic: شيعي.) and refers to a supporter of the Ahlul Bayt and of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Imam Ali) in particular.

Etymology

The term Shi'a comes from the Arabic word شيعة Shi'a. The singular/adjective form of this name is Arabic shi`i شيعي.

"Shi'a" is the short form of the historic phrase shi`at `Ali شيعة علي, meaning "the advocates of Ali". Sunni and Shi'a sources trace the term to Muhammad himself. The phrase Shi'a of Ali was historically a title given by Muhammad and later by his descendants in praise of Ali's followers and that of the Ahlul Bayt. (See Shi'a etymology.)

Overview

Shi'a Muslims believe that Muhammad's family (the 12 Imams) were the best source of knowledge about the Quran, Islam and Emulation, and the most trusted carriers and protectors of Muhammad's Sunnah (traditions) due to many emphasized sayings by him. Ali was Muhammad's cousin, son-in-law, father of his only descendants and the male head of the Ahlul Bayt. After Muhammad's passing, Ali claimed succession in religious and political authority, supported by his family and followers. Shi'as believe that by Muhammad direct order he appointed him successor on many occasions, that he was the rightful leader of the Muslims after Mohammad's passing, and that to follow Muhammad's true Sunnah one must support Ali's successorship.

Shi'as reject the rule of the initial three caliphs who proclaimed leadership after Muhammad's passing, believing them illegitimate and inferior to Muhammad's family in all respects. The caliphs are followed by Sunni Muslims, who believe Muhammad did not choose a successor, and that the caliphs were elected according to what they condsider Muhammad's instruction of consultation ( Shura). Thus they reject what they called dynastic rights to religious authority that Shi'as attribute to Muhammad's family. The first caliph, Abu Bakr was chosen after Muhammad's passing at a meeting he had at the saqifah with Umar, another companion of Mohammad. This claim to succession was disputed by Ali, the Banu Hashim whom he headed, and many other supporters.

This difference between following the Ahlul Bayt (Muhammad's family) and Sahaba (Muhammad's companions) has shaped Shi'a and Sunni views on some of the Quran, the hadith, personalities in Islamic history, and more. Hadith that Shi'a accept as authentic have a high proportion of narrators from the Ahl al-Bayt, while hadith Sunnis accept do not.

Regardless of the dispute about the Caliphate, Shi'as regard highly the concept of Imamate, also called Khalifa Ilahi (divinely chosen successorship to Muhammad in terms of teaching the Quran, its meaning, the Shariah and the guides to the right practice of the Quranic faith).

Demographics

See Demographics of Islam. Present estimates, which are generally based on statistics from the 1980s, indicate that some 77% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 23% are Shi'a.

One of the lingering problems in estimating the Shi'a population is that unless the Shi'a form a significant minority in a Muslim country, the entire population is often listed as Sunni. The reverse, however, has not been held true, which may contribute to imprecise estimates of the size of each sect.

A large portion of the world's Shi'a live in the Middle East. They constitute a majority or a plurality in countries such as in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Bahrain.

The bulk of petroleum deposits in the Middle East are located under Shi'a-inhabited lands (including Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan). A vast majority of the populations of Persian Gulf countries (including Iran and Iraq) is also Shi'a.

The 1926 rise of the House of Saud in Arabia, brought official discrimination against Shi'a. The Shi'a-majority provinces of Hasa, Qatif and Hufuf on the Persian Gulf, and western Arabia provinces of Jazan, Asir and Hijaz, that had large Shi'a minorities, have officially been completely stripped of their religious identities. Shi'a endure much bigotry and other indignities from Saudi authorities daily and Shi'a pilgrims from other countries are often singled out for harassment (see Status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia).

Turkey, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India, also hold significant Shi'a minorities. Among smaller Persian Gulf states, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have significant Shi'a minorities, as do the Eastern Province and other regions of Saudi Arabia. Shi'as are also found in some numbers in southeast Asia, from Vietnam (the Cham people) to Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Doctrines

Main doctrines

Shi'a believe in doctrines included in the Sunni five pillars of Islam but categorize them differently. Shi'a beliefs include the following:

Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)

• Tawhīd (Oneness): The Oneness of God
• Adalah (Justice): The Justice of God
• Nubuwwah (Prophethood): God has appointed perfect and infallible prophets and messengers to teach mankind the religion (that is, a perfect system of how to live in "peace".)
• Imamah (Leadership): God has appointed specific leaders to lead and guide mankind — a prophet appoints a custodian of the religion before his demise.
• Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment): God will raise mankind for Judgment

Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn)

• Salat—called "Namaaz" in Persian (Prayer) – performing the five daily prayers
• Sawm (Fast) – fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan
• Hajj (Pilgrimage) – performing the pilgrimage to Mecca
• Zakat (Poor-rate) – paying the poor-tax
• Khums (One-fifth) – paying another tax
• Jihad (Struggle) – struggling to please God. The greater, or internal Jihad is the struggle against the evil within one's soul in every aspect of life. The lesser, or external, Jihad is the struggle against the evil of one's environment in every aspect of life.
• Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf – commanding what is good
• Nahi-Anil-Munkar – forbidding what is evil
• Tawalla – loving the Ahlul Bayt and their followers
• Tabarra – dissociating oneself from the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt

Additional doctrines

Shi'a have many other doctrines that are shared with other Muslims, like wearing of the Hijab. However, some are seen as more predominently used by Shi'as, like "Dissimulation" (Arabic: Taqiyya), which is the dissimulation of one’s religious beliefs when one fears for one's life, the lives of one's family members, or for the preservation of the faith, and "Fixed time marriages" (Arabic Nikah Mut'ah). The latter two sometimes are seen as controversial practices.

Misconceptions

There are widespread misconceptions about the Shi'a doctrines, regarding how and why Shi'as uphold them.

Denominations

The Shi'a of the present day are divided into denominations based on their beliefs regarding the sequence of the imams.

• Most Shi'a are Twelvers — they recognize twelve imams.

1. Ali ibn Abu Talib ( 600– 661), also known as Ali Amir al Mo'mineen
2. Hasan ibn Ali ( 625– 669), also known as Hasan al Mujtaba
3. Husayn ibn Ali ( 626– 680), also known as Husayn al Shaheed
4. Ali ibn Husayn ( 658– 713), also known as Ali Zainul Abideen
5. Muhammad ibn Ali ( 676– 743), also known as Muhammad al Baqir
6. Jafar ibn Muhammad ( 703– 765), also known as Jafar as Sadiq
7. Musa ibn Jafar ( 745– 799), also known as Musa al Kazim
8. Ali ibn Musa ( 765– 818), also known as Ali ar Ridha
9. Muhammad ibn Ali ( 810– 835), also known as Muhammad al Jawad ( Muhammad at Taqi)
10. Ali ibn Muhamad ( 827– 868), also known as Ali al Naghi
11. Hasan ibn Ali ( 846– 874), also known as Hasan al Askari
12. Muhammad ibn Hasan ( 868—), also known as Muhammad al Mahdi mahdaviat shiia 12 imami also called mahdaviun.

The twelfth imam, the Mahdi ("the guided one"), has been occluded (in Ghaibah; "hidden away" by God). He is still alive, and will return. Beliefs vary as to what will happen when he returns. It is generally believed that he will be accompanied by Jesus and will affirm Muhammad's message from God to mankind.

There are three schools of Twelver Shi'a: the Usuli (to which the majority of Twelvers belong) and two minor schools, the Akhbari and the Shaykhi.

• There are several groups of Ismailis, which include Sevener Shi'as, Dawoodi Bhoras, Alavi Bhoras, and the Nizari Ismailis, the second largest group of Shi'a. They accept Jafar as Sadiq's eldest son Ismail as the next imam.

• Fiver Shi'as, also called Zaidis, are found mostly in Yemen. They accept as imams:

1. Ali ibn Abi Talib
2. Hasan ibn Ali
3. Husayn ibn Ali
4. Ali ibn Husayn
5. Zayd ibn Ali rather than Muhammad al Baqir

Zaidis reject the notion of divinely appointed imams.

Not All Zaidis believe that Zaid is the true Imam. Zaidis known as Wasitis believe in Twelver imams and are part of the Shi'a Ithna Asharia. Most of them settled in India and Pakistan. The biggest group is called Saadat-e-Bara. Saadat means descendents of Muhammad and Bara means twelve in the Hindi and Urdu languages. Saadat-e-Bara's biggest gathering is in Karachi, Pakistan and Muzaffarnagar, India.

Status of a Shi'a Imam

Shi'ism holds that the Imamate is one of the fundamentals of Islam (A part of the Usul-Ad-din) and that one should follow the Imams of Ahlul Bayt, before following Muhammad. The Shi'a believe that the Imams of Ahlul Bayt are infallible, they are the perfect example for mankind, and like the prophets, they should be emulated in acts and deeds. Shi'as believe that the Imams of Ahlul Bayt carry the divinely appointed responsibility of protecting Islam and enacting the example of the pure Sunnah of Muhammad. The Imams of Ahlul Bayt have guided Muslims throughout history, in many cases under the most horrible circumstances and under the most severe forms of discrimination due to the cruel policies of the reigning governments' of the time. They are seen as uncorruptable role models for Muslims that have shown the way of goodness and prosperity in this world and the next in the best way until their martyrdom or occultation.

Role of religious scholars

Shi'a Muslims believe that the study of Islamic literature is a continual process, and is necessary for identifying all of God's laws. Unlike Sunni Muslims, Shi'a Muslims believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and the Shi'a traditions with the same authority as their predecessors: that the door to ijtihad was never closed.

Shi'a and Sunni traditions

While Shi'a and Sunni accept the same sacred text, the Qur'an, they differ somewhat in their approach to recorded oral tradition, or hadith. Shi'a believe that the split between the Shi'a and Sunni began with Muhammad's death, when a small number of Muslims supported the successorship of Ali and the rest accepted Abu Bakr, then Umar and Uthman. They believe that the successorship was given to Ali at Ghadir Khum (a hadith accepted by both Sunni and Shi'a scholars), and that the testimony that can be traced back to reliable sources is to be trusted, while traditions that cannot be fully verified are suspect. Sunni generally accept the hadith collections of Bukhari and Sahih Muslim as sahih (trustworthy), and only accept hadiths from these books if they are consistent with their own collections or that can be reliably verified through ijtihad (independent interpetation of legal sources).

It is reported that Ali remembered that hadith in the Battle of Sifin when a huge faction deserted his troops called Kharijites, so he decided to fight them instead because they did not fit Muhammad's description. He divided his troops and ordered them to catch the dissenters before they reach major cities and disperse.

Because Islamic law is based on the hadith, Shia rejection of some Sunni hadith and Sunni rejection of some shia hadith means that the versions of the law differ somewhat. For example, while both Shi'a and Sunni pray Friday (Jum'a) prayers, prayer times differ, their prayer times differ for there is no set time for Asr and Ishaa prayers (disputed amongst various Sunni schools of thought as well). Some Shi'a also practice temporary marriages, or mut'a which can be contracted for months or even days (Mut'a was practiced by Sunni until outlawed by Omar, the Second Caliph), and follow different inheritance laws.

Collections of Hadiths from Shi'a sources include

• Usul al-Kafi
• Bihar ul Anwar

The Ja'fari Shi'ites consider Sunnah to be the oral traditions of Muhammad and the Imams. Al-Kafi by Kolayni, in Tabatabai's words is "the most trustworthy and celebrated work of hadith in the shi'ite world. and it have near to 4000 authentic hadith from a total of 16000 hadith according to Ayatollah Sayed Ali al-Sistani

Religious calendar

All Muslims, Sunni or Shi'a, celebrate the following annual holidays:

• Eid ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر), which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan and falls on the first day of Shawwal.

• Eid ul-Adha, which marks the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah, starts on the 10th day of Dhul Hijja.

The following days are celebrated by Shi'a only, unless otherwise noted:

• The Festival of Muharram and Ashurah (عاشوراء) for Shi'a commemorates Imam Husayn bin Ali's martyrdom. It is a day of deep mourning. Sunnis do not ascribe religious significance to Hussayn's martyrdom, but for them this is a day of voluntary fasting with a day either preceding it or following it, in remembrance of the salvation of Moses and his followers (the Jewish people) from the Pharaoh and his army. Ashurah occurs on the 10th of Muharram.

• Arba'een commemorates the suffering of the women and children of Imam Husayn's household. After Husayn was killed, they were marched over the desert, from Karbala (central Iraq) to Shaam ( Damascus, Syria). Many children died of thirst and exposure along the route. Arba'een occurs on the 20th of Safar, 40 days after Ashurah.

• Milad al-Nabi, Muhammad's birth date, is celebrated by Shi'a on the 17th of Rabbi al-Awwal, which coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Sunnis consider Muhammad's birth date to be the 12th of Rabbi al-Awwal but many Sunnis do not consider this day religiously significant.

• Mid of Shaban is the birth date of the 12th and final imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. It is celebrated by Twelvers on the 15th of Shaban. Many Shi'a fast on this day to show gratitude.

• Eid al-Ghadeer celebrates Ghadir Khum, the occasion when Shi'a believe Muhammad announced Ali's imamate before a multitude of Muslims. Eid al-Ghadeer is held on the 18th of Dhil-Hijjah.

• Al-Mubahila celebrates a meeting between the household of Muhammad and a Christian deputation from Najran. Al-Mubahila is held on the 24th of Dhil-Hijjah.

History of the Shi'a

History of Shi'a-Sunni relations

Shi'a and Sunni historians record that many Shi'as have been persecuted, intimidated, and killed, through what Shi'a consider a coup d'état against Ali's caliphate. In the past, some Sunni scholars (belonging to the Salafi's sect) are known to have openly considered the Shi'a as " Kafir" (disbelievers). This was mainly fueled by misunderstanding Shi'a concepts such as Taqiyya, Muta, and the Shi'a point of view regarding Ali, Umar, and other companions.

However, many Sunni scholars of recent history have become more tolerant towards Shi'a Muslims and some have promoted unity, others have not. Yet within Shiism, it has always been stressed to seek unity among the majority. Organizations such as the Shi'a Lebanese Hezbollah have increased popularity of Shi'a among Sunnis and are seen as a credible organization and in many cases praised by both ideological parties.

Modern mainstream Sunni have also become less confrontational. The renowned al-Azhar Theological school in Egypt, for example, one of the main centers of Sunni scholarship in the world, announced the al-Azhar Shia Fatwa on July 6, 1959:

"The Shi'a is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought."

Today, both Shi'a and Sunni students graduate and study at the Al-Azhar university.

Major centers of Shi'a scholarship

Shi'a texts

• Nahj al Balagha; the sermons and letters of Ali, compiled by Seyyed Razi ^Online
• Tafsir al-Mizan; Alternative Comentary on Quran by Allama Tabatabai
• Sahifa-e-Kamila; book of prayers by Zain-ul-Abideen, the 4rth Imam of Shi'a
• Sahifa-e-Alaviya; book of prayers by Ali, the 1st Imam of Shi'a
• Sahifa-e-Mehdi(atfs); book of prayers by the last Imam of Shi'a
• Mafatih al-janan; a collection of prayers.
• Usul al-Kafi; a collection of hadiths by Muhammad Ya'qub Kulainy
• Bihar ul Anwar; a collection of hadith by Allama Majlesi
• Peshwar Nights; the transcript of a series of discussions between Shi'a and Sunni scholars
• And Then I Was Guided - by Sayed Muhammad al-Tijani - ^Online

• List of Islamic texts

Online Shi'a references:

• The Origins and Early Development of Shi'a Islam by S.H.M. Jafri. ISBN: 0-195-79-3870 ( online version)
• Imamate & Wilayat by Sayyed Muhammad Rizvi.
• What is Khums?
• Ethical Role-Models by Sayyid Mahdi as-Sadr
• The Message by Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani

Academic sources:

• Shi'a Islam by Muhammed H. Al-Tabataba'i. ( online version)
• Expectation of the Millennium: Shi'Ism in History by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
• Shi'ism Doctrines, Thought, and Spirituality by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
• Introduction to Shi'i Islam by Moojan Momen, Yale University Press.
• A Shi'a Anthology by William Chittick, Nasr, and Tabatabaei