Imāmiyya Shīʿa (The Twelvers)

Abstract

Shīʿa is one of the earliest branches within Islam. Shīʿa Muslims today make up a sizable minority among the Muslims around the world (about 15–20% of all Muslims). They are spread throughout the Muslim world, but in most countries, they have a minority position. The exception is countries such as Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, where Shīʿa Muslims make up a majority of the population. Shīʿa theological traditions and institutions have developed in parallel with the Sunnī-dominated theological tradition. The shaping of Shīʿa within Islam goes back to a conflict over the succession after the death of the prophet Muḥammad. Just after he died in 633, a struggle began between his closest followers that would prove to be of great significance for Islam, for the future development of the Muslim realm, and for creation the tradition of Shīʿa political ideas. The power struggle concerned who was to succeed Muḥammad as leader of the Muslim community. No one could succeed him in his capacity as divine messenger since Muḥammad, according to Islamic doctrine, was the last messenger: “Muḥammad is not the father of any man among you, but a messenger of God, and the seal of the prophets; and God is knower of all things” (Qurʾān 33:40). One of the parties in the conflict over Muḥammad’s successor thought that the role should be filled by one of his oldest followers, in this case, Abū Bakr, who belonged the small band of Muḥammad’s closest men. Opposition came from a group who claimed that the leadership should remain within Muḥammad’s family. Muḥammad had no sons, so leadership would pass to his cousin ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalib (600–661), who was married to Muḥammad’s daughter Fāṭima (Lambton 1981: 219). According to Shīʿa historical sources, when Muḥammad returned after his last pilgrimage to Mecca, he proclaimed to a large group of assembled Muslims that he had appointed ʿAlī as his successor. This claim is challenged by the Sunnī. Those who supported ʿAlī’s candidacy were called ʿAlī’s Party, Shīʿat ʿ Alī, from which we get the name Shīʿa. The Shīʿa movement was thus motivated by reverence for the prophet Muḥammad’s household, ahl al-bayt, in particular for his