Shi'a Islam

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Shi'a Islam or Shi`ism (from the Arabic word شيعة, short for the historic phrase shi`at `Ali شيعة علي, meaning "the followers of Ali") is the second-largest denomination of the religion of Islam. The singular/adjective form of this name is Arabic shi`i شيعي, traditionally translated into English as "Shiite" or "Shi'ite". This is used to refer to a follower of the Ahlul Bayt and in particular a follower of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the Islamic prophet Muhammad's cousin, his son-in-law, and the father of Muhammad's only descendants. Ali was the male head of the Ahlul Bayt (Muhammad's household).

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Shi'a Muslims follow the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt. After Muhammad's demise, Shi'as were of the opinion that in addition to Muhammad's revelation, his Ahlul Bayt or household were chosen as the best qualified teachers and carriers of Muhammad's Sunna (traditions) and that they are the best source of knowledge regarding Quran and Islam in general after the prophet himself. The phrase Shi'a of Ali in history was a title given initially by Muhammad and later by his descendants in praise of Ali's followers and that of the Ahlul Bayt. Shi'as believe that Imam Ali, the male head of the Ahlul Bayt should have followed Muhammad as the direct successor and leader of the Muslims and that he was directly appointed by Muhammad on several occasions during Muhammad's life. Hereby Shi'as reject the rule of the three previous Caliphs who took power and believe the prophet's companions are inferior to his family in all respects. This being in contrast to Sunni theology, which holds that companions should be followed rather than the Ahlul Bayt. Regardless of disputes regarding Caliphate, Shi'as acknowledge the Imamate, which is an exclusive selection of whom was the most qualified to teach about Muhammad and in addition be emulated after his demise. The difference of opinion regarding Caliphate and whom should be followed however has caused differences in interpretation of Quranic text, acceptance of Hadith, how Shi'as and Sunnis regard personalities in Islamic history and more.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Introduction 3 Demographics of Shi'a Islam 4 Shi'a beliefs and practices 4.1 Shi'a beliefs 4.1.1 Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn) 4.1.2 Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn) 4.2 Additional doctrines 4.2.1 Taqiyya 4.2.2 Nikah Mut'ah 4.2.3 Defending Nikah Mut'ah 5 The Shi'a denominations 6 Status of a Shi'a Imam 7 The role of religious scholars 8 Shi'a and Sunni traditions 8.1 Collections of Hadiths from Shi'a sources include 8.2 Famous Hadith used by the Shi'a 9 Religious calendar 10 History of the Shi'a 10.1 Historical Shi'a-Sunni relations 11 Major centers of Shi'a scholarship 12 Shi'a texts 13 See also 14 External links 14.1 General Shi'a resource websites 14.2 Websites commemorating Shi'a Imams 14.3 Shi'a Islam directories and encyclopedias

Etymology

See main article: Shi'a 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 Shi'a of Ali, or supporters of Ali. Sunni and Shi'a sources trace the term to Muhammad himself.

Introduction

Shi'a Muslims believe that Ali was appointed by Mohammed to be the next leader of the Muslims. In effect, Shi'a Muslims believe that to follow the true Sunna of the prophet it is obligatory to support the successorship of Ali. Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, believe that Muhammad did not choose a successor before his death. Upon Muhammad's death, two of his companions Umar and Abu Bakr had a meeting in saqifah wherein they decided on the successor's identity as being that of Abu Bakr, whom they then introduced to the rest of the Muslim community as the first caliph. This claim to the successorship was disputed by Ali himself, the Banu Hashim of whom he was head, as well as many other supporters. They were called rafidah since they refused to accept Abu Bakr's rule. However, Sunni Muslims stand by Abu Bakr's caliphate and are of the opinion that he held his office legitimately. This difference between following the Ahlul Bayt (Muhammad's household/family) and Sahaba (Muhammad's companions) has shaped both parties' views on some of the Quranic text, the hadith, personalities in Islamic history, and more. Hadith accepted as authentic by Shia have a high proportion of narrators from the Ahl al-Bayt, while hadith accepted as authentic by Sunnis do not.

Demographics of Shi'a Islam

See Demographics of Islam. Present estimations generally stemming from the 1980s before or slightly after the Iran-Iraq War indicate that some 89% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 10% are Shi'a. However since that period governments such as that of Iran have reported a massive Baby boom, and approximate doubling of its citizens. (from 35 million in 1977 to 68 million in 2005). (see [1] ,[2] and [3]) "The population of Iran was estimated at 68,017,860 in 2005. This figure is more than double the 1975 population of 33,379,000". (see [4])

The majority of the world's Shi'a live in the Middle Eastern region, such as in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain.

Among the Persian Gulf States, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates also have significant Shi'a minorities; as does the Eastern Province and other regions of Saudi Arabia.

In the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has a majority Shi'a population, and is the only post-Soviet region or country to have a dominant Shi'a population.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, also hold significant Shi'a minorities.

Shi'a beliefs and practices

Shi'a beliefs

Shi'a believe in the five pillars of Islam, as do Sunnis. However, some of the details of the Shi'a fundamentals of belief and branches of religion differ from those of the Sunni. Shi'a beliefs include the following:

Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)

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• 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 (i.e. a perfect system on 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)

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• 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 own 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

Taqiyya

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}} The doctrine of taqiyya, or dissimulation, states that it is permissible to hide one's true religious convictions if under the threat of death or injury. Shi'a have been accused of lying indiscriminately, due to this practice, but Shi'a reject that notion as contrary to the laws regulating it. Shi'a say that this is condoned by the Qur'an in various verses and that it is a human response to historical Shi'a-Sunni relations.

Nikah Mut'ah

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Nikah Mut'ah is a temporary marriage or marriage for a fixed time, instituted by Muhammad and sanctioned in the Qur'an. In contrast to non-Shi'a Muslims, Shi'a Muslims conclude that Nikah Mut'ah was forbidden by the caliph Umar and not by Muhammad. Shi'a argue that neither Umar, nor any other caliph, had the authority to ban what Muhammad permitted, so Shi'as judge its practice to remain legitimate.

By far the most common form of marriage among Shi'as is the regular Nikah, and using Nikah Mut'ah to lead a promiscuous life is frowned at by Shi'as, quoting the Quranic call for chastity. The most common use of it is by couples that intend to marry permanently in the near future, something akin to the Western practice of engagement.

Defending Nikah Mut'ah

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Criticizing the Shi'a conclusion regarding the validity of Nikah Mut'ah is one of the main things done by Sunnis in Shi'a-Sunni argumentations.

The practice of Nikah Mut'ah is limited, and many Shi'a would not be affected by a change of policy regarding its legality. However, Shi'a defend its legitimacy, not due to any broad use of it, rather since they truly belive it was made legal by the Quran and Sunnah, hence they believe claiming it to be illegal being a major sin. Shi'a believe they have a strong and solid case regarding the validity of Nikah Mut'ah and present various arguments.

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Shi'a believe themselves to have no problem refuting the moral accusations of the practice, and also show as proof how some of the Sahaba treated the subject. Many Shi'as feel wary of the controversy surrounding the subject and feel that it is blown out of proportion, since they feel being a Shi'a is much more than a debate regarding Nikah Mut'ah being legal or not.

The Shi'a 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, of whom the twelfth, the Mahdi, has been occluded, or removed from human view, and will return at some time in the future.

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

• There are several groups of Sevener Shi'as. The largest is a subgroup of the Ismailis.

• Fiver Shi'as are also called Zaidis. They 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 also reject the notion of divinely appointed Imams.

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

Status of a Shi'a Imam

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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 the Ahlul Bayt. These Imams of the Ahlul Bayt are infallible, and the perfect example and, like the Prophets, should be emulated in acts and deeds. Shi'as believe that the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt carry the real responsibility of protecting and giving the example of the pure Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad after his demise and that these Imams guided the Muslims, in many times under the most horrible circumstances due to the governments' cruel policies. They are seen as the prophet's family who were mistreated on many occasions and guided the Muslims, showed them the way of goodness and prosperity in this world and the next in the best way until their martyrdom or occultation.

The role of religious scholars

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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 the Shi'a and the 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 extends back to the time of Muhammad's death, when a small number of Muslims supported the successorship of Ali and the rest of the Muslims accepted Abu Bakr, then Umar and Uthman. The Shi'a believe that the testimony that can be traced back to reliable sources is to be trusted, and traditions that cannot be fully verified are suspect. The Sunni generally accept the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim as sahih, or trustworthy, the Shi'a only accept hadiths from these books if they are consistent with their own collections or that can be reliably verified through ijtihad.

Because Islamic law is based upon the hadith, rejection of some Sunni hadith means that the Shi'a version of the law differs somewhat from the Sunni version. For example, Shi'a Muslims permit temporary marriages, or mut’a, which can be contracted for months or even days, and follow different inheritance laws.

Collections of Hadiths from Shi'a sources include

• Usul al-Kafi
• Bihar ul Anwar

Famous Hadith used by the Shi'a

• Hadith of the pond of Khumm
• Hadith of the two weighty things
• Hadith of the ship
• Hadith of truth
• Hadith of position
• Hadith of the dinner invitation
• Hadith of the Twelve Successors
• Hadith of the Imam of Time
• Hadith of Mubahela
• Hadith of the Cloak

Religious calendar

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

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

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

• Eid ul-Ghadir

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

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

• Arba'een, which 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 also coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Sunni Muslims consider Muhammad's birth date to be on the 12th of Rabbi al-Awwal, however many Sunnis do not consider this day religiously significant.

• Mid of Shaban, the birth date of the twelfth and final imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. This is celebrated by Twelvers on the 15th of Shaban. Many Shi'a take it upon themselves to fast on this day to show gratitude on the auspicious occasion of the twelfth Imam's birth.

• Eid al-Ghadeer, which celebrates Ghadir Khum, the occasion upon which 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

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Historical Shi'a-Sunni relations

See main article: Historical Shi'a-Sunni relations

Shi'a and Sunni historians record that many Shia's have been persecuted, intimidated, and killed, starting with the Abu Bakr coming into power, through the coup d'état of Alis caliphate, in the Shi'a view . In the past, most leading Sunni scholars 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 scholars of recent history have become more tolerant towards Shi'a 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.

However, some Sunni groups such as Salafi, Taliban or Al Qaeda have continued to persecute Shi'a as heretics. Salafis still consider Shias as apostates and openly advocate their killing.[5]

Major centers of Shi'a scholarship