Shia Islam

The word Shi‘a means ‘partisan’ or ‘adherent’. Specifically, it refers to those Muslims who became followers of [Imam] ‘Ali, with the conviction that he and his descendants were the rightful authorities of the Muslim Community. For the Shi‘a, this conviction is implicit in the revelation of the Qur’an and the history of Islam, and is not merely the outcome of differences of a purely political nature following the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny). In order to understand how such an interpretation developed and created a distinctive Shi‘a identity in Muslim history, it is important to see how the Shi‘a ground the concept of guidance within their interpretation of the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet.

One aspect of the Qur’anic revelation that scholars of the Shi‘a tradition often emphasize is the notion of authority linked to the families of prophetic figures. This notion is evoked in the following Qur’anic verses:

Truly, God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran above all the worlds, as offspring one after the other. (Qur’an 3:33-34)

Each of them We preferred above the worlds and their fathers, descendants and brothers. We chose them and we guided them to the straight path… They are the ones to whom we have given the book, the authority and prophethood. (Qur’an 6:84-89)

During his lifetime, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) was both the recipient and expounder of divine revelation. His death in 632 CE marked the conclusion of the line of prophecy and the beginning of the debate over the nature of his legacy for future generations. This debate arose because of the absence of consensus over succession to the Prophet in the nascent Muslim community. From the beginning, there was a clear difference of views on this matter between the Shi‘at ‘Ali, the Party of ‘Ali, who believed that the Prophet had designated ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (d. 661 CE) as his successor, and those who followed the leadership of the Caliphs. This latter group eventually coalesced into the majoritarian, Sunni branch of Islam, known collectively as the ‘People of the Sunna and the Community’, Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama‘a.

The Shi‘a of Imam ‘Ali maintained that, while revelation ceased at the Prophet’s death, the need for the spiritual and moral guidance of the community, through an ongoing interpretation and implementation of the Islamic message, continued. They believed that the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) was entrusted to his family, the Ahl al-Bayt (literally, ‘People of the Household’) in whom the Prophet had invested authority. The first member of the Prophet’s family designated for leadership was Imam ‘Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and the husband of Fatima, his daughter and only surviving child. According to most traditions, Imam ‘Ali was the first male to support the message of Islam and had earned the Prophet’s admiration by championing the cause of Islam, even at the risk of his life. The Shi‘a espousal of the right of Imam ‘Ali and that of his descendants, through Fatima, to the leadership of the Muslim community was rooted in their understanding of the Holy Qur’an and its concept of rightly guided leadership, as reinforced by Prophetic traditions (hadith). For the Shi‘a the most prominent of these traditions was the Prophet’s sermon at Ghadir Khumm, following his farewell pilgrimage to Mecca, in which he designated Imam ‘Ali as his successor. During this sermon, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) stated that he was leaving behind “two weighty things”(thaqalayn) – the Holy Qur’an and his family – for the future guidance of his community.

Reference: Farhad Daftary and Azim Nanji, What is Shi‘a Islam? Online at the IIS website.

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