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Shia Islam
Shia Islam or Shi’ism is one of the two main branches of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and the Imam (leader) after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from the caliphate as a result of the incident of Saqifah. This view primarily contrasts with that of Sunni Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor and consider Abu Bakr, who was appointed caliph by a group of Muslims at Saqifah, to be the first rightful caliph after Muhammad. A person observing Shia Islam is called a Shi’i.
Shia Islam is based on Muhammad’s hadith (Ghadir Khumm). Shia consider Ali to have been divinely appointed as the successor to Muhammad, and as the first Imam. The Shia also extend this Imammah to Muhammad’s family, the Ahl al-Bayt (“the people/family of the House”), and some individuals among his descendants, known as Imams, who they believe possess special spiritual and political authority over the community, infallibility and other divinely ordained traits. Although there are many Shia subsects, modern Shia Islam has been divided into two main groupings: Twelvers and Ismailis, with Twelver Shia being the largest and most influential group among Shia.
Alawites The Alawis, Alawites (علوية, Alawīyah), or Nusayris (نصيرية, Nuṣayrīyah) are an ethnoreligious group primarily in the Levant which originated from Shia Islam. The Alawites revere Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib), considered the first Imam of the Twelver school. The group is believed to have been founded by Ibn Nusayr during the 9th century. Ibn Nusayr...
Sunni View Of Ali This article covers the Sunni view of Ali. Sunni Muslims hold Ali ibn Abi Talib in high respect as one of the Ahl al-Bayt, a foremost authority on the Qur’an and Islamic law, and as one of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final...
Arba’een Pilgrimage The Arba’een Pilgrimage, or the Arba’een Walk or Karbala Walk, is the world’s largest annual public gathering. It is held at Karbala, Iraq at the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual for the commemoration of martyrdom of the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Muslim Imam, Husayn ibn Ali‘s in 61 AH...
Mourning Of Muharram The Mourning of Muharram (also known as Azadari, Remembrance of Muharram, or Muharram Observances) is a set of commemoration rituals observed primarily by Shia people. The commemoration falls in Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Many of the events associated with the ritual take place in congregation halls known as Hussainia or Imambargah. The event marks...
Shia Days Of Remembrance The following page lists various days of Shia days of remembrance, celebration, and mourning. Twelvers The following is a list of days of celebration, mourning, and remembrance as observed by Twelver Shia Muslims: List of celebration, mourning, and remembrance as observed by Twelver Shi’a Muslims Date Type Event...
Hadith al-Thaqalayn The Hadith al-Thaqalayn (حديث الثقلين, l‘ saying of the two treasures’) refers to a hadith (‘saying’) attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad that introduces the Quran and his progeny as the only sources of divine guidance after his death. Widely reported by both Shia and Sunni authorities, the Hadith al-Thaqalayn is of particular significance for the Twelver Shia, where...
Battle Of Karbala The Battle of Karbala (مَعْرَكَة كَرْبَلَاء) was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliph Yazid I and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, at Karbala, modern day Iraq. Prior to his death, the Umayyad...
Verse Of Purification The Verse of Purification (آية التطهير) refers to verse 33:33 of the Quran about the status of purity of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘people of the house’). The last passage of this verse reads: God only desires (innama yuridu llahu) to remove defilement (rijs) from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify...
Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali or Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب, 10 January 626 – 10 October 680), also known as Husayn ibn Ali or Imam Husayn, was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi...
Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (حسن ابن علي, Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī; c. 625 – 2 April 670) was a prominent early Islamic figure. He was the eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He briefly ruled as caliph from January 661 until August 661. He is considered the second Shia Imam, succeeding Ali and...
Attack On Fatima’s House The attack on Fatima’s house refers to a disputed violent attack on the house of Fatima, daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The attack reportedly took place shortly after Muhammad’s death in 11 AH (632 CE) and was instigated by Muhammad’s successor Abu Bakr and led by Umar, an aide to Abu Bakr. The...
Fatimah Fatima or Fatimah (Fatimah binte Muhammad, Fāṭima bint Muḥammad, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (فَاطِمَة ٱلزَّهْرَاء), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima’s husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs and the first Shia Imam. Fatima’s sons were Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia Imams, respectively. Fatima...
Ahl al-Kisa Ahl al-Kisa (أَهْل ٱلْكِسَاء, Ahl al-Kisāʾ, ‘people of the cloak’, ʾAhl al-Kisāʾ ), also known as the Aal al-Aba (آل ٱلْعَبَاء, ʾĀl al-ʿAbāʾ ), are the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn. The name has its origins in the Hadith of Kisa and the Event of Mubahala, both widely...
Anti-Shiism Anti-Shiism or Anti-Shi’ism is hatred of, prejudice against, discrimination against, persecution of, and violence against Shia Muslims because of their religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural heritage. The term was first used by Shia Rights Watch in 2011, but it has been used in informal research and written in scholarly articles for decades. The dispute over who was the rightful successor to Muhammad resulted in...
Origin Of Shia Islam The article covers the origin of Shia Islam. Shia Islam originated as a response to questions of Islamic religious leadership which became manifest as early as the death of Muhammad in 632 CE. The issues involved not only whom to appoint as the successor to Muhammad, but also what attributes a true successor...
History Of Shia Islam This article covers the History of Shia Islam. Shi‘a Islam, also known as Shi‘ite Islam or Shi‘ism, is the second largest branch of Islam after Sunni Islam. Shias adhere to the teachings of Muhammad and the religious guidance of his family (who are referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt) or his descendants known as Shia...
What Is Shi’a Islam? Shi’a Islam or Shi`ism (Arabic شيعة, Persian: شیعه) is the second largest school within Islam. Shi’a Muslims adhere to the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt (family). Shi’as believe that the Imam – their preferred title for the political and religious leader of the Muslim community must belong to...
Ismah Ismah or ‘Isma (عِصْمَة; literally, “protection”) is the concept of incorruptible innocence, immunity from sin, or moral infallibility in Islamic theology, and which is especially prominent in Shia Islam. In Shia theology, ‘ismah is characteristic of prophets, imams, and angels. When attributed to human beings, ismah means “the ability of avoiding acts of disobedience, in spite of having...
Hadith Of Warning The Hadith of Warning or Yawm al-Inzar (یوْمُ الْاِنذار), also known as the Invitation of the close families of Muhammad (دعوة ذو العشیرة – Da‘wat dhul-‘Ashīrah), was a hadith in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad attempted to warn his relatives to become Muslim. Narration The hadith is narrated in the context of the revelation of Ash-Shu’ara,...
Shia View Of Ali This article covers the Shia view of Ali. Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a member of the Ahl al-Bayt. Shias regard Ali as the first Imam and consider him, along with his descendants, to be one of the...
