Portal:Shia Islam
Shia Islam
Shia Islam (/ˈʃiːə/) is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib (656–661 CE) as his successor (Arabic: خليفة, romanized: khalīfa) as Imam (امام, 'spiritual and political leader'), most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but that after Muhammad's death, Ali was prevented from succeeding as leader of the Muslims as a result of the choice made by some of Muhammad's other companions (صحابة, ṣaḥāba) at Saqifah. This view primarily contrasts with that of Sunni Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor before his death and consider Abu Bakr, who was appointed caliph by a group of Muhammad's other companions at Saqifah, to be the first Rashidun ('rightful') caliph after Muhammad (632–634 CE).
Shia Muslims' belief that Ali was the designated successor to Muhammad as Islam's spiritual and political leader later developed into the concept of Imamah, the idea that certain descendants of Muhammad, the Ahl al-Bayt (أَهْل البَيْت, 'People of the House'), are rightful rulers or Imams through the bloodline of Ali and his two sons Hasan and Husayn, whom Shia Muslims believe possess special spiritual and political authority over the Muslim community. Later events such as Husayn's martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala (680 CE) further influenced the development of Shia Islam, contributing to the formation of a distinct religious sect with its own rituals and shared collective memory.
Shia Islam is followed by 10–15% of all Muslims. Although there are many Shia subsects in the Muslim world, Twelver Shi'ism is by far the largest and most influential, comprising about 85% of all Shia Muslims. Others include the Isma'ili, Zaydi, Alevi and Alawi. Shia Muslims form a majority of the population in three countries across the Muslim world: Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan. Significant Shia communities are also found in Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent. Iran stands as the world's only country where Shia Islam forms the foundation of both its laws and governance system. (Full article...)
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Did you know...
- ...that Ruhollah Khomeini, in his letter to Gorbachev, invited him to monotheism and Islam also predicted the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc?"
- ...that Al-Istibsar is one of the four major works of Shiite Islamic traditions authored by Shaykh Tusi, a Shia scholar?
- ...that Shia Muslims believe a future ruler of Yemen, named al-Yamani, will appear as one of the signs of the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi?
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- Al-Irbili, Kashf al-Ghamma, vol.3, p. 197.
In the news
- 22 October 2024 – Islamic State insurgency in Iraq
- Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani announces the death of several Islamic State senior members, including the group's leader in Iraq, in a military operation in Saladin Governorate, Iraq. (The Washington Post)
- 25 September 2024 – Sectarian violence in Pakistan, Shia–Sunni relations
- At least 25 people are killed and dozens are injured in clashes between Shia and Sunni Muslim tribes in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, since September 20. (AP)
- 12 September 2024 – Afghan conflict
- Fourteen people are killed and six more are injured during a mass shooting by Islamic State militants against a bus carrying Shia Hazara people between the Afghan provinces of Ghor and Daikundi, after returning from a pilgrimage in Iraq. (AP)
- 21 August 2024 –
- Twenty-eight people are killed and 23 others are injured when a bus carrying Shia Pakistani pilgrims to the Arba'in pilgrimage in Iraq crashes and overturns in Yazd province, Iran. (Reuters)
- 15 July 2024 – 2024 Muscat mosque shooting
- Six people are killed and 30+ others are injured in a mass shooting at a Shia mosque in Muscat, Oman. The three attackers are killed by security forces in the ensuing shootout. (Al Arabiya)
On this day: 9 Jumada al-awwal
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