Shi'a Islam

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"Shii" redirects here. For Shii's Song, see Shii-chan.

Shi'a Islam (Arabic: شيعى or follower. English has traditionally used Shiite or Shi'ite) is the second largest Islamic denomination.

Shi'a is short for Shi'áte Ali (Arabic: شیعة علي), a follower of Ali ibn Abu Talib who was the Islamic prophet Muhammad's cousin, his son-in-law, and the father of Muhammad's only descendants. He was the male head of the Ahlul Bayt, Muhammad's household, after Muhammad died. Shi'a Muslims believe that Ali should have followed Muhammad as the direct successor and leader of the Muslims. Sunni Muslims believe that Abu Bakr, the first caliph to hold power after Muhammad, held his office legitimately. This difference of opinion regarding an event in 632 CE may seem like a minor matter to some, but this schism shaped two Muslim traditions which differ sharply in many of their beliefs and practices.

Contents

Demographics of Shi'a Islam

See Demographics of Islam. Present calculations indicate that some 89% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 10% are Shi'a, but the Shi'a are certainly undercounted (due primarily to political and religious discrimination). Further work is needed before these statistics can be regarded as defensible.

As can be seen from the table in that article, the majority of the world's Shi'a live in Iran and Iraq. Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Bahrain and other Persian Gulf states also have significant Shi'a minorities.

Shi'a beliefs: Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)

  • 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. Refer to Sahih Al-Bukari, Sahih Muslim (Books of Hadiths (or sayings of the prophet of Islam) of the Sunnis) etc. The prophet is reported to have said that the Islamic leadership is in Koreish (i.e. his tribe) and that 12 "Imams" or "Princes" shall succeed him. There is a difference of opinion within Sunni and Shiite sects as to whom Muhammad was referring. It is also important to mention that the Islamic prophet has stated, and this statement has been authenticated by Sunnis and Shiites alike, that "Whoever does not know the Imam of his Lifetime (i.e. recognizes the Leader of his time) has died the death of Ignorance". Again, this statement has different interpretations and consequences with different Sunni and Shiite sects (or Schools of thought). The idea of a prophet appointing a successor is also found in the Old Testament where Joshua son of Nun is declared Moses' successor or manager of his affairs after his death.
  • Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment): God will raise mankind for Judgment

Shi'a practices: Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn)

  • 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
  • Zakāt (Poor-rate) - paying money to the poor
  • Khums (One-fifth) - paying the tax of 20%, levied on untaxed, annual profit
  • Jihād (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 (Enjoin what is good)
  • Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid what is evil)
  • Tawalla (To love the Ahl al-Bayt and their followers)
  • Tabarra (To disassociate oneself from the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt)

Other practices

Taqiyya

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 say that this is condoned by the Qur'an in verse 16:106 and 3:28.

Nikah Mut'ah

Shi'as believe that Nikah Mut'ah, or temporary marriage, was forbidden only by the caliph Umar and not by Muhammad. Arguing that the arbitration of Muhammad is final, decisive, and unquestionable, the Shi'a say that Umar, or any other, had no authority to make such a ban; they continue the practice of temporary marriage. However, other Islamic denominations believe that Nikah Mut'ah was banned in Islam even before Umar became caliph.

The Shi'a sects

The Shi'a of the present day are divided into sects 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.

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 the faithful clung to Ali and the rest of the Muslims followed Abu Bakr, then Umar and Uthman. Shia believe that testimony that can be traced back to the faithful is to be trusted, and traditions passed through the other Muslims are suspect. While the Sunni generally accept the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim as sahih, or trustworthy, the Shi'a privilege different narrators and different hadith.

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, Shiites permit temporary marriages, or mut’a, which can be contracted for months or even days, and follow different inheritance laws.

The role of religious scholars

Most Sunni scholars, preachers, and judges (collectively known as the ulema) traditionally believe that the door of ijtihad, or private judgment, closed some four hundred years after the death of Muhammad. Muslim scholars had been studying Qur'an and hadith for centuries; four schools of law (madhhab) had been developed; there was nothing more to be added to the four schools.

Shi'a scholars believe that the door to ijtihad has never closed. They believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and the Shi'a traditions with the same authority as their predecessors. Generally, the Shi'a clergy have exerted much more authority in the Shi'a community than have the Sunni ulema.

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 Mecca, starts on the 10th day of Dhul Hijja.

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

  • Ashurah (عاشوراء). For Shiites, 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.

History of the Shi'a

Image:Shiyemap.jpg

Modern Shi'a-Sunni relations

The two communities have generally remained separate, mingling only during the Hajj. Modern Shi'a have commonly been tolerant towards the Sunni, tolerating them even when the state religion is Shi'a, as in Iran. However, when attacked (as in Pakistan) they have retaliated violently.

Modern mainstream Sunni have also become less confrontational. The renowned al-Azhar Theological school in Egypt, one of the main centers of Sunni scholarship in the world, announced the following 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."

Al-Azhar later distanced itself from this position. Many Islamic groups also currently maintain this distance, regarding the Shia doctrine at best as fisq (transgression or severely deviated). (see query from Sunni Imam)

Some extremist Sunni groups, such as the Taliban or Al Qaeda, have continued to persecute Shi'a as heretics. Such groups have been responsible for violent attacks and suicide bombings at Shi'a gatherings at mosques and shrines, notably in war-torn countries such as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Major centers of Shi'a scholarship

See also

Books

Shi'a texts:

  • Qur'an
  • Nahj al Balagha; the sermons and letters of Ali, compiled by Seyyed Razi
  • Al-Mizaan; Comentary on Quran by Allama Tabatabai
  • Sahifa-e-Kamila; book of prayers by Zain-ul-Abideen, the 4rth Imam of Shi'a
  • Sahifa-e-Alaviya; book of prayers by Ali, the 1st Imam of Shi'a
  • Sahifa-e-Mehdi(atfs); book of prayers by the last Imam of Shi'a
  • Mafatih al-janan; a collection of prayers.
  • Usul i Kafi; a collection of hadiths by Muhammad Yaqoub Kaleeni
  • Bihar ul Anwar; a collection of hadith by Allama Majlesi

Online books by Shi'a about Shi'a thought and ideas:

Academic sources:

External links

General Shi'a resource websites

Websites commemorating Shi'a Imams

Shia Islam directories and encyclopedias

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