Shia theology

thumb|upright=0.8|Muslims use the single raised index finger gesture (al-sabbaba or al-sabbaha) as a symbol of tawhid.

In Islam, taqiyya () is a concept that refers to a Muslim concealing their faith or religious identity to protect themselves from danger. Although the term stems mainly from discrimination against the minority Shiite tradition, it is also considered a legitimate practice under certain conditions in Sunni sources. The practice of concealing one's beliefs has existed since the early days of Islam; early Muslims did so to avoid persecution or violence by non-Muslim governments or individuals.

Taqlid () is a term used in Islamic jurisprudence to denote the conformity of one person to the teaching of another. As such, the person who performs taqlid is termed muqallid. The definite meaning of the term varies depending on context and age. Classical usage of the term differs between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. Sunni Islamic usage designates the unjustified conformity of one person to the teaching of another, rather than the justified conformity of a layperson to the teaching of a mujtahid (a person who is qualified for independent reasoning). Shia Islamic usage designates general confor

Marja (; plural marājiʿ; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law for followers and clerics below him in rank. The highest ranking marjiʿ is known as the marja al-mutlaq or marja al-taqlid al-mutlaq. A marji' is usually also a grand ayatollah.

thumb|A visual rendition of the Islamic model of the soul showing the position of "nafs" relative to other concepts, based on a consensus of 18 surveyed academic and religious experts Nafs () is an Arabic word occurring in the Quran, literally meaning "self", and has been translated as "psyche", "ego" or "soul". The term is cognate with the Hebrew word nephesh, נֶפֶשׁ. In the Quran, the word nafs is used in both the individualistic (verse 2:48) and collective sense (verse 4:1), indicating that although humanity is united in possessing the positive qualities of a nafs, they are individually res

alt=Purity from within|thumb|upright=1.25|A Fatimid medallion depicting the Purity of [[Ahl al Bayt]]

doctrine of Shia Islam

Arabic term, meaning that which is external and manifest

alt=Purity from within |thumb|upright=1.5| A Fatimid medallion depicting the Purity of [[Ahl al Bayt ]]

Wikimedia list article