Shia is an Arabic word that means ‘A group of people who join together for a particular purpose’ or ‘follower’. But specifically, the word Shia refers to the one who follows Imam Ali (AS) and his successors after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and believes that Imam Ali (AS) is the rightful successor of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) according to the Quran and the Hadith.
So the “Shia” briefly indicating Shīʿatu ʿAlī (شِيعَة عَلِيّ) meaning the “followers of Imam Ali (AS) “, refers to a denomination of Islam which holds the belief that on God’s command the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) designated Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as his successor and the leader of the Ummah. Today, Shia Islam also called Shi’ism and the School of Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) is one of the two main denominations of Islam.
What is the origin of Shia Islam?
Shi’ism is nothing other than Islam as taught by the Prophet (PBUH) and his Household, and it appeared during the Prophet’s (PBUH) lifetime. Based on the Prophet’s (PBUH) words and traditions, Ali (AS) had some supporters who were called his Shias even by the Prophet (PBUH).
The first followers of Imam Ali (AS) were some well-known companions of the Prophet (PBUH) such as Salman Al-Farsi, Abu Dhar Al-Ghaffari and Ammar ibn Yasir. Therefore, the birthplace of Shi’ism was the land of Hijaz, known today as Mecca and Medina (in modern day Saudi-Arabia).
What is the Shia belief?
The Islamic faith is formulated by the declaration of two facts, i.e., that there is no god but Allah (SWT) and that Muhammad (PBUH) is God’s messenger. Muslims believe that Allah (SWT) is one. God has no partner or children and God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Among Divine Attributes the Shia put a great emphasis on Divine Justice; God is just (Adil), so God never commits any injustice towards God’s creations and never oppresses anyone.
The Shia Muslims, like other Muslims, believe that the first prophet of God was Adam (AS) and the last of them was Muhammad (PBUH), the seal of the prophets. The Shia Muslims also believe that all the prophets were infallible. Shia Islam is specifically identified with having the belief in Imamate and Wilayah. In Shia theology, Wilayah is the authority invested in the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) as representatives of the Almighty Allah (SWT) on this earth. This authority of the chosen servants of Allah (SWT) is totally dependent on Divine Discretion and Power.
Indeed for the Shia, the Prophets are interlinked by an uninterrupted chain of minor prophets and saints and are followed by the Imams (AS) after the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and that all together constitute the great family of the “Friends of God”. The Shia believes, Imamate (God-assigned leadership after the end of prophethood) is one of Allah’s (SWT) blessings for mankind by which the religion was perfected.
On the 18th of Dhul-Hajjah, ten years after the Hijra, in a place called Ghadir Khum among a large crowd of people, the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) officially designated Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as his successor; the leader and Imam of the Ummah after him, saying “Whoever I am his leader (Mawla), Ali is his leader (Mawla)”.
Therefore, the first Imam (AS) was appointed by the Prophet (PBUH) himself, and each in turn was appointed by his predecessor according to the Divine Decree.
The Twelve Shia Imams (AS) are:
Imam Ali (AS), the son of the Prophet’s (PBUH) paternal uncle, Abu Talib (AS)
Imam Hassan ibn Ali (AS), the elder son of Imam Ali (AS) and the Prophet’s daughter Lady Fatimah Zahra (SA)
Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS), the younger son of Imam Ali (AS) and Lady Fatimah Zahra (SA)
Imam Sajjad (AS), the son of Imam Hussain (AS) and Shahrbanu (SA) the daughter of Yazdegerd
Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (AS), the son of the fourth Imam (AS)
Imam Jafar As-Sadeq (AS), the son of the fifth Imam (AS)
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (AS), the son of the sixth Imam (AS)
Imam Ali Al-Ridha (AS), the son of the seventh Imam (AS)
Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad (AS), the son of the eighth Imam (AS)
Imam Ali Al-Hadi (AS), the son of the ninth Imam (AS)
Imam Hassan Al-Askari (AS), the son of the tenth Imam (AS)
Imam Al-Mahdi (AJ), the son of the eleventh Imam (AS)
One of the fundamental beliefs of the Shia is that Imam Mahdi (AJ) who was born in AH 255/AD 869 is alive. In the year of AH 329/AD 939 his “Greater Occultation” began and it will continue for as long as God Wills, but when he reappears, he will erase evil and injustice from the world.
Who are the modern-day Shia Muslims?
Nowadays, it is estimated that Shia Muslims are between 240 million up to 400 million of the population of the world across 198 countries. Some 70 percent of the people living in the Persian Gulf region, and approximately 50 percent of those in the arc from Lebanon to Pakistan are Shia Muslims. Between 68 to 80 percent of the world’s Shia population live in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq. In four countries – Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq – Shia Muslims make up the majority of the total population and significant numbers of Shias live in Turkey, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Nigeria and Tanzania. Shia Muslims constitute a relatively small percentage of the Muslim population elsewhere in the world.
Throughout the Shia history, its Islamic seminaries have been the most stable and influential societal institutions. Today, the Shia Islamic Seminary of Najaf Ashraf, in Iraq, and the Islamic Seminary of Qom, in Iran, are two of the major centres for the Shia jurisprudence and education for the great Shia scholars.
The most widespread social and religious event across the Shia world communities is the mourning ceremony for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) in Ashura which is held annually in the first ten days of the Month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar.
Also, the Arbaeen Pilgrimage which takes place every year in Karbala, Iraq, is the world’s largest annual public gathering with over 20 million participants in recent years, it is a Shia religious ritual for the commemoration of the 40th day of Imam Hussain’s (AS) martyrdom.
What are the major books of the Shia Islam?
The main sources reflecting the Shia beliefs are the Holy Quran, and Nahj ul-Balaghah which is the most famous collection of sermons, letters, Tafsirs and narrations attributed to Imam Ali (AS), as well as Sahifa Sajjadiya which is a book containing Imam Sajjad’s (AS) supplications, Risalah Al-Huqooq (Treatise on Rights) which is another book of Imam Sajjad (AS) about the duties of a human being, Mafatihul-Jinan by Sheikh Abbas Qummi which is the collection of the most popular supplications in the Shia Islam and the four books of Hadiths (narrations) regarded as authentic by the Shia scholars including Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, Man la yahdharahul-Faqih by Sheikh Al-Sadooq, Tahdhibul-Ahkam and Al-Istibsar by Sheikh Al-Toosi.
source:shafaqna