Shia Islam
Shia Islam (/ˈʃiːə/) is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib (r. 656 – 661 CE) as his successor (khalīfa) and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from succeeding Muhammad as leader of the Muslims by some of Muhammad's other companions (ṣaḥāba) at Saqifah. This view contrasts with Sunnī Islam, which asserts that Muhammad did not appoint a successor before his death and considers Abū Bakr, who was appointed caliph by a group of senior Muslims at Saqifah, to be the first rightful (rāshidūn) caliph after Muhammad (632–634 CE). Adherents of Shia Islam are called Shia Muslims.
"Shia" and "Shias" redirect here. For other uses, see Shia (disambiguation).
Shia Islam is based on a hadith report concerning Muhammad's pronouncement at Ghadir Khumm. Shia Muslims believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the designated successor to Muhammad as Islam's spiritual and political leader. This belief later developed into the Imamah, the tradition that certain descendants of Muhammad, the Ahl al-Bayt, are rightful rulers or Imams through the bloodline of Ali and his firstborn son Ḥasan, whom Shia Muslims believe possess special spiritual and political authority over the Muslim community. Later events such as Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala (680 CE) further influenced the development of Shia Islam, contributing to its formation as a distinct religious sect with its own rituals and shared collective memory.[1]
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam, followed by 10–15% of all Muslims. Although there are many Shia subsects in the Muslim world, Twelver Shīʿīsm is by far the largest and most influential, comprising about 85% of all Shia Muslims. Others include the Isma'ilis, Zaydis, and Alevis. Shia Muslims are a majority of the population in four countries across the Muslim world: Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain. Significant Shi’ite communities are also found in Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Yemen, and the Indian subcontinent. Iran, a theocratic Islamic republic governed by a framework established by Ayatollah Khomeini known as the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, is the only country where Shia Islam is the foundation of both its laws and governance.[2]
Terminology
The word Shia derives from the Arabic term Shīʿat ʿAlī, meaning "partisans of Ali", "followers of Ali" or "faction of Ali".[3][4] Shīʿī (/ˈʃiːi/) denotes both the singular noun and the adjective form, while Shīʿiyyūn refers to the plural noun.[5] Shia or Shīʿa (/ˈʃiːə/), Shiism/Shīʿism (/ˈʃiːɪz(ə)m/), and Shiite/Shīʿite (/ˈʃiːaɪt/) are the forms used in English and other European languages for adherents, mosques, traditions, and things associated with the Shia branch of Islam.[6][7]
The term Shia was first used during Muhammad's lifetime.[8] At present, the word refers to the Muslims who believe that the leadership of the Muslim community after Muhammad belongs to Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and his successors.[9] Nawbakhti states that the term Shia refers to a group of Muslims who at the time of Muhammad and after him regarded Ali as the Imam and caliph.[9][10] Al-Shahrastani expresses that the term Shia refers to those who believe that Ali is designated as the heir, Imam, and caliph by Muhammad[9][11] and that Ali's authority is maintained through his descendants.[9][12] For the adherents of Shia Islam, this conviction is implicit in the Quran and the history of Islam. Shia Muslim scholars emphasize that the notion of authority is linked to the family of the Abrahamic prophets as the Quranic verses 3:33 and 3:34 show: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ’Imrân above all people. They are descendants of one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."[13]