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Shia Islam
Shia Islam (Sh??ah Arabic: ????), is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. Shi'a Muslims, though a minority in the Muslim world, constitute the majority of the populations in Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq, as well as a plurality in Lebanon. The Shi'a attribute themselves to the Qur'an and teachings of the final Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and in contrast to other Muslims, believe that his family, the Ahl al-Bayt (the People of the House), including his descendants known as Imams, have special spiritual and political rule over the community.[1] Unlike Sunni Muslims, the Shi'a believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad's cousin and husband of his daughter, Fatimah, was the true successor to Muhammad who was appointed by God and his prophet, and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three Rashidun caliphs.[2] The Shi'a faith is vast and inclusive of many different groups. There are various Shi'a theological beliefs, schools of jurisprudence, philosophical beliefs, and spiritual movements. Shi'a Islam embodies a completely independent system of religious interpretation and political authority in the Muslim world. The Shi'a identity emerged soon after the death of Muhammad, and Shi'a theology was formulated in the second century[3] and the first Shi'a governments and societies were established by the end of the third century. Shi'a Islam is divided into three branches. The largest and best known are the Twelver ( ) which forms a majority of the population in Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq. The term Shi'a often refers to Twelver Shi'a only. Other smaller branches include the Ismaili and Zaidi, who dispute the Twelver lineage of Imams and beliefs.[4] EtymologySh??ah, collectively, or Sh???, singularly, means follower. It has been used in Qur'an in singular or plural forms with both positive and negative connotations. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase (), meaning "the followers of Ali" or "the faction of Ali". Both Shia and Sunni sources trace the term to the years preceding the death of Muhammad; see Shia etymology. Demographics
Map showing distribution of Shi'a and Sunni Muslims in Africa, Asia and Europe. As stated above, an estimate of approximately 10-15% of the world's Muslims are Shi'a, which corresponds to about 130-190 million Shi'a Muslims worldwide[5]. A large portion of the world's Shi'a live in the Middle East. The Significant Shi'a communities exist on the coastal regions of West Sumatra and Aceh in Indonesia (see Tabuik). The Shi'a presence is negligible elsewhere in Southeast Asia, where Muslims are predominantly Shafi'i Sunnis, though there are almost a million Shi'a Muslims in Indonesia, mainly converts. A significant syncretic Shia minority is present in Nigeria, centered around the state of Kano (see Shia in Nigeria). East Africa holds several populations of Ismaili Shia, primarily descendants of immigrants from South Asia during the colonial period, such as the Khoja. According to the Shia, one of the lingering problems in estimating the Shia population is that unless the Shia form a significant minority in a Muslim country, the entire population is often listed as Sunni. The reverse, however, has not held true, which may contribute to imprecise estimates of the size of each sect. For example, the 1926 rise of the House of Saud in Arabia brought official discrimination against Shia [7]. Some Shia claim that they endure much bigotry and other indignities from Wahabi authorities daily and that Shia pilgrims from other countries are often singled out for harassment (see Status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia); in Saudi Arabia they are called akkaf (???) which means rejecters (?????). Concepts
In particular, Shia Muslims recognize the succession of Ali (Muhammad's cousin, son-in-law, the first man to accept Islam ? second only to Muhammad's wife Khadija ? the male head of the Ahl al-Bayt or "people of the [Prophet's] house") and the father of Muhammad's only bloodline as opposed to that of the caliphate recognized by Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims believe that Ali was appointed successor by Muhammad's direct order on many occasions, and that he is therefore the rightful leader of the Muslim faith. This difference between following either the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's family and descendants) or the Caliph Abu Bakr has shaped Shia and non-Shia views on some of the Qur'an, the Hadith (narrations from Muhammad) and other areas of Islam. For instance, the collection of Hadith venerated by Shia Muslims is centered on narrations by members of the Ahl al-Bayt and their supporters, while some Hadith by narrators not belonging to or supporting the Ahl al-Bayt are not included (those of Abu Huraira, for example). Ali was the third successor to Abu Bakr and, for the Shia, the first divinely sanctioned "Imam," or successor of Muhammad. The seminal event in Shia history is the martyrdom in 680 CE at the Battle of Karbala of Ali's son Hussein, who led an non-allegiance movement against the defiant caliph (71 of Hussein's followers were killed as well). Hussein came to symbolize resistance to tyranny. Regardless of the dispute about the Caliphate, the Shia recognize the religious authority of the Imams. There are two interpretations about the emergence of Shia. One of them emphasizes the political struggle about the succession of Muhammad after his death and especially during the First Fitna.[8] The other one emphasizes on different interpretation of Islam which led to different understanding about the role of caliphs and ulamas. Hossein Nasr has quoted: Shi'ism was not brought into existence only by the question of the political succession to Muhammad as so many Western works claim (although this question was of course of great importance). The problem of political succession may be said to be the element that crystallized the Shi'ites into a distinct group, and political suppression in later periods, especially the martyrdom of Imam Husayn-upon whom be peace-only accentuated this tendency of the Shi'ites to see themselves as a separate community within the Islamic world. The principal cause of the coming into being of Shi'ism, however, lies in the fact that this Ahl al-KisaIn Shi'a Islam, the term Ahl al-Kisa, meaning People of the Cloak, refers to the founder of Islam Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn. Its origin is in the Hadith of the Event of the Cloak and the Hadith of Mubahala, hadith which are both accepted as authentic by Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, with differences only in interpretation. It is one of the foundations of the Shi'a conception of Imamate, which states that a male descendant of Muhammad has special rule over the Muslim community. The Ahl al-Kisa along with the Imams form the Shi'a definition of Ahl al-Bayt, a term used to designate the family of Muhammad. The three branches of Shi'a differ on the nature of the Ahl al-Kisa and Imams. The two largest branches, the Twelver and the Ismaili, consider them to be in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility, a belief originating from the verse of purification in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an. In contrast, the third branch, the Zaidi, view them only as political figures with the duty to lead revolts against corrupt rulers and governments. The Four CompanionsThe Four Companions, also called the Four Pillars of the Sahaba is a Shi'a term that refers to the four Sahaba Shi'a believe stayed most loyal to Ali ibn Abi Talib after the death of Muhammad: Those among Muhammad's companions who were closest to Ali and did not swear allegiance to Abu Bakr were called Shiat Ali during Muhammad's lifetime. The Light of AqlShi'a Muslims believe that the souls of the Prophets and the Imams are derived from the first light in the universe which was created by God, the light of Aql, which in Arabic roughly translates as intellect. It is through this knowledge that all living and non-living entities know God, and all of humanity is dependent and united in this light. [10][11] Sunni Muslims such as Barelvis and Sufis share similar beliefs. ImamateThe Ahlul Bayt are viewed as the perfect example for mankind, and like the prophets, should be emulated in acts and deeds. Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a believe that the Imams of Ahlul Bayt carry the divinely appointed responsibility of protecting Islam and enacting the example of the pure Sunnah of Muhammad. The Imams of Ahlul Bayt have guided Muslims throughout history, in many cases under the most horrible circumstances and under the most severe forms of discrimination due to the cruel policies of the reigning governments of the time. They are seen as incorruptible and infallible role models for Muslims that have shown the way of goodness and prosperity in this world and the next in the best way until their martyrdom or Occultation. In contrast to the Twelver and Ismaili, the Zaidi only see the Imams as political figures who are descendants of Ali and Fatimah who uprise against corrupt and oppressing rulers and governments. The OccultationThe Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure, the Mahdi, is an Imam who has disappeared and will one day return and fill the world with justice. Some Shi'a, such as the Zaidi and Nizari Ismaili, do not believe in the idea of the Occultation. The groups which do believe in it differ upon which lineage of imamate is correct, and therefore which individual has gone into the Occultation. BranchesThe Shi'a faith throughout its history split over the issue of imamate, with each branch supporting different imams. The largest branch are the Twelvers, which over 85% of Shi'a belong to. The only other surviving branches are the Zaidi and Ismaili. All three groups follow a different line of Imamate. Twelver Shi'a believe in the lineage of the Twelve Imams. The Twelver Shi'a faith is predominantly found in Iran (est. 90%) , Azerbaijan (est. 85%), Bahrain (est. 75%), Iraq (est. 65%), Yemen (est. 45%), Lebanon (est. 35%) [12], Kuwait (est. 35%), Turkey (est. 25%), Albania (est. 20%), Pakistan (est. 20%) and Afghanistan (est. 20%). [13][14]. The Zaidi dispute the succession of the fifth Twelver Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, because he did not stage a revolution against the corrupt government, unlike Zaid ibn Ali. They do not believe in a normal lineage, but rather that any descendant of Hasan ibn Ali or Husayn ibn Ali who stages a revolution against a corrupt government is an imam. The Zaidi are mainly found in Yemen. The Ismaili dispute the succession of the seventh Twelver Imam, Musa al-Kadhim, believing his older brother Ismail bin Jafar actually succeeded their father Jafar al-Sadiq, and did not predecease him like Twelver Shi'a believe. Ismaili form small communities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, Yemen, China and Saudi Arabia[15] and have several subbranches. TwelverTwelver Shi'asm ( Ithn??ashariyyah) is the largest denomination within the Shi'a branch of Islam. An adherent of Twelver Shi'ism is most commonly referred to as a Twelver, which is derived from their belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, or Imams. The Twelve Imams
The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver or Ithna Ashariya branch of Shia Islam.[16] According to the theology of Twelvers, the successor of Muhammad is an infallible human individual who not only rules over the community with justice, but also is able to keep and interpret the Divine Law and its esoteric meaning. The Prophet and Imams' words and deeds are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result, they must be free from error and sin, and must be chosen by divine decree, or nass, through the Prophet.[17][18] It is believed in Shi'ism that Aql, a divine wisdom, was the source of the souls of the Prophets and Imams and gave them esoteric knowledge, called Hikmah, and that their sufferings were a means of divine grace to their devotees.[19][20][16] Although the Imam was not the recipient of a divine revelation, but has close relationship with God, through which God guides him, and the imam in turn guides the people. Because God would not leave the world without some sort of divine guidance for humanity.[21] There is always an Imam of the Age, who is the divinely appointed authority on all matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali was the first Imam of this line, and in the Twelvers' view, the rightful successor to the Prophet of Islam, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah Zahra. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Husayn ibn Ali, who was the brother of Hasan ibn Ali.[16] The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and in hiding.[21]
Principles of the Religion (Us?l al-D?n)Five basic elements of Islam according to Twelver Shi'a beliefs are:
Practices of the Religion (Fur? al-D?n)According to Shia Twelvers doctrine, what is referred to as pillars by Sunni Islam are called the practices or secondary principles(Firoo e Din). There are three additional practices. The first is jihad, which is also important to the Sunni, but not considered a pillar. The second is Amr-Bil-Ma'r?f, the "Enjoining to Do Good", which calls for every Muslim to live a virtuous life and to encourage others to do the same. The third is Nahi-Anil-Munkar, the "Exhortation to Desist from Evil", which tells Muslims to refrain from vice and from evil actions and to encourage others to do the same.[22][23] Twelvers have five fundamental beliefs which relates to Aqidah. [24]
Ja'fari jurispudenceJa'fari jurisprudence or Ja'fari Fiqh is the name of the jurisprudence of the Twelver Muslims, derived from the name of Ja'far al-Sadiq, the 6th Shia Imam. The Ja'fari Shia consider Sunnah to be the oral traditions of Muhammad and their implementation and interpretation by the Imams who were all scholars and descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband, the first Imam, Ali. Role of religious scholarsTwelver Shi'a Muslims believe that the study of Islamic literature is a continual process, and is necessary for identifying all of God's laws. Sunni Muslims also believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and hadith with the same authority as their predecessors - that the door to ijtihad was never closed. However, the opinion of the 1st and 2nd century (7th and 8th century Gregorian calendar) scholars are given greater weight. Guardianship of the JurisprudenceTraditionally Twelver Shi'a Muslims consider Ali ibn Abi Talib and the other 11 imams not only religious guides but political leaders, based on a crucial hadith where the Prophet Muhammad passes on his power to command Muslims to Ali. Since the last Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, went into "occultation" in 939 AD and is not expected back until end times, this left Shi'a without religiously sanctioned governance. In contrast, the Ismaili Imams did successfully gain political power with the shortly lived Fatimid Empire. After the fall of the Fatimid Empire Ismaili Shi'asm started to lean towards secular thought. The first Shia regime, the Safavid dynasty in Iran, propagated the Twelver faith, made Twelver law the law of the land, and patronized Twelver scholarship. For this, Twelver ulama "crafted a new theory of government" which held that while "not truly legitimate", the Safavid monarchy would be "blessed as the most desirable form of government during the period of waiting" for the twelfth imam.[25] In general, the Shi'a adhere to one of three approaches towards the state: either full participation in government, i.e. attempting to influence policies by becoming active in politics, or passive cooperation with it, i.e. minimal participation, or else most commonly, mere toleration of it, i.e. remaining aloof from it. [26] Historically, Zaidi and Ismaili Shi'a imams functioned as both religious and political leaders, but later after the fall of the Fatimid Empire the Ismaili imamate became a secular institution. In general, Twelver Shi'a historically remained secular. This changed with Iranian Revolution where the Twelver Ayatollah Khomeini and his supporters established a new theory of governance for the Islamic Republic of Iran. It's based on Khomeini's theory of guardianship of the Islamic jurist as rule of the Islamic jurist, and jurists as "legatees" of the Prophet Muhammad. While not all Twelver Shi'a accept this theory, it is uniquely Twelver and the basis of the constitution of Iran, the largest Shi'a Muslim country, where the Supreme Leader must be an Islamic jurist. Ismaili
The Ism???l? ( al-Ism???liyy?n; Urdu: ???????? Ism???l?, Esm??iliy?n) branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Sh??ah community after the Twelvers. The Ism???l? get their name from their acceptance of Ism???l ibn Ja?far as the divinely-appointed spiritual successor (Im?m) to Ja?far a?-??diq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept M?sà al-K?zim, younger brother of Ism???l, as the true Im?m. The Ism???l? and the Twelvers both accept the same initial A'immah from the descendants of Muhammad through his daughter F??imah az-Zahra and therefore share much of their early history. After the death or Occultation of Im?m Mu?ammad ibn Ism???l in the 8th century, the teachings of Ismailism further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (b??in) of the faith. With the eventual development of Twelverism into the more literalistic (zahir) oriented Akhbari and later U??l? schools of thought, Sh??ism developed in two separate directions: the metaphorical Ism???l? group focusing on the mystical path and nature of God and the divine manifestation in the personage of the "Imam of the Time" as the "Face of God", while the more literalistic Twelver group focusing on divine law (shar??ah) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) of Mu?ammad and his successors (the Ahlu l-Bayt), who as A'immah were guides and a light to God.[27] Though there are several sub-groupings within the Ism???l?s, the term in today's vernacular generally refers to the Niz?r? community who are followers of the Aga Khan and the largest group among the Ism???liyyah. While many of the branches have extremely differing exterior practices, much of the spiritual theology has remained the same since the days of the faith's early Im?ms. In recent centuries Ism???l?s have largely been an Indo-Iranian community,[28] but they are found in India, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia[29], Yemen, China[30], Jordan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and South Africa, but have in recent years emigrated to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.[31] Ism???l? Im?msAfter the death of Ism???l? ibn Ja?far, many Ism???l? believed the line of Im?mate ended and that one day the messianic Mahdi, whom they believed to be Mu?ammad ibn Ism???l, would return and establish an age of justice. One group included the violent Qarmatians, who had a stronghold in Bahrain. In contrast, some Ism???l?s believed the Im?mate did continue, and that the Im?ms were in hiding and still communicated and taught their followers through a network of d???s "Missionaries". In 909, ?Ubaydall?h al-Mahdi bil-L?h, a claimant to the Ism???l? Im?mate, established the Fatimid Empire, a political power where Ism???l? Im?ms would rule for centuries. Egypt became the center of an empire that included at its peak North Africa, Sicily, Palestine, Syria, the Red Sea coast of Africa, Yemen and the Hejaz. Under the Fatimids, Egypt flourished and developed an extensive trade network in both the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, which eventually determined the economic course of Egypt during the High Middle Ages. During this period, three lineages of Im?ms formed. The first branch, known today as the Druze, occurred with the Im?m al-H?kim bi-Amrall?h. Born in 386 AH (985), he ascended as ruler at the age of eleven and was feared for his eccentricity and believed insanity. The typical religiously tolerant Fatimid Empire saw much persecution under his reign. When in 411 AH (1021) his mule returned without him, soaked in blood, a religious group that was even forming in his lifetime broke off from mainstream Ism???lism and refused to acknowledge his successor. Later to be known as the Druze, they believe al-H?kim to be the incarnation of God and the prophecized Mahdi, who would one day return and bring justice to the world.[32] The faith further split from Ism???lism as it developed very unique doctrines which often classes it separately from both Ism???liyyah and Islam. The second split occurred following the death of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah in 487 AH (1094). His rule was the longest of any Caliph in any Islamic empires. Upon his passing away his sons, the older Niz?r and the younger al-Musta?l? fought for political and spiritual control of the dynasty. Niz?r was defeated and jailed, but according to Niz?ri tradition, his son to escaped to Alamut where the Iranian Ism???l? had accepted his claim.[33] The Musta?l? line split again between the ?ayyib? and the ??fiz?, the former claiming that the 21st Im?m and son of al-Am?r went into Occultation and appointed a D??? al-Mu?laq to guide the community, in a similar manner as the Ism???l? had lived after the death of Mu?ammad ibn Ism???l. The latter claimed that the ruling Fatimid Caliph was the Im?m, and they died out with the fall of the Fatimid Empire. The Pillars of the Ism???l?The Ism???l? Seven Pillars of Islam, including the Niz?r?, Druze and Bohra (Musta?l?) have three doctrines that are not included in the Five Pillars of Islam: Walayah, Taharah and Jihad. This would raise the total to eight, but the Bohra do not include shah?dah, lowering it to seven. The shah?dah is a prominent part of other Ism???l? traditions, with the added inclusion of ?Aliyun Am?ru l-Mu'min?n Wal? All?h "?Al?, the Master of the Believers, is the wal? of God", at the end of the standard shah?dah as recited by the rest of the Muslim Ummah. [34].
Contemporary leadershipFor Niz?r?s, there has been less of a scholarly institution because of the existence of a present Im?m. The Im?m of the Age defines the jurisprudence, and may differ with Im?ms previous to him because of different times and circumstances. However, divine leadership has continued in the Bohra branch through the institution of the "Unrestricted Missionary". According to Bohra tradition, before the last Im?m, ?ayyib Abi l-Q??im, went into seclusion, his father, the 20th Im?m Mansur al-Amir Bi-Ahkamillah had instructed Queen Al-Hurra Al-Malika in Yemen to appoint a vicegerent after the seclusion - the Unrestricted Missionary, who as the Im?m's vicegerent has full authority to govern the community in all matters both spiritual and temporal while he is in the Occultation. The three branches of the Musta?l?, the Alavi Bohra, Sulaimani Bohra and Dawoodi Bohra, differ on who the current Unrestricted Missionary is. ZaidiThe Zaidi are a branch of Shi'a Islam named after the Im?m Zayd ibn ?Al?. Followers of the Zaidi fiqh are called Zaidis (or occasionally, Fivers by Sunnis). However, there is also a group called the Zaidi Was?t?s who are Twelvers (see below). Since the earliest form of Zaidism was of the Jarudiyya group[36], many of the first Zaidi states, like those of the Alavids, Buyids, Ukhaidhirids and Rassids, were inclined to the Jarudiyya group. The first Zaidi state was established in Daylaman and Tabaristan (northern Iran) in 864 C.E. by the Alavids[37]; it lasted until the death of its leader at the hand of the Samanids in 928 C.E. Roughly forty years later the state was revived in Gilan (north-western Iran) and survived under Hasanid leaders until 1126 C.E. After which from the 12th-13th centuries, the Zaidis of Daylaman, Gilan and Tabaristan then acknowledge the Zaidi Imams of Yemen or rival Zaidi Imams within Iran.[38] The Buyids were reported to have been Zaidi, as well as the Ukhaidhirite rulers of al-Yamama in the 9th and 10th centuries.[39] The leader of the Zaidi community took the title of Caliph. As such, the ruler of Yemen was known as the Caliph, al-Hadi Yahya bin al-Hussain bin al-Qasim ar-Rassi (a descendant of Imam al-Hasan) who, at Sa'da, in 893-7 C.E., founded the Zaidi Imamate and this system continued until the middle of the 20th century, until the revolution of 1962 C.E. that deposed the Zaidi Imam. The founding Zaidism of Yemen was of the Jarudiyya group, however with the increasing interaction with Hanafi and Shafi'i Sunni Islam, there was a shift from the Jarudiyya group to the Sulaimaniyya, Tabiriyya, Butriyya or Salihiyya groups.[40] Zaidis form the dominant religious group in Yemen. Currently, they constitute about 40-45% of the population in Yemen. Ja'faris and Isma'ilis are 2-5%.http://www.yemenincanada.ca/map.php,http://www.library.uu.nl/wesp/populstat/Asia/yemeng.htm In Saudi Arabia, it is estimated that there are over 1 million Zaidis (primarily in the western provinces). Currently the most prominent Zaidi movement is Husayn al-Huthi's Shabab al-Mu'mineen, who have been the subject of an ongoing campaign against them by the Yemeni Government in which the Army has lost 743 men and thousands of innocent civilians have been killed or displaced by government forces, causing a grave humanitarian crisis in north Yemen.
Sunni & Shi'a relationsThe Shi'a believe that the split between the Shia and Sunni began with Muhammad's death, when Abu Bakr was accepted as the successor to Muhammed by the majority of Muslims, then Umar and Uthman. They believe that the successorship was given to Ali at Ghadir Khum (a hadith accepted by Shi?a and Sunni scholars), and that the testimony that can be traced back to reliable sources is to be trusted, while traditions that cannot be fully verified are suspect. Shi'a and Sunni historians record that many Shi'a have been persecuted, intimidated, and killed, through what Shi'a consider a coup d'état against Ali's caliphate. Many prominent Salafi Sunni scholars are known to have openly considered the Shia as "kufar" (disbelievers). Imam Ash-Shafi'i, one of the most prominent early scholars of his time said in regards to the Shi'a "I have not seen among the heretics a people more famous for falsehood than the Raafidite Shi?ites."[42] Such statements stem mainly from differences in beliefs regarding Ali, Umar, and other companions, and in the Shia's use of various concepts, such as Muta. The renowned al-Azhar university of theology in Egypt, originally founded by the Ismaii Imams during the reign of the Fatimid Empire in 988 CE[43], considers Shi'a philosophy to be an indivisible part of the body of Islamic jurisprudence. Today, both Sunni and Shi'a students graduate from the Al-Azhar university which also teaches regarding both doctrines and uses certain Shi'a material in its courses. (See List of Shia books). On July 6, 1959, Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot -the head of the al-Azhar Theological school- announced the al-Azhar Shia Fatwa #Islam does not require a Muslim to follow a particular Madh'hab (school of thought). Rather, we say: every Muslim has the right to follow one of the schools of thought which has been correctly narrated and its verdicts have been compiled in its books. And, everyone who is following such Madhahib [schools of thought] can transfer to another school, and there shall be no crime on him for doing so. Doctrinal differencesBecause Islamic law and theology is based partly on hadith (traditions or customs of Mohammad) the Shia rejection of some Sunni hadith and Sunni rejection of some Shia hadith means that the versions understandings of Islam emerge. InfallibilityUnlike most Sunni Muslims and Zaidi Shi'a, Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a Muslims believe that the Ahl al-Bayt, who include the Ahl al-Kisa (People of the Cloak) and lineage of Imams, are in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility.[46] Esoteric interpretationUnlike many Sunni, Shia believe that faith has an outer meaning, Zahir, accessible to all through study of commentaries tafsir, and an inner or esoteric meaning, batin, accessible only through ta'wil [47] Ta'wil can only done by the Prophet and Imams[47] HadithFor example, while Twelver and Mustaali Shi'a, and all Sunni Muslims pray five times each day, some of the prayer times differ. Shia perform ritual prayers (Salah) back to back, sometimes worshipping two times consecutively, as in (1+2+2) - Asr with Dhuhr, and Isha'a with Maghrib, respectively. Shi'a do not perform non-obligatory prayers in congregation, like Tar'raweeh, which Sunnis pray during Ramadaan. Nizari Ismaili have a completely different style of prayer from both mainstream Shi'a and Sunni tradition. Mut'ahAnother issue of difference between the sects is that of Nikah Mut?ah or "temporary marriage". While the Sunni claim that Mut`ah is forbidden, Shia accept it because it is found in a number of Shia traditions that the practice is permitted. There are Sahih Shia traditions which maintain that mut'ah is forbidden, but these are dismissed as they contradict other narrations on mut'ah which were deemed more acceptable.[48] Many Shi'a discourage the practice of Mut'ah, but maintain that it is permissible. The Nizari Ismaili do not allow it at all. MohrAnother difference is that some Shia use soil (turbah) or clay tablets (mohr) during their prayers. PersecutionAt various times many Shi'a groups have faced persecution.[49][50][51][52][53][54] While the dominant strand in modern Sunni dogma regards Shiism as a valid madhhab, following Al Azhar, some Sunnis both now and in the past have regarded it as beyond the pale, and have attacked its adherents. In modern times, notable examples include the bombing campaigns by the Sunni Sipah-e-Sahaba, a small extremist group, against Shia mosques in Pakistan, the persecution of Hazara under the Taliban, and the bloody attacks linked with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his followers against Shia in Iraq. Religious places & eventsCalendar.jpg "Shi'a Muslims in Bahrain strike their chests during the Remembrance of Muharram.")
Shi'a Muslims in Bahrain strike their chests during the Remembrance of Muharram. Sunni, and Twelver and Mustaali Shi'a, celebrate the following annual holidays:
The following holidays are observed by Twelver and Mustaali Shi'a only, unless otherwise noted:
Holy citiesBoth Shia and Sunni Muslims share a certain veneration and religious obligations towards certain shrines and holy sites, such as Mecca (Masjid al-Haram), Medina (Al-Masjid al-Nabawi), and Jerusalem (Al-Aqsa Mosque). For a list of some of the holiest uniquely Shia shrines see Shia holy sites. See also
NotesReferencesFurther readingExternal links
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