Shia Islam Totally Explained

Everything about Shi A totally explained

Shia Islam (Shī‘a Arabic: شيعة; is collective; Shī‘i, , is singular), is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. Shi'a Muslims, though a minority in the Muslim world, constitute the majority in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Azerbaidjan and Bahrain. Most scholars and polymaths of the Islamic Golden Age were Shi'a Muslims, including Avicenna, Geber, al-Farabi, al-Biruni, Alhacen and Al Tusi.
   Shias adhere to the teachings of Islamic prophet Muhammad, but unlike Sunnis, they follow the religious guidance of his family (the Ahl al-Bayt) or his descendants known as Shi'a Imams, whom they consider the keepers and instructors of Qur'an and Sunnah. Unlike Sunnis, Shias believe Ali ibn Abi Talib (Muhammad's cousin and husband of Fatimah) was the true successor to Muhammad who was appointed by God and his prophet and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three caliphs of Islamic history.
   Shia also represents more than a school of Islamic thought. There are various Shia theologies, systems of jurisprudence, philosophies and mysticisms. Shia embodies a completely independent system of religious and political authority and religious interpretation. Thus it makes a minority in the Muslim history that has made a considerable contribution to Islamic civilization. Shia identity emerged in the first Islamic century, Shia theology and Fiqh were formulated in the second century and the first Shia governments and societies were established by the end of the third century. There are an estimated 130 to 190 million Shi'ites, 10-15% of the world's Muslims.
   Shia Islam is divided into theological branches. The largest and best known is the Twelvers which forms a majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain, as well as a plurality in Lebanon. Other branches include the Ismaili and Zaidiyyah. Many groups, including the Alawi sect, deify Imam Ali, which is considered heresy among mainstream Shias..

Etymology

"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.

Overview

Shia Muslims believe that the descendants from Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah Zahra and his son-in-law Ali (the Imams) were the best source of knowledge about the Qur'an and Islam, the most trusted carriers and protectors of Muhammad's Sunnah (traditions), and the most worthy of emulation.
   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's 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 male descendant of Muhammad. The seminal event in Shia history is the martyrdom in 680 CE of Ali's son Hussein, who led an non-allegiance movement against the defiant caliph (71 of Hussein's followers were killed as well). For the Shia, Hussein came to symbolize resistance to tyranny.
   Regardless of the dispute about the Caliphate, the Shia recognize the religious authority of the Shia Imams, also called Khalifa Ilahi. There are two interpretations about the emergence of Shia. One of them emphasizes on the political struggle about succession of Muhammad which happened after death of Muhammad and especially during the First Fitna. 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 wasn't 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 possibility existed within the Islamic revelation itself and so had to be realized. Inasmuch as there were exoteric[Zaheri] and esoteric[Bateni] interpretations from the very beginning, from which developed the schools (madhhab) of the Sharia and Sufism in the Sunni world, there also had to be an interpretation of Islam which would combine these elements in a single whole. This possibility was realized in Shi'ism, for which the Imam is the person in whom these two aspects of traditional authority are united and in whom the religious life is marked by a sense of tragedy and martyrdom... Hence the question which arose wasn't so much who should be the successor of Muhammad as what the function and qualifications of such a person would be.

Demographics

By some estimates, approximately 10-15% of the world's Muslims are Shi'a. There are an estimated 130 to 190 million Shi'a Muslims
A large portion of the world's Shi'a live in the Middle East. The Shi'a Muslims

are a majority in Azerbaijan (approx. 85%), Iraq (approx. 65%), Bahrain (approx. 80%) and Iran, where 90% of the population are Shi'a Muslims. (External Link

). In Lebanon, the Shi'a form a plurality, and they remain as significant minorities in Syria (at 17%), India (at 10% of the Muslim population), Pakistan (at 20-35%) by including Ismailis and Sufis, Afghanistan (at 18%), Turkey (20%) and Yemen (45%). The smaller Persian Gulf states of Qatar, Kuwait (at 36%) and the United Arab Emirates (at 16%) also have significant Shi'a minorities, as does the (Eastern Province ~33%) of Saudi Arabia.
   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, hasn't 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 . 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're called akkaf (عكف) which means rejecters (رافضه).

Doctrines

Main doctrines

The Twelver Shia believe in the five pillars of Islam, as do Sunnis, but categorize them differently. Shia beliefs include the following:

Theology of Shi'a (Usūl al-Dīn)

Five basic elements of Islam according to Twelver Shi'a beliefs are:

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 (that is, a perfect system of how to live in "peace" or "submission to God"). Prophets are Messengers which are appointed by Allah to bring the message of God to people and spread that message while the Imam (leader) is appointed by Allah to protect that message since ordinary people will fail to do so. Also, as Muhammad was the last messenger of God which means the message he brought was the last and final message to the people from Allah, none is supposed to bring a message from Allah after Muhammed, therefore, if people were left with the message alone, the true message couldn't survive long and would have undergone changes. Imams were therefore appointed to take care of the message and prevent people from going astray after the last prophet.

Imamah (Leadership): God has appointed specific leaders to lead and guide mankind — a prophet appoints a custodian of the religion before his demise. Shia believe in Twelve Imams, eleven of whom were killed, but they believe their twelfth Imam is still alive. Their history says that he disappeared after performing rituals of the eleventh Imam's (his father's) death. He is still under 'ghaybat' or 'occultation' and will appear on the face of the earth to raise the truth and bring an end to tyranny and oppression

Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment): After the annihilation of this world, God will raise mankind for Judgement.

Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn)

Salat (Prayer) – Performing the five daily prayers.

Sawm (Fast) – fasting during the Islamic holy lunar month of Ramadhan (Able to eat while the sun is hidden)

Hajj (Pilgrimage) – performing the pilgrimage to Mecca (once in a lifetime)

Zakat (Poor-rate) – paying the poor-tax (2.5% of your wealth every year should go to the poor)

Khums (One-fifth of savings) – paying tax to the Imam (سهم امام)

Jihad (Struggle) – struggling to please the Almighty. The greater, or internal Jihad is the struggle against the evil within one's 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. This isn't to be mistaken with the common modern misconception that this means "Holy War". Writing the truth (jihad bil qalam) and speaking truth in front of an oppressor are also forms of Jihad.

Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf – commanding what is good

Nahi-Anil-Munkar – forbidding what is evil

Tawalla – loving the Ahlul Bayt and their followers

Tabarra – dissociating oneself from the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt

Governance

Traditionally Twelver Shia 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 isn't expected back until end times, this left Shia without religiously sanctioned governance.
   The first Twelver Shia regime, the Safavid dynasty in Iran, propagated the Twelver faith, made Shia law the law of the land, and patronized Shia scholarship. For this, Shia 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 12th Imam.
   In general, Shia jurists adhere to one of three approaches towards the state: either full participation in government, for example attempting to influence policies by becoming active in politics, or passive cooperation with it, for example minimal participation, or else most commonly, mere toleration of it, for example remaining aloof from it.
   This changed with Iranian Revolution where the 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 accept this theory, it's uniquely Shia and the basis of the constitution of Iran, the leading Shia Muslim country, where the Supreme Leader must be an Islamic jurist.

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. 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.
It is believed in Shi'asm 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.
According to Twelvers, there's 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.

Esoteric interpretation

Unlike 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 Ta'wil can only done by the Prophet and Imams

Hadith

For example, while both Shia and Sunni 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. Shia don't perform non-obligatory prayers in congregation, like Tar'raweeh, which Sunnis pray during Ramadaan.

Mut'ah

Another 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's 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. Many Shia discourage the practice of Mut'ah, but maintain that it's permissible.

Mohr

Another difference is that some Shia use soil (turbah) or clay tablets (mohr) during their prayers.

Religious calendar

All Muslims, Sunni or Shia, celebrate the following annual holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر), which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan and falls on the first day of Shawwal.

Eid ul-Adha, which marks the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah, starts on the 10th day of Dhul Hijja. The following holidays are observed by Shia only, unless otherwise noted:

The Remembrance of Muharram and Ashurah (عاشوراء) for Shia commemorates Imam Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom. Imam Husayn was grandson of Muhammad, who was killed by Yazid ibn Muawiyah, the Sunnis' 6th Khalif. Ashurah is a day of deep mourning which occurs on the 10th of Muharram. Sunnis also celebrate Ashurah, but give it a different meaning (see Ashurah). On January 19, 2008, 2 million Iraqi Shia pilgrims marched through Karbala city, Iraq to celebrate Ashura. 20,000 Iraqi troops and police guarded the event amid tensions due to clashes between between Iraqi troops and the cult which left 263 people dead (in Basra and Nasiriya).

Arba'een 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 (some of whom were direct descendants of Muhammad) 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 both Sunni and Shia on the 17th of Rabi al-Awwal, which coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq.

Mid-Sha'ban is the birth date of the 12th and final imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. It is celebrated by Twelvers on the 15th of Shaban. Many Shia fast on this day to show gratitude.

Eid al-Ghadeer celebrates Ghadir Khum, the occasion when Muhammad announced Ali's imamate before a multitude of Muslims. Eid al-Ghadeer is held on the 18th of Dhil-Hijjah.

Al-Mubahila celebrates a meeting between the household of Muhammad and a Christian deputation from Najran. Al-Mubahila is held on the 24th of Dhil-Hijjah.

Important Shia shrines and holy sites

Both 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.

Sunni persecutions of Shi'a

At various times many Shi'a groups have faced persecution.
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.

History of Shia-Sunni relations

The Shia 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 scholars), and that the testimony that can be traced back to reliable sources is to be trusted, while traditions that can't be fully verified are suspect.
Shia and Sunni historians record that many Shia have been persecuted, intimidated, and killed, through what Shia 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 Shia "I have not seen among the heretics a people more famous for falsehood than the Raafidite Shi’ites." 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 Shia during the reign of the Fatimid caliphate in 988, considers Shia philosophy to be an indivisible part of the body of Islamic jurisprudence. Today, both Sunni and Shia students graduate from the Al-Azhar university which also teaches regarding both doctrines and uses certain Shia 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 doesn't 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 [schoolsof thought] can transfer to another school, and there shall be no crime on him for doing so.
The Ja'fari school of thought, which is also known as "al-Shia al-Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah" (for example, The Twelver Imami Shi'ites) is a school of thought that's religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has made differing statements on the matter, and seems to have changed his stance on Shi'aism as he acquired more knowledge on the topic:

"Let it be known to all that the Shi`ah are Muslims who believe in the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes, there's no doubt that the Shi`ah have their beliefs and dogmas which we condemn as heresy but this doesn’t make them non-Muslims." (August 17, 2006)

"He pointed out that he travelled to Iran around 8 years ago and met with former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and was received enthusiastically. And he told the Shia scholars there that if there's to be a true discussion and unity amongst us it's necessary for a number of things to be fully stopped, such as your saying that the Quran in our hands is altered and that the Mushaf Faatemah is an addition to this Quran, and the constant insults upon the Sahaabah, May Allah be pleased with them . And it's beyond imagination that I'd say Abu Bakr, Radhia Allahu Anhu, and you say, La'anahu Allah, this is totally unacceptable. Also to stop consistently talking about Ali's higher right to Khilaphah, for all of them have died and the matter is finished, and that Umar bin Abdul Aziz was asked on the past conflict between Ali and Muawiyah and the blood in this conflict, he said that Allah has cleansed our hands from this blood so why should we soil our tongues with it." (September 3, 2006)

Similar fatwas (promoting the acceptance of Shi'as into mainstream Islam) have not been issued by some Sunni scholars or universities. A number of contemporary Sunni scholars such as Shaykh Dr Khaalid ibn ‘Ali al-Mushayqih (who released a fatwa regarding praying with the Shia) maintain that Shia are not considered as Muslims, unless they deny certain beliefs found in a number of Shia hadith books like al-kafi that are accepted by the majority of twelver Shia:
The Shia and Sunnis differ in their view of Aisha (one of the wives of the Muhammad). The Shia have a dim view of her character whereas the Sunnis consider her an exemplary woman. The differences stem primarily from the Shia claim of dishonourable behaviour with Muhammad and her taking a position opposed to the position of the fourth Caliph Ali regarding how to handle the prosecution of the assassinators of the third Caliph Uthman. For more details, please refer to Sunni and Shia views of Aisha.

Notable Shia Muslims

Scholars

Muhammad Ya'qub Kulainy

Shaikh Saduq

Sheikh al-Mufid

Abu Ja'far al-Tusi

Nasir al-Din Tusi

Contemporary scholars

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