Shi’a is taken from the phrase شيعة علي meaning “follower” or “faction of Ali”. In 632 the Islamic prophet Muhammad -محمد died and no clear successor was apparent. His followers recognized that someone was needed to continue the civil aspects of Muhammad’s activities. To this end they looked to the man who sometimes led prayer when Muhammad was indisposed. He was the person who “stood in front” -إمام. This man was Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law.
By the time of the deaths of Umar and Uthman, Muhammad’s second and Third successors, fractures in the Muslim community were becoming apparent. It was in this atmosphere of discontent that Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law Ali established himself as the caliph, or leader of Islam. These four leaders became known as the “Four Rightly Guided Caliphs”-الخلفاء الراشدون. According to Shi’a Islam, Ali should have been the first successor to Muhammad. In 680 Ali’s son Ali Husain, the grandson of Muhammad, was invited to Iraq to become Caliph. He got no support, and was beseiged and killed. The date of his death, Ashura-عاشوراء, has become the most important date in the calendar of the “Partisans of Ali”.
Today there are an estimated 130-190 million Shiites and they make up 10%-15% of all Muslims. They constitute a majority in Iran and Iraq. There are also sizeable populations in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. Alawites and Druzes consider themselves Shias, although this is sometimes disputed by mainstream Shias. In Saudi Arabia Shiites are called “accaf” which means rejectors, and suffer discrimination.
The majority of Shiites in the world today are known as Twelvers. The central belief of the Twelvers is the disapperance from view of the last imam, who is also the twelfth and current imam, or Mahdi. They believe The Twelfth Imam is considered to be the only legitimate and just ruler, and therefore no political action can be taken in his absence.
