Shia Islam
Shia Islam (/ˈʃiːə/) is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (656–661 CE) as his successor (khalīfa) and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from succeeding Muhammad as the leader of the Muslims as a result of the choice made by some of Muhammad's other companions (ṣaḥāba) at Saqifah. This view primarily contrasts with that of Sunnī Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor before his death and consider Abū Bakr, who was appointed caliph by a group of Muhammad's other companions at Saqifah, to be the first rightful (rāshidūn) caliph after Muhammad (632–634 CE). Adherents of Shīʿa Islam are called Shia Muslims.
Shīʿa Islam is based on a ḥadīth report concerning Muhammad's pronouncement at Ghadir Khumm. Shīʿa Muslims believe that ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, should have been the designated successor to Muhammad as Islam's spiritual and political leader. This belief later developed into the concept of Imamah, the idea that certain descendants of Muhammad, the Ahl al-Bayt, are rightful rulers or Imams through the bloodline of ʿAlī and his firstborn son Ḥasan, whom Shīʿa Muslims believe possess special spiritual and political authority over the Muslim community. Later events such as Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī's martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala (680 CE) further influenced the development of Shīʿa Islam, contributing to the formation of a distinct religious sect with its own rituals and shared collective memory.
Shīʿa Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam, followed by 10–15% of all Muslims. Although there are many Shīʿa subsects in the Muslim world, Twelver Shīʿīsm is by far the largest and most influential, comprising about 85% of all Shīʿa Muslims. Others include the Ismāʿīlī, Zaydī, and Alevi. Shīʿa Muslims form a majority of the population in four countries across the Muslim world: Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain. Significant Shīʿite 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", stands as the only country where Shīʿa Islam forms the foundation of both its laws and governance system. (Full article...)
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Did you know...
- ...that Du'a Arafah is a Du'a that was narrated by Husayn ibn Ali, the third Imam of the Shia?
- ...that many Iranian women chose not leave their houses, and a few even committed suicide, to avoid removing their hijabs due to Reza Shah's Kashf-e hijab decree?
- ...that Narjis converted to Islam at the request of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, whom she saw in her dreams?
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- Biharul Anwar, Volume 2, Page 18.
In the news
- 21 February 2024 – Iraqi conflict
- Reports emerge that clashes between rival Shia militias, primarily Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Saraya al-Salam, have killed at least 200 fighters across Iraq in the past two months. (The Medialine)
- 6 January 2024 – Afghan conflict
- Five people are killed and 15 more injured during the explosion of a bomb planted by Islamic State members on a bus carrying Shiites in the neighbourhood of Dashte Barchi, Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP)
- 5 January 2024 – Iraqi conflict
- Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani announces that the Iraqi government is beginning the process to remove the U.S.-led international military coalition from the country after a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad yesterday killed a militia leader. (Reuters)
On this day: 19 Dhu al-Qi'dah
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