Shi'i
shici
The largest non Sunni
branch of Islam, the Shi`i, in their various forms
represent some 10-15 percent of the Muslim world. The term Shi`i refers
to the partisans of the fourth Caliph Ali, who was
Muhammad's son in law through his daughter Fatima,
the last Caliph to be elected, as well as the
last to be drawn from the original nucleus of converts from the Mecca-Medina
period. The Shi`i, in their various forms, are significant minorities in
Lebanon, Syria, Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain,
the Gulf States, Pakistan and India. They represent the largest religious
group in Iraq, and the overwhelming majority (88%)
in Iran, where Shi`i Islam has been the state religion
since the 16th century AD.
The seeds of schism were planted upon the deathbed of the Prophet Muhammad,
when, according to Shi`i tradition, he indicated that Ali be his successor
as the leader of Islam. As it turned out, it would be some 24 years before
Ali would become Caliph, and in that time, a sizeable group of partisans
formed around the charismatic zealot. Ali's election and rule turned out
to be very tumultuous, and he was murdered during the 5th year of his reign
(for more information see Ali).
Upon the assassination of Ali, after a short period of disorder the Caliphate
was reorganized under the rule of Mu'awiyaa who established the Ummawiyy
dynasty. Mu'awiyaa's rule brought many innovations and the old partisans
of Ali formed the nucleus of the opposition. Ali's eldest son Hassan
came to an accommodation with Mu'awiyaa, and it was not until his death
and the rise of Ali's second son, Husayn to leadership
of the Shi`i faction that the split occurred.
Upon the death of Mu'awiyaa in 680 AD, hoping to make his claim to the
Caliphate, Hussayn left Medina for Kufah. He was trapped in the desert
at Karbala by the soldiers of Yazid, son of Mu'awiyaa and the new Caliph.
Without water and hopelessly outnumbered, Hussayn and his followers fought
a desperate battle and Hussayn and many followers were killed (for more
information see Husayn). From this point on the
Shi`i became alienated, and with a few exceptions were persecuted by Yazid
and succeeding Caliphs.
As the main tenant of the Shi'i is the illegitimacy of the Caliphate after
Ali, over the next few centuries the Shi`i cause drew many supporters from
among the disaffected in the Caliphate, frequently among those not of Arab
origin, who were considered second class citizens. Of greater significance
was the use of the Shi`i cause as a rallying point for opposition, uprisings,
and rebellions. Aside from many failed rebellions, the Shi`i played critical
roles in ending the Ummawiyys dynasty, and the
Shi`i Buwayhid, a Persian dynasty, controlled the Abbasid
Caliphate for over 100 years. Competitors to the Baghdad Caliphate, the
Fatimid dynasty centered in first in Tunis and then Egypt and the Almohads
in the Maghreb were likewise Shi`i. More dramatically, the Nizari Cult
of the Assassins, founded by Hassan Sabbah and centered at the mountain
fortress of Alamut, terrorized both Christian and Muslim leaders during
the Crusades and gave Europe the word assassin (corruption of Hashish,
which was used in their rituals).
However, the fortunes of the Shi`i were very precarious until their establishment
as the state religion of Safavid dynasty in Persia in the 16th century.
From this point on, the Twelver Shi'i received significant support, protection
and funding from the Persian state, and major theological centers were
built up in Esfahan, Najaf, Qom and Mashad. It
has been particularly since the 16th century that the Twelver Shi`i have
become the dominant Shi'i sect and developed a very distinct character
from the Sunni majority. It has also been since the 16th century that the
Twelver cause has taken on a strong identification with Iranian
foreign policy, with Twelver minorities looking to Iran for support and
Iran viewing Twelver's abroad as it's clients.
In the first few centuries of the Islamic era, any of Ali's descendents,
the Alid's, where considered acceptable candidates to be leaders of the
Shi'i, but as time went on it became more important for the Shi'i leader
to be descended from Ali through Hussayn along a designated line. Unlike
the Sunni, the Shi`i normally use the term Imam to refer only to Ali and
those descendents of his who led the Shi`i faction. The most significant
divide among the Shi`i today is among those recognizing 12 Imams known
as Twelvers, and those recognizing 7, known as Seveners, or more commonly
Ismailis, after Ismail, their seventh Imam, and the Zayyidi who differ
after the fourth Imam, and who accept any Alid who is learned and who asserts
his rule through force of arms.
A significant feature of Twelver Shi`i belief is in the expectation of
the return of the last Imam, called the Mahdi,
to lead the faithful in establishing the Shi`i belief on Islam in preparation
for the Judgement Day. Other features with roots in Judeo-Christian tradition
are the focus on the trials of the martyrs (rawda kani) and exultation
of martyrdom in general, the use of self-flagelation as part of religious
ritual and the commemoration of the 10 days ending in the events of Karbala
(ta'ziya) which are the central event of the Shi`i calendar and bear significant
similarities to the passion of Christ. One Shi`i innovations is the permissible
use of pragmatic dissimulation (taqiyya), that is, the denial of faith
in public, while maintaining it in private. Another innovation is the principle
of temporary marriage (mut'a), in which a marriage contract can be entered
for a set time, for every period of time between 1 day and 99 years. The
woman entering the mut'a, is paid a set amount of money. According to some
Shi'i traditions, a man performing 4 mut'as, is secured a place in Paradise.
With the Iranian revolution, the system of mut'a was reinstalled as a part
of the total Muslim practice.
While the Sunni view the Shi'i as innovators, introducing new and unorthodox
elements into Islam, the Shi'i view themselves as the true fundamentalists
of Islam by retaining the leadership of Muhammad's household. This dilemma
can be understood in the context of the methods with which the early Muslims
sought guidance in matters not explicitly covered in the Koran.
The Shi'i relied on the opinions of their Imams, who as descendents of
Mohammad and Ali were viewed as having a closer connection to the divine.
The Sunni relied on traditions based in theological and juridical schools
and involving analogies drawn from the Koran and Hadith,
as well as from the consensus of theologians where analogies were not possible.
The four Imam's agreed upon by almost all currently existing branch's of
Shi'i Islam are Ali, Hassan,
Husayn, and Ali Zayn l'Abidin.
The Zayyidi of northern Yemen then recognize Ali Zayn l'Abidin's son Zayyid,
after which they recognize a multitude of Imams in different times and
places. The most significant line of Imams was founded in Yemen in 893AD
and lasted until the 1960s.
The Ismailis and Twelvers both recognize Muhammad
al Baqir, and Jafar as Sadiq, after which
the Ismailis recognize Jafar's son Ismail. The various Ismaili traditions
then recognize different lines of Imams which reach down to the present
day.
The Twelvers continue with Musa al Kazim, Ali ar Rida, Muhammad at Taqi,
Ali al Hadi, Hassan al
Askari, and Muhammad al Mahdi, their last
Imam, whom they believe to be hidden.
The Twelver Shi'i are also sometimes referred to as Rafidi, Jafari, Mutawahi,
Qizilbash, Imami, Ithna Ashari, and al Khassa.
Some offshoots of Shi'i Islam include the Druze,
Nusayri, and the Baha'i.