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The '''Shia''' ( ''Shīʿah''), or the '''Shiites''', represent the second largest [[Islamic schools and branches|denomination]] of [[Islam]]. with an estimated 50% of the total Muslim population.
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'''Shi‘ites''' (or ''Shi‘is'') are adherents of ''Shi‘ite Islam'' (also referred to as ''Shi‘a Islam'' or ''Shi‘ism''), and make up the second largest sect of [[Islam]] with an estimated 10-20% of the total Muslim population worldwide.<ref>[http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/comparison_charts/islamic_sects.htm Comparison of Sunni and Shia Islam] - ReligionFacts</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540503/Shiite Shīʿite] - Encyclopædia Britannica Online (2010)</ref><ref>[http://pewforum.org/Muslim/Mapping-the-Global-Muslim-Population%286%29.aspx Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 7, 2009</ref><ref>Tracy Miller - [http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 2009</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html The World Factbook]</ref>


Adherents of Shia Islam are called '''Shias''' or the '''Shi'a''' as a collective or '''Shi'i''' individually.<ref>''Shi'a'' is an alternative spelling of ''Shia'', and ''Shi'ite'' of ''Shiite''. In subsequent sections, the spellings ''Shia'' and ''Shiite'' are adopted for consistency, except where the alternative spelling is in the title of a reference.</ref> ''Shi'a'' is the short form of the historic phrase ''Shīʻatu ʻAlī'' meaning "followers", "faction" or "party" of [[Muhammad]]'s son-in-law and cousin [[Ali]], whom the Shia believe to be Muhammad's successor in the [[Caliphate]]. [[Twelver Shia]] (''Ithnā'ashariyyah'') is the largest branch of Shia Islam, and the term Shia Muslim is often taken to refer to Twelvers by default. {{as of|2009}} Shia Muslims constituted 10-13% of the world's Muslim population, Shias comprised 11-14% of the Muslim population in the Middle East-North Africa region, and between 68% and 80% of Shias lived in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq.<ref name=PEW2009>{{cite web|title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2009/10/07/mapping-the-global-muslim-population/|accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref>
The historic background of the [[Sunni]]–Shi'ite split lies in the schism that occurred when the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] died in the year 632 AD, leading to a dispute over succession to Muhammad as a [[caliph]] of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world which led to the Battle of Siffin.  


Shia Islam is based on the [[Quran]] and the message of the [[Prophets in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] attested in [[hadith]] recorded by the Shia, and certain books deemed sacred to the Shia ([[Nahj al-Balagha]]).<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|url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2189?_hi=26&_pos=238 |title=From the article on Shii Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online |publisher=Oxfordislamicstudies.com |accessdate=2011-05-04}}</ref> Shia consider Ali to have been divinely appointed as the successor to Muhammad, and as the first [[Imamah (Shia doctrine)|Imam]]. The Shia also extend this "Imami" doctrine to Muhammad's family, the ''[[Ahl al-Bayt]]'' ("the People of the House"), and certain individuals among his descendants, known as ''Imams'', who they believe possess special spiritual and political authority over the community, infallibility, and other divinely-ordained traits.<ref name=franc46>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-islam.org/principles-shiite-creed-ayatullah-ibrahim-amini/lesson-13-imams-traits|title=Lesson 13: Imam’s Traits|work=Al-Islam.org}}</ref> Although there are myriad Shia subsects, modern Shia Islam has been divided into three main groupings: [[Twelver]]s, [[Ismailism|Ismaili]]s and [[Zaidiyyah|Zaidi]]s with  [[Twelver Shia]] being the largest and most influential group among Shia.<ref>Tabataba'i (1979), p. 76</ref><ref>God's rule: the politics of world religions - Page 146, Jacob Neusner - 2003</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540503/Shiite |title=Shīʿite |work= |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online |year=2010 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref><ref>Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam," Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0-19-515713-0. p.40</ref>
According to this Shi'ite view, Ali is the singular, rightful successor of Muhammad in his role as leader of the Muslim community, not only ruled over the community in [[justice]], but also as the interpreter of [[Shari'ah (Islamic Law)|Islamic law]] and its esoteric meaning. Hence he was regarded as being free from error and sin (infallible), and appointed by [[Allah]] by divine decree (nass) to be the first Imam.
 
Shi'ites allow for the combination of the five [[Salah|prayers]] into three prayer times; morning, afternoon and night. The five prayers are still proscribed however these combinations are allowed with regard to time constraints on the believer's day.
 
Shi'ites, as with the Sunnis, also follow the Qur'an and [[Sunnah]]. Shi'ites have their own form of [[hadith]] which only they follow, largely based on sermons by Ali, ''Al-Kafi'' and ''Nahj al-Balagha'' being seen as the most reliable.<ref>[http://www.ahya.org/amm/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=72 Al Kafi - The Bukhari of Shi'ism] - AHYA</ref> Shi'ite [[fiqh]] (according to a fatwa by Al-Azhar, the most respected authority in Sunni Islam)<ref>[http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/14.html al-Azhar Verdict on the Shia] - Shi'ite Encyclopedia v2.0, Al-islam</ref> is accepted as a fifth [[Madh'hab|school of Islamic thought]].
 
=Islamic Unity=
Islamic unity is a term that usually refers to establishing good and peaceful relations between [[Shiites|Shi'ite]]s and [[Sunni]]s, who together form almost the entire [[Islam|Islamic]] [[Ummah]], and can refer to political unity in the form of a [[Caliph|Caliphate]].
 
Shi'ite Ja'fari [[fiqh]] (according to a [[fatwa]] by Al-Azhar, the most respected authority in Sunni Islam)<ref>[http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/14.html al-Azhar Verdict on the Shia] - Shi'ite Encyclopedia v2.0, Al-islam</ref> can be accepted as a legitimate fifth [[Madh'hab|school of Islamic thought]].
 
Other advocates of Islamic unity between Shi'ites and Sunnis include; Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani,<ref>[http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1470 Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani: Iran Supports Palestinian and Lebanese "Mujahideen," But Will Not Initiate the Annihilation of Israel] - MEMRI TV, Video No. 1470, May 18, 2007</ref> Hojatoleslam Ali Yunesi,<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2002/25-080702.html RFE/RL Iran Report] - GlobalSecurity, 8 July 2002, Volume  5, Number  25</ref> Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,<ref>Mubahala - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymMXX2JASTI Imam Khumayni on Islamic Unity - Eng sub] - YouTube</ref> [[Imam Khamenei|Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]],<ref>Kumail12 - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25m5j_3hMxM muslim unity] - YouTube</ref> Hezbollah,<ref>[http://www.claudiomoffa.it/pdf/Hezbollahchavez20060816.pdf Hezbollah: We don’t have Shia agenda] - The Asianage, August 16, 2006</ref> the Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin,<ref>Syed Ali Safvi - [http://www.kashmiraffairs.org/safvi_yusuf_kashmiri_sept08.html Remembering Ayatollah Yousuf Kashmiri] - KashmirAffairs, September 24, 2008</ref> and [[Zakir Naik]].<ref>Shakirshuvo - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-exUaeDB858 Unity Of The Ummah - Dr. Zakir Naik (1/13)] - YouTube</ref> Opponents include Abu Musab Zarqawi,<ref>Michel Chossudovsky - [http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=967 Al Qaeda and the Iraqi Resistance Movement] - Global Research, September 18, 2005</ref> and Sipah-e Sahaba.<ref> Najum Mustaq - [http://moderate.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/americas-musharraf-dilemma/ America’s Musharraf Dilemma] - Moderate Observer, March 2, 2007</ref>


==See Also==
==See Also==
*[[Sunni]]
*[[Sunni]]
*[[Shi'ites]] ''- A hub page that leads to other articles related to Shi'ites''


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:Shi'ism]]
[[Category:Stubs]]
[[Category:Rashidun Caliphs]]
[[Category:Terms and Definitions]]
[[Category:Islamic History]]
{{page_title|Shi'ite}}
[[Category:Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House)]]
[[Category:Sacred history]]

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Shi‘ites (or Shi‘is) are adherents of Shi‘ite Islam (also referred to as Shi‘a Islam or Shi‘ism), and make up the second largest sect of Islam with an estimated 10-20% of the total Muslim population worldwide.[1][2][3][4][5]

The historic background of the Sunni–Shi'ite split lies in the schism that occurred when the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in the year 632 AD, leading to a dispute over succession to Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world which led to the Battle of Siffin.

According to this Shi'ite view, Ali is the singular, rightful successor of Muhammad in his role as leader of the Muslim community, not only ruled over the community in justice, but also as the interpreter of Islamic law and its esoteric meaning. Hence he was regarded as being free from error and sin (infallible), and appointed by Allah by divine decree (nass) to be the first Imam.

Shi'ites allow for the combination of the five prayers into three prayer times; morning, afternoon and night. The five prayers are still proscribed however these combinations are allowed with regard to time constraints on the believer's day.

Shi'ites, as with the Sunnis, also follow the Qur'an and Sunnah. Shi'ites have their own form of hadith which only they follow, largely based on sermons by Ali, Al-Kafi and Nahj al-Balagha being seen as the most reliable.[6] Shi'ite fiqh (according to a fatwa by Al-Azhar, the most respected authority in Sunni Islam)[7] is accepted as a fifth school of Islamic thought.

Islamic Unity

Islamic unity is a term that usually refers to establishing good and peaceful relations between Shi'ites and Sunnis, who together form almost the entire Islamic Ummah, and can refer to political unity in the form of a Caliphate.

Shi'ite Ja'fari fiqh (according to a fatwa by Al-Azhar, the most respected authority in Sunni Islam)[8] can be accepted as a legitimate fifth school of Islamic thought.

Other advocates of Islamic unity between Shi'ites and Sunnis include; Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani,[9] Hojatoleslam Ali Yunesi,[10] Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,[11] Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,[12] Hezbollah,[13] the Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin,[14] and Zakir Naik.[15] Opponents include Abu Musab Zarqawi,[16] and Sipah-e Sahaba.[17]

See Also

References

  1. Comparison of Sunni and Shia Islam - ReligionFacts
  2. Shīʿite - Encyclopædia Britannica Online (2010)
  3. Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population - Pew Research Center, October 7, 2009
  4. Tracy Miller - Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population - Pew Research Center, October 2009
  5. The World Factbook
  6. Al Kafi - The Bukhari of Shi'ism - AHYA
  7. al-Azhar Verdict on the Shia - Shi'ite Encyclopedia v2.0, Al-islam
  8. al-Azhar Verdict on the Shia - Shi'ite Encyclopedia v2.0, Al-islam
  9. Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani: Iran Supports Palestinian and Lebanese "Mujahideen," But Will Not Initiate the Annihilation of Israel - MEMRI TV, Video No. 1470, May 18, 2007
  10. RFE/RL Iran Report - GlobalSecurity, 8 July 2002, Volume 5, Number 25
  11. Mubahala - Imam Khumayni on Islamic Unity - Eng sub - YouTube
  12. Kumail12 - muslim unity - YouTube
  13. Hezbollah: We don’t have Shia agenda - The Asianage, August 16, 2006
  14. Syed Ali Safvi - Remembering Ayatollah Yousuf Kashmiri - KashmirAffairs, September 24, 2008
  15. Shakirshuvo - Unity Of The Ummah - Dr. Zakir Naik (1/13) - YouTube
  16. Michel Chossudovsky - Al Qaeda and the Iraqi Resistance Movement - Global Research, September 18, 2005
  17. Najum Mustaq - America’s Musharraf Dilemma - Moderate Observer, March 2, 2007