Shi'a Islam

Shi'a Muslims account for approximately fifteen percent of the total Muslim population in the world. Shi'a has the greatest influence in the contemporary world in Iran where nearly ninety percent of Muslims are Shi'a, but Shi'a are also the majority in Iraq, Bahrain, and Yemen. The division between the Shi'a and Sunni is rooted in disputes over the proper succession of leadership after the death of the Prophet Mohammed in 632 CE. The Shi'a maintain that the rightful successor of the Prophet was his son-in-law Ali, and that leadership of and authority in the community was then passed to a council of twelve scholars (called the ulema, or Imams), the last of whom, Imam Madhi, mysteriously disappeared but will reappear to lead the Shi'a to victory in the future. The Imam is regarded by Shi'ia Muslims to be both a political leader and a special kind of being, one who is without sin and whose doctrinal positions (and pronouncements) are infallible. Although Shi'a and Sunni Muslims agree on many doctrinal and ritual matters, the Shi'a typically pray three times a day (in contrast to the Sunni five), and hold past Imams and saints in particularly high regard. The most important of these figures are memorialized by often elaborate tombs, which have become important pilgrimage places and objects of devotion. Shi'a put particular emphasis on the death of Ali; he was assassinated in 661, in Najaf, Iraq, which has become an important place of pilgrimage for Shi'a Muslims. Another very significant figure is Husayn, who was murdered in Karbala (Iraq) in 680; Shi'a commemorate this even each year on Ashura, a day of morning recognized throughout the Shi'a world, and, particularly, by pilgrims to Karbala.

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Following the murder of the third caliph, Uthman, in the mid-7th century C.E., the Muslim world was divided by civil war. The Shi'a were originally the supporters of the caliphate of Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali.

The early Shi'a were influenced by the tribes of the southern Arabian peninsula, which had strong traditions of choosing leaders based on heredity and divine authority.

After Muhammad's death, a minority group in the Muslim community argued that the Prophet's leadership should stay within his family, starting with his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib. They called themselves shi'at Ali, or the party of Ali.

The Shi'a share many of the same beliefs and practices as Sunni Muslims, including the holy Quran, which is the scripture of Islam. The Sunnah, or traditions of the Prophet recorded in the hadith, is also authoritative for the Shi'a.

Since the 1979 Iranian revolution, overwhelming scholarly interest in the politics of the Shi'a has tended to ignore the everyday lives of ordinary people. Such political analysis has overemphasized so-called "Islamic terrorism," a tendency that has yet to be corrected.

The defining event for the Shi'a was the massacre of Ali's son, Husayn, and much of his family at Karbala in Iraq. This mobilized the Shi'a and helped attract new members, sparking uprisings against the Umayyad caliphate.

The doctrine of the imamate describes the Shi'i belief in the divinely authorized leadership of Muhammad's descendants. Three distinct branches of Shi'ism - the Zaydi, Ismaili, and Ithna Ashari - emerged over disagreements concerning the succession to the imamate.

Shi'ism is a minority branch of Islam, but Iran has been a Shi'i nation for 500 years. In the 20th century, Iranian politics were characterized by a struggle between religious and secular traditionalists and modernists, culminating in the 1979 revolution.

During the Shi'i Buyid rule of Baghdad (945-1055), the Shi'a flourished. Shi'i scholars in Iran and Iraq solidified Shi'i doctrine and law, and compiled hadith. Shi'is also built shrines and instituted rituals of worship.

Large Shi'i populations can be found in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, India, Pakistan, and East Africa. They are therefore deeply affected by some of the most significant contemporary conflicts. Issues of poverty, peace, and security are urgent for most Shi'is.

The stories in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad are sacred to the Shi'a, as is their belief in the imams, the descendants of the Prophet who are chosen by God, protected from sin, and infallible.

According to hadith, near the end of time God will send a messiah called the Mahdi (divinely guided one). For the Shi'a, the Mahdi is one of the imams, currently hidden by God, who will return to free them from oppression.

The Shi'a are distinct from the Sunnis in believing that humans need an intercessor with God. The imams who succeeded Muhammad were chosen by God to lead the community and serve as a link between God and Muslims.

Shi'ism has a strong tradition of suffering and martyrdom. Ali and his family are revered for having suffered at the hands of Sunni caliphs. The story of the imams is one of perseverance and martyrdom in the face of oppression.

Like Sunni Muslims, Shi'is believe in the resurrection of the dead, the day of judgment, and the afterlife. Pious Muslims will go to heaven, while evildoers will go to hell.

All Muslims share the same religious calendar. The tenth day of the month of Muharram, called Ashura, has special significance for the Shi'a. It is when Shi'is gather to mourn the martyrdom of Husayn.

In addition to the mosque, Shi'i Muslims visit shrines and the tombs of the imams and the members of Muhammad's family to show devotion, and to celebrate the anniversaries of the births and deaths of these individuals.

Shi'i Muslims have developed rituals concerning suffering and martyrdom, especially the Ashura commemorations of the death of Ali's son Husayn and much of his family. These public gatherings include recitations, street processions, and a passion play.

The Shi'a share many of the same beliefs and practices of the Sunni, including the Five Pillars, which involve bearing witness to the oneness of God, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage.

A complex symbol system evolved as an integral part of the Ashura celebrations. More quotidian symbols include the tendency of Shi'i clerics to wear black turbans. A sword is often seen as a symbol of Shi'ism, in commemoration of Ali.

Shi'i clergy are religious scholars, called mullahs and ayatollahs. In Iran, the religious scholars have defined themselves as the custodians or guardians of the ummah on behalf of the Hidden Imam.

Sunni and Shi'i Muslims together comprise the worldwide ummah, but the minority status of the Shi'a has at times resulted in discrimination or oppression, while Iran has been a Shi'i stronghold for 500 years.

There are several schools of shariah, systems of jurisprudence that organize the ideals of Islamic morality and ethics. The Shi'a generally follow the Jafari school, after Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth imam.

The Shi'i share with all Muslims the obligation to command the good and forbid the evil, and the duty to bring about a just society. Upon his return, the Hidden Imam will bring Shi'i Islam to the whole world.

The role of women in Shi'i communities or societies is changing, and the manner and direction of that change is often dependent on the wealth of the nation and the social class of the woman.