Predator.Maratha: Created page with "{{Short description|Second-largest branch of Islam}}{{Redirect2|Shia|Shias|}} {{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Shia Islam}} {{Islam}} '''Shia Islam{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|ə}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|ɑː|m|,_|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|æ|m}}}}''' is the second-largest branch of Islam and one of the world's largest religious denominations.{{Cite web |title=Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs |url=https://shiism.hds.harvard.edu/ |url-status=liv..."

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Created page with "{{Short description|Second-largest branch of Islam}}{{Redirect2|Shia|Shias|}} {{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Shia Islam}} {{Islam}} '''Shia Islam{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|ə}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|ɑː|m|,_|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|æ|m}}}}''' is the second-largest branch of Islam and one of the world's largest religious denominations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs |url=https://shiism.hds.harvard.edu/ |url-status=liv..."

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{{Short description|Second-largest branch of Islam}}{{Redirect2|Shia|Shias|}}
{{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Shia Islam}}
{{Islam}}

'''Shia Islam{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|ə}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|ɑː|m|,_|ˈ|ɪ|z|l|æ|m}}}}''' is the second-largest branch of [[Islam]] and one of the world's largest religious denominations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs |url=https://shiism.hds.harvard.edu/ |url-status=live |website=Harvard University}}</ref> It holds that the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] appointed his cousin and son-in-law, [[Ali]], as his successor and the leader of the [[Ummah|Muslim community]]. A pivotal event took place in 632 at [[Ghadir Khumm]], where Muhammad, shortly before his death, took Ali by the hand and delivered a speech in which he said "Whoever I am his [[Mawla|''mawla'']], then Ali is his ''mawla''." The word mawla has several meanings depending on the context, including master, protector, ally, supporter, and one with authority. In Shia Islam, it is understood as Muhammad's formal designation of Ali as his successor. [[Sunni Islam]] also accepts that the event of Ghadir Khumm took place and that Muhammad made the statement about Ali. However, it does not interpret the statement as a designation of Ali as Muhammad's successor. Sunni Muslims interpret the word mawla in this context as referring to a close associate, friend, supporter, or one deserving loyalty and affection. Therefore, they regard the declaration as a simple affirmation of Muhammad's esteem for Ali, minimizing the event’s importance.

When Muhammad died in the same year, Abu Bakr was chosen as his successor at [[Saqifa|Saqifah]] by a group of [[Companions of the Prophet|Muhammad’s companions]], while Ali was attending to Muhammad's funeral and was therefore absent from the gathering. Shia Muslims hold that Abu Bakr's appointment bypassed Ali's rightful claim to the succession, since the prophet had already designated Ali as his successor at Ghadir Khumm. Sunni Muslims hold that Muhammad left the choice of his successor to the community, and therefore regard Abu Bakr's selection as legitimate. The succession crisis became the initial cause of the [[Shia–Sunni relations|division among Muslims]] that led to the emergence of the two main Islamic branches, Sunni and Shia. Ali was followed by a line of divinely appointed Imams from Muhammad's household ([[Ahl al-Bayt]]). The largest denomination of Shia Islam, [[Twelver Shi'ism]], recognizes the [[Twelve Imams]] as the divinely appointed leaders, beginning with Ali himself and ending with the [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|Mahdi]], who is believed to be in [[Occultation (Islam)|occultation]] and expected to return in the [[Eschatology|End Times]] to establish justice and will be assisted by [[Jesus in Islam|Isa]] ([[Jesus]]). Shia Islam places particular importance on the [[Ahl al-Bayt]] (the family of Muhammad), whom Shia Muslims regard as possessing divinely granted religious and spiritual authority. The [[Quran]], the teachings of Muhammad (Sunnah), and the [[Imamate|Imams]] form the principal foundations of Shia religious thought and jurisprudence. The principal hadith collections of Shia Islam are [[The Four Books|The Four Canonical Books]], known as [[Kitab al-Kafi]], [[Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih|Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih]], [[Tahdhib al-Ahkam]], and [[Al-Istibsar]]. Shia Muslims are guided by the [[Ja'fari school|Ja'fari school of jurisprudence]].<ref>{{Cite book |author1=John Corrigan |title=Jews, Christians, Muslims: A Comparative Introduction to Monotheistic Religions |author2=Frederick Denny |author3=Martin S Jaffee |author4=Carlos Eire |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2011 |id=978-0205026340}}</ref>

Shia Islam comprises several denomination, the largest and most significant of which being Twelver Shia Islam, followed by the much smaller sects of [[Ismailism]] and [[Zaydism]]. The [[Battle of Karbala]], in which the Prophet's grandson and the third Shia Imam, [[Husayn ibn Ali|Husayn]], was brutally killed and beheaded alongside most of his family members, gave the [[Alids]] their own religious identity and played a significant role in the development and consolidation of what became Shia Islam. It holds a central place in Shia history, tradition, and theology, and has frequently been recounted in [[Islamic literature]]. It is one of the most tragic, pivotal, and defining moments in [[History of Islam|Islamic history]]. Shia Muslims form an overwhelming majority in [[Islam in Iran|Iran]] and [[Shia Islam in Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]], while constituting a majority in [[Shia Islam in Iraq|Iraq]] and making up nearly half of the populations of [[Lebanon]] and [[Bahrain]]. Substantial Shia population are also present in [[Shia Islam in Turkey|Turkey]], [[Shia Islam in Yemen|Yemen]], [[Islam in Syria|Syria]], [[Qatar]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Oman]], [[Shia Islam in Nigeria|Nigeria]], [[Chad]], [[Shia Islam in Kuwait|Kuwait]], [[Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]], [[Shia Islam in Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], [[India]], [[Pakistan]], and other countries around the globe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://merln.ndu.edu/archive/icg/shiitequestion.pdf|publisher=International Crisis Group|title=The Shiite Question in Saudi Arabia|work=Middle East Report|number=45}} {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217074450/http://merln.ndu.edu/archive/icg/shiitequestion.pdf|date=2008-12-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ahmadinejad-on-way-nsa-says-india-to-be-impacted-if-iran-wronged-by-others/299498/|title=Ahmadinejad on way, NSA says India to be impacted if Iran 'wronged by others'|date=21 April 2008|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=2010-07-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Shia-women-too-can-initiate-divorce/articleshow/334804.cms|title=Shia women too can initiate divorce|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=6 November 2006|access-date=21 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090725/edit.htm#4|title=Obama's Overtures|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|access-date=2010-07-21|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305183639/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090725/edit.htm#4|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_talaq-rights-proposed-for-shia-women_1062327|title=Talaq rights proposed for Shia women|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=5 November 2006|access-date=21 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/opinion/0360.htm|title=Imperialism and Divide & Rule Policy|publisher=[[Boloji]]|access-date=2010-07-21|archive-date=2010-12-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213142014/http://boloji.com/opinion/0360.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Iran remains the only country in the world where Shia Islam officially serves as the foundation of both [[Constitution of Iran|its legal framework]] and [[Government of Iran|system of governance]]. Estimates place the global Shia Muslim population at 285–300 million, making them one of the world's largest religious denomination.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2009-10-07 |title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/10/07/mapping-the-global-muslim-population/ |access-date=2026-09-01 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Shia Muslim Population – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC) |url=https://iric.org/world-shia-muslim-population/ |access-date=2026-09-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word Shia (or {{transliteration|ar|Shīʿa}}; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|ə}}; {{Langx|rtl=yes|ar|شِّيْعَة}}) is derived from {{tlit|ar|shīʿatu ʿAlī}} ({{Langx|ar|شِّيْعَة عَلِيّ|label=none|translation=followers of Ali}}).<ref>{{cite book |author=Duncan S. Ferguson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BPwHem3bV9sC&pg=PA192 |title=Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions: The Quest for Personal, Spiritual and Social Transformation |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4411-4645-8 |page=192}}</ref><ref name="wehr-498">{{cite web |last1=Wehr |first1=Hans |title=Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic |url=https://ejtaal.net/aa/#hw4=594 |page=598 |edition=4th}}</ref> An adherent is called a Shi'i ({{transliteration|ar|Shīʿī}}; {{Langx|rtl=yes|ar|شيعيّ}}; {{plural form|{{tlit|ar|shīʿiyyūn}}; {{Langx|rtl=yes|ar|شيعيون}}}}). In Arabic, "Shīʿa" means followers and supporters; the term derives from ''al-shiyāʿ'' and ''al-mushāyaʿa'', which convey the meanings of following, supporting, and obedience.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}} Shia Islam is also referred to in English as Shiism (or Shīʿism) ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|ɪ|z|(|ə|)|m}}), and Shia Muslims as Shiites (or Shīʿites) ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|iː|aɪ|t}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Difference Between The Meaning Of ''Shia'' And ''Shiite''? However the term Shiite is being used less and is considered less proper than simply using the term "Shia". |url=https://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceBetweenMeaningShia-Shiite/dxnnw/post.htm |website=English forums |date=2 February 2007 |access-date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731194040/https://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceBetweenMeaningShia-Shiite/dxnnw/post.htm |archive-date=31 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The term {{Transliteration|ar|Shia}} was first used during Muhammad's lifetime.<ref>{{harvnb|Ṭabataba'i|1977|p=34}}</ref>{{not in source|date=November 2025}} At present, the word refers to Muslims who believe that the leadership of the [[Ummah|Muslim community]] after Muhammad belongs to [[Ali|ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib]], Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and his successors.

Nawbakhti states that the term ''Shia'' refers to a group of Muslims who, at the time of Muhammad and after him, regarded ʿAlī as the [[Imam]] and [[caliph]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sobhani|Shah-Kazemi|2001|p=97}}</ref> [[Al-Shahrastani]] explains that the term ''Shia'' refers to those who believe that ʿAlī was designated as the [[Succession to Muhammad|heir]], Imam, and caliph by Muhammad,<ref>{{harvnb|Sobhani|Shah-Kazemi|2001|p=98}}</ref> and that ʿAlī's authority is maintained through his descendants.<ref>{{cite book | last=Vaezi | first=Ahmad | title=Shia political thought | year=2004 | publisher=Islamic Centre of England | location=London | page=56 | isbn=978-1-904934-01-1 | oclc=59136662}}</ref> 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 [[Prophets in Islam|Abrahamic prophets]], as the Quranic verses {{qref|3|33}} and {{qref|3|34}} illustrate: "Indeed, Allah chose [[Adam in Islam|Adam]], [[Noah in Islam|Noah]], the family of [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]], and the family of [[Amram|'Imrân]] above all people. They are descendants of one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."<ref>{{harvnb|Cornell|2007|p=218}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Shia Islam}}
The original Shia identity referred to the followers of Imam ʿAlī,<ref>"Shiʻite Islam", by Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, translated by Sayyid Husayn Nasr, State University of New York Press, 1975, p. 24</ref> and Shia theology was formulated after the ''[[Hijra (Islam)|hijra]]'' (7th century CE).<ref>Dakake (2008), pp. 1–2</ref> The first Shia governments and societies were established by the end of the 9th century. The 10th century has been referred to by the scholar of Islamic studies [[Louis Massignon]] as "the Shiite Ismaili century in the history of Islam".<ref>In his "Mutanabbi devant le siècle ismaëlien de l'Islam", in Mém. de l'Inst Français de Damas, 1935, p.</ref>

=== Origins ===
{{main|Origin of Shia Islam|Ali ibn Abi Talib|First Fitna}}
[[File:Chronology of Ancient Nations, f.162r miniature.jpg|thumb|The Investiture of Ali by Muhammad at the Ghadir Khumm, 1307 AD [[Ilkhanid]] manuscript illustration.]]
The Shia, originally known as the "partisans" of [[Ali|ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib]], Muhammad's cousin and [[Fatima]]'s husband, first emerged as a distinct movement composed of those fiercely loyal to him during the [[First Fitna]] (656–661). Shia doctrine is founded on the understanding that ʿAlī was uniquely designated to lead the Muslim community after Muhammad's death in 632. While the [[History of Shia Islam|origins of Shia Islam]] remain a subject of scholarly debate, many Western historians have attempted to characterize early Shia Islam merely as a political faction rather than a religious movement,<ref>See: Lapidus p. 47, Holt p. 72</ref><ref name="franc23">Francis Robinson, ''Atlas of the Islamic World'', p. 23.</ref> while others recognize this framework as an anachronistic imposition of the Western separation of religion and politics.<ref>Jafri, S.H. Mohammad. "The Origin and Early Development of Shiʻa Islam", Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 6, {{ISBN|978-0-19-579387-1}}</ref>

Shia Muslims point to Muhammad's explicit designation of ʿAlī as his successor during a major sermon at [[Ghadir Khumm]], in which he declared: "Anyone who has me as his {{transliteration|ar|[[mawla]]}}, has ʿAlī as his {{transliteration|ar|mawla}}".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Shiʿi |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii |access-date=28 December 2021 |last=Newman |first=Andrew J.}}</ref><ref name="Esposito, John 2002. p. 40">Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam". Oxford University Press, 2002 | {{ISBN|978-0-19-515713-0}}. p. 40</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=From the article on Shii Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2189?_hi=26&_pos=238 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528231159/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2189?_hi=26&_pos=238 |archive-date=28 May 2012 |access-date=4 May 2011 |publisher=Oxfordislamicstudies.com}}</ref> Many versions of the sermon include the invocation: "O God, befriend the friend of ʿAlī and be the enemy of his enemy". The interpretation of this prominent proclamation is central to the Sunni–Shia divide: while Sunni scholars tend to interpret it as a general affirmation of ʿAlī's merit, Shia Muslims maintain it to be a clear and unambiguous designation of ʿAlī as Muhammad's appointed successor.<ref>{{cite book |last=Olawuyi |first=Toyib |url=https://www.al-islam.org/khilafah-ali-over-abu-bakr-toyib-olawuyi/preface |title=On the Khilafah of Ali over Abu Bakr |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4928-5884-3 |pages=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422181325/http://www.al-islam.org/khilafah-ali-over-abu-bakr-toyib-olawuyi/preface |archive-date=22 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Shura Principle in Islam – by Sadek Sulaiman |url=http://www.alhewar.com/SadekShura.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727210611/http://www.alhewar.com/SadekShura.htm |archive-date=27 July 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016 |website=Alhewar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-01-04 |title=Sunnis and Shia: Islam's ancient schism |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-16047709 |access-date=2021-08-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Shia sources further record that those present at Ghadir Khumm immediately congratulated ʿAlī, acclaiming him as {{transliteration|ar|[[Amir al-Mu'minin]]}} ("commander of the believers").<ref name="Amir-Moezzi">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Ghadīr Khumm |entry=Ghadīr Khumm |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam Three |date=2014 |author-link1=Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi |editor1=Kate Fleet |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_27419 |last1=Amir-Moezzi |first1=Mohammad Ali |editor2=Gundrun Krämer |editor-link2=Gudrun Krämer |editor3=Denis Matringe |editor4=John Nawas |editor5=Everett Rowson}}</ref>
[[File:ImamAliShrine2026.jpg|thumb|[[Imam Ali Shrine]] in [[Najaf]], [[Iraq]], is a profoundly holy site in Shia Islam, considered by Shia Muslims as [[Holiest sites in Islam|the holiest site in Islam]] after [[Mecca]], [[Medina]], and [[Jerusalem]].<ref name="Never Again!">{{cite web |url=http://www.shianews.com/hi/articles/politics/0000382.php|title=Never Again!|work=Shia News|date=|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070805175642/http://www.shianews.com/hi/articles/politics/0000382.php|archive-date=2007-08-05}}</ref><ref name="atimes.com">{{cite web |url=http://atimes.com/c-asia/DE24Ag04.html|title=Iran Diary, Part 2: Knocking on heaven's door|work=[[Asia Times Online]]|date=|access-date=|archive-date=June 3, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020603155002/http://atimes.com/c-asia/DE24Ag04.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chnphoto.ir/gallery.php?gallery_uid=187&lang=en|title=Muslim Shia's Saint Imam Ali Holy Shrine|format=16 images|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905090748/http://www.chnphoto.ir/gallery.php?gallery_uid=187&lang=en|archive-date=2010-09-05|work=Cultural Heritage Photo Agency|date=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918084430/http://www.modarresinews.com/artc.php?id=75%2F|archive-date=2010-09-18|url=http://www.modarresinews.com/artc.php?id=75%2F|title=The tragic martyrdom of Ayatollah Al Hakim calls for a stance|work=Modarresi News|date=September 4, 2003|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zaman.org/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20040813&hn=11401/|title=Title required|work=Zaman Online|date=August 13, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028164619/http://www.zaman.org/?bl=international|archive-date=October 28, 2006|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/Iraq/Story/0,,926947,00.html/|title=Why 2003 is not 1991|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=April 1, 2003|access-date=}}</ref>]]
When Muhammad died in 632 CE, ʿAlī and Muhammad's closest relatives remained occupied with the solemn duty of his funeral arrangements. While they were preparing his body, [[Abu Bakr|Abū Bakr]], [[Umar ibn al-Khattab|ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb]], and [[Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah]] convened a separate meeting with the leaders of Medina at [[Saqifa]] and secured the election of Abū Bakr as the first of the ''[[Rashidun|rāshidūn]]'' caliphs. While Sunni Muslims maintain that this election was politically legitimate, the process had no clear basis or precedent set by Muhammad, and ʿAlī's partisans viewed it as a direct violation of the Prophet's designation at Ghadir Khumm. Abū Bakr served from 632 to 634, followed by ʿUmar (634–644) and [[Uthman ibn Affan|ʿUthmān]] (644–656).

Following the assassination of ʿUthmān in 656, the Muslims of [[Medina]] finally turned to ʿAlī as the fourth caliph, and he established his capital in [[Kufa]]. ʿAlī's subsequent rule over the [[Rashidun Caliphate|early Islamic empire]] (656–661) was marked by entrenched opposition from rival factions. The resulting conflict, known as the [[First Fitna]], became the first major [[civil war]] within the Muslim community, encompassing a series of revolts against ʿAlī by groups that had initially affirmed the legitimacy of his caliphate before ultimately turning against him.

[[File:Kufa Mosque.jpg|thumb|The [[Great Mosque of Kufa]] in [[Kufa]], Iraq, is a holy site in Shia Islam. It is where Ali lived and led prayers, and also the site where he was [[Assassination of Ali|assassinated]].]]The conflict began with the [[Battle of the Camel]] in 656, in which ʿAlī's forces successfully prevailed against the coalition of [[Aisha]], [[Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah|Ṭalḥah]], and [[Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr|al-Zubayr]]. At the [[Battle of Siffin]] in 657, ʿAlī's campaign to subdue [[Muawiyah I|Muʿāwiyah]], the governor of Damascus, was frustrated by a forced arbitration th

Shia Islam - Revision history