Shia Islam
Also known as Shīa Islam, Shiism, Shiah Islam, Shiʿa Islam, Shi'a Islam, Shia
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It is rooted in the belief that the Islamic prophet Muhammad explicitly designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib as his rightful political successor (caliph) and the divinely guided spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). Shia Muslims maintain that Ali's divine right to leadership was unjustly usurped at the meeting of Saqifa, where certain companions of Muhammad acted against the Prophet's mandate to appoint Abu Bakr as caliph. While Sunni Muslims accept the rule of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, Shia Muslims remain steadfast in honouring the Prophet's wishes, recognizing Ali alone as Muhammad's true and legitimate successor.
AI overview
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam, distinguished by its belief that the Prophet Muhammad explicitly chose his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib as his rightful spiritual and political leader, rather than Abu Bakr whom other Muslims selected. Shia Muslims view this succession dispute as a fundamental matter of religious legitimacy, maintaining that Ali's divinely guided leadership was unjustly bypassed at a historical meeting called Saqifa.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikipedia views (30d)
76,334 totalvia Wikimedia Pageviews API
Wikidata facts
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Shiism
- OpenStreetMap tag
- denomination=shia
- native label
- الشِّيعَة
- P8248
- Zurich
- Stack Exchange tag
- islam.stackexchange.com/tags/shiism
Sources (7)
~40 min read
Article
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It is rooted in the belief that the Islamic prophet Muhammad explicitly designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib (r. 656–661) as his rightful political successor (caliph) and the divinely guided spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). Shia Muslims maintain that Ali's divine right to leadership was unjustly usurped at the meeting of Saqifa, where certain companions of Muhammad apparently acted against the Prophet's mandate to appoint Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as caliph. While Sunni Muslims accept the rule of Abu Bakr, Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman (r. 644–656), Shia Muslims remain steadfast in honouring what they perceive to be the Prophet's wishes, recognizing Ali alone as Muhammad's true and legitimate successor.
Shia Muslims believe the imamate continued rightfully through Ali's sons, Hasan and Husayn, after whom various Shia branches emerged to follow the lines of the true imams. Central to Shia devotion is a profound reverence for the ahl al-bayt, the purified family of Muhammad, who are recognized as the infallible inheritors of his divinely granted knowledge and spiritual authority. Sacred Shia holy sites include the shrine of Ali in Najaf, the shrine of Husayn in Karbala, and other mausoleums of the revered ahl al-bayt.