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Shi'a Islam, also Shi'ite Islam, or Shi'ism (Arabic:شيعة, Persian:شیعه ) is a denomination of the Islamic faith. It is short for Shī'at 'Ali (, or "the party of 'Ali"). Even though it is the second largest denomination of Islam, among the hundreds of millions of Muslims Shi'a muslims are considered to be a minority in number. Shi'a Muslims adhere to what they consider to be the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the religious guidance of his family whom they refer to as the Ahlul Bayt. Thus, Shi'as consider the first three ruling caliphs of Islam a historic occurrence and not something attached to faith. The singular/adjective form is Shī'ī (شيعي.) and refers to a follower of the Household of Muhammad and of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Imam Ali) in particular. Shi'a Islam, like Sunni Islam, has at times been divided into many branches but only three of these currently have a significant number of followers. The best known and the one with most adherents is Twelvers (also known as اثنا عشرية Ithnā ashariyya Shi'a) the others are Ismaili and Zaidiyyah. Alawites also claim to be Shi'a, but mainstream shias denounce them as heretics. Etymology
Overview Shi'a Muslims believe that specific persons from Muhammad's family (the Imams) were the best source of knowledge about the Qur'an and Islam, the most trusted carriers and protectors of Muhammad's Sunnah (traditions), and the most worthy of emulation. In particular, Shi'a Muslims recognize the succession of Ali (Muhammad's cousin, son-in-law, the first young man to accept Islam — second only to Muhammad's wife Khadija —and the male head of the Ahl al-Bayt or "people of the Prophet's house") as opposed to that of the caliphate recognized by Sunni Muslims. Shi'a Muslims believe that Ali was appointed successor by Muhammad's direct order on many occasions, and that he is therefore the rightful leader of the Muslim faith. This difference between following either the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's family) or the Caliph Abu Bakr has shaped Shi'a and non-Shi'a views on some of the Qur'an, the Hadith (narrations from the prophet) and other areas of Islam. For instance, the collection of Hadith venerated by Shi'a Muslims is centered around narrations by members of the Ahl al-Bayt, while some Hadith by narrators not belonging to the Ahl al-Bayt are not included (those of Abu Huraira, for example). Regardless of the dispute about the Caliphate, the Shi'a recognize the authority of the Shi'a Imam (also called Khalifa Ilahi) as a religious authority. Demographics See Shi'a population for details. See Demographics of Islam. According to most sources, including the US Library of Congress, present estimates indicate that approximately 85% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 15% are Shi'a. Today there are roughly 400 million Shi'a (including Twelvers, Ismailis, Zaydis) all over the world, and around three quarters of those reside in Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and India. A large portion of the world's Shi'a live in the Middle East. They constitute a majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. They remain as significant minorities in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Turkey and Yemen. In Lebanon Shi'a form a plurality. Among smaller Persian Gulf states, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have significant Shi'a minorities, as do the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The highest Shi'a population in one country is in Iran, being around 90% of the population there.. Pakistan and India, also hold significant Shi'a minorities. About 20% of Muslims in India are also Shi'a. Shi'a presence is negligible in Southeast Asia, where Muslims are predominantly Shafi'i Sunnis. One of the lingering problems, according to the Shi'a, 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 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 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 claim that they endure much bigotry and other indignities from Walmens authorities daily and that Shi'a pilgrims from other countries are often singled out for harassment (see Status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia). Doctrines Main doctrines The Shi'a believe in the five pillars of Islam, as do Sunnis, but categorize them differently. Shi'a beliefs include the following: Theology of Shi'a (Usūl al-Dīn) 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 predominantly used by Shi'as, like Dissimulation (Arabic: Taqiyya), which is the dissimulation of one’s religious beliefs when one fears for one's life and the lives of one's family members. Misconceptions There are seemingly widespread misconceptions about Shi'a doctrines, regarding how and why the Shi'a uphold them. It is often said that the Shi'a worship or deify Imam Ali, however this refers to a group who actually lived in Ali's time who saw him as an incarnation of God, Ali upon learning this had them killed, they are known as the Ghulat and have no association with The Shi'a. The term Shi'a literally means The Party. Early on, the Shi'a were referred to as Shi'at Ali, or The Party of Ali. As the majority of Muslims at the time of Muhammed's death favoured Abu Bakr as the Caliph, a large portion of the population supported Ali, the prophet's son-in-law and cousin. Therefore, the Shi'a do not recognize Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as the first three caliphs (Ali was recognized as the fourth caliph 656 AD). Shi'a Islam was seen by some as a political-religious sect that recognizes the leadership of Ali and his descendants. Theologically, Sunni Islam and Shi'a Islam do not differ, however many schools of thought that developed later on did become differentiated. Shi'a Islam claims it follows the words of Muhammed as given to him through divine guidance from God in the Qur'an. However, the Alawites, claiming to be a sect of Shi'a Islam, hold Ali as God on earth. Shi'a Islam denounces such beliefs as blasphemous and against the grain of islam (absolute, total and inarguable belief and existance of one God). Shi'a do not view Ali as a Prophet as many accuse them of doing. He is seen only as the proper protector of the Islamic nation after the death of the prophet Muhammed. While Shi'a and Sunni Muslims accept the same sacred text, the Qur'an, some groups mainly wahabbis or salafis claim that the Shi'a dispute the current version, i.e. they add two additional surahs known as al-Nurayn and al-Wilaya. Nonetheless, Shi'a claim that they are falsely accused of this, as they believe, like Sunnis, that the Qur'an has never been changed. Shi'as use the Qur'an which is conformable with recitation of `Asim of Kufa transmitted by Hafs. Denominations Status of a Shia Imam Shi'a Islam 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, in order to correctly follow the Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah. The Shi'a believe that the Imams of Ahlul Bayt are infallible based on one of the verses of Quran: The Ahlul Bayt are the perfect example for mankind, and like the prophets, they should be emulated in acts and deeds. The Shi'a 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 incorruptible and infallible 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. jurisprudence Ja'fari jurisprudence or Ja'fari Fiqh is the name of the jurisprudence of the Shi'a Twelvers Muslims, derived from the name of Ja'far al-Sadiq, the 6th Shia Imam. The Ja'ffari Shi'a consider Sunnah to be the oral traditions of Muhammad and their implimenation and interpretation by the Imams who were all scholars and descendants of the Prophet Muhammed through his Daughter Fatima and her Husband- the first Imam-Ali. 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. Sunni Muslims, also believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and hadith with the same authority as their predecessors: that the door to ijtihad was never closed. Differences of Shia and Sunni traditions Because Islamic law is based partly on the hadith, Shi'a rejection of some Sunni hadith and Sunni rejection of some Shi'a hadith means that the versions of the law differ somewhat. For example, while both Shi'a and Sunni pray five daily prayers, some of the prayer times differ. Also another issue of tension between the sects is that Nikah Mut‘ah or "temporary marriage" which is not forbidden for the Shi'a as it is permitted in the quran and was practiced during the Prophet's time as a mercy for people to prevent them from committing the sin of fornication. The practice was banned by Umar-the second Sunni caliph- but not in reference to the Prophets Sunnah or the holy Book. Many Shi'a discourage the practice of Mut'ah, but maintain that it is permissible. Supplications The Shi'a have a rich collection of prayers believed to be traced back to the Shi'a Imams (Ali and his descendants through Muhammad's daughter). These prayers are held in a high esteem among the Shi'a. These prayers (dua) include: Religious calendar All Muslims, Sunni or Shi'a, celebrate the following annual holidays: The following holidays are observed by Shi'a only, unless otherwise noted: History of Shia-Sunni relations The Shi'a believe that the split between the Shi'a and Sunni began with Muhammad's death, when some 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. Shi'a and Sunni historians record that many Shi'a have been persecuted, intimidated, and killed, through what Shi'a consider a coup d'état against Ali's caliphate. Many prominent Sunni scholars are known to have openly considered the Shi'a as "kufar" (disbelievers). Imam Ash-Shafi'i, one of the most prominent early scholars of his time said in regards to the Shi'a "I have not seen among the heretics a people more famous for falsehood than the Raafidite Shi’ites." Such statements stem mainly from differences in beliefs regarding Ali, Umar, and other companions, and in the Shi'a's use of various concepts, such as Muta. The renowned al-Azhar university of theology in Egypt, originally founded by the Shi'a during the reign of the Fatimid caliphate in 988 , considers Shi'a philosophy to be an indivisible part of the body of Islamic jurisprudence. Today, both Sunni and Shi'a students graduate from the Al-Azhar university which also teaches regarding both doctrines and uses certain Shi'a material in its courses. (See List of Shi'a books). On July 6, 1959, Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot -the head of the al-Azhar Theological school- announced the al-Azhar Shia Fatwa 1) Islam does not require a Muslim to follow a particular Madh'hab (school of thought). Rather, we say: every Muslim has the right to follow one of the schools of thought which has been correctly narrated and its verdicts have been compiled in its books. And, everyone who is following such Madhahib schools of thought can transfer to another school, and there shall be no crime on him for doing so. On the other hand, similar fatwas have not been issued by many prominent Sunni scholars or univerisities. A number of contemporary Sunni scholars such as Shaykh Dr Khaalid ibn ‘Ali al-Mushayqih (who released a fatwa regarding praying with the Shi'a) maintain that Shi'a are not considered as Muslims, unless they deny certain beliefs found in a number of Shi'a hadith books like al-kafi that are accepted by the majority of twelver Shi'a: The Shi'a and Sunnis differ in their view of Aisha (one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad). The Shi'a have a dim view of her character whereas the Sunnis consider her an exemplary woman. The differences stem primarily from her (percieved) dishonourable behaviour with the Prophet and her taking a position opposed to the fourth Caliph Ali when he was the ruler. For more details, please refer Sunni and Shia views of Aisha. Major centers of Shia scholarship Sahaba Scholars Contemporary Scholars See also | |||||||||
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