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shia islam

Book Summary by: mohammadhaider    

Original Author: haider
  • Summary rating: 5 stars (1 Ratings)
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Chapter 1: Origins of Shi''i Islam
The meaning of the term Shi''a
In Arabic, the term “Shi''a” originally
means one, two or a group of followers. In the Glorious Qur’an, this term is used several times in this sense. For example, God speaks of one of the followers of Moses as one of his Shi''a in the verse (28:15). Elsewhere, Abraham is introduced as a Shi''a of Noah (37:83). In the beginning of the history of Islam, the term “Shi''a” was used in its original or literal sense for followers of different people. For example, some hadiths speak of the Shi''a of Ali b. Abi Talib and others of the Shi''a of Mu‘awiyah b. Abi Sufyan. However, gradually the term acquired a secondary or technical meaning, i.e. the followers of Ali, those who believed in his Imamate (divinely appointed leadership).
Shahrestani (d. 548 A.H) in his Al-Milal wa al-Nihal, an outstanding source about different sects in Islam, writes, “The Shi''a are those who followed Ali in particular and believed in his Imamate and caliphate according to the explicit teachings and will of the Prophet Muhammad.” This is a very accurate definition, since the Shi''a themselves believe that the reason for following Ali is that it was required by the Prophet and it was not their personal decision to choose whom to follow, unlike the non-Shi''a who, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, followed Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafah who was chosen at Saqīfah and believed that the Prophet had left it to the people themselves to decide whom to follow. Of course, Abu Bakr himself believed that he must appoint his successor. And the second Caliph, ‘Umar b. Khattab, in turn appointed a council of six people to choose one amongst themselves according to a very strict procedure set up by him. It is interesting to note that it was Ali, the fourth Caliph, who was chosen and indeed forced by nearly all Muslims after the murder of the third Caliph, ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan to undertake the position of caliphate.
In his Firaq al-Shi''a, al-Hasan b. Musa al-Nawbakhti (d. 313 A.H), a well-known Shi''a scholar, writes, “the Shi''a are the party of Ali b. Abi Talib. They were called ‘Shi''a’ of Ali during and after the life of the Prophet and are known as the followers of Ali and believers in his Imamate”. Shaykh al-Mufid (d. 413 A.H), one of the most outstanding early Shi''a scholars, defines the Shi''a as being those who follow Ali and believe in his immediate successorship to the Prophet. Explaining why the Shi''a are also called “Imāmīyah”, he says: “This is a title for those who believe in the necessity of Imamate and its continuity in all ages, and that every Imam must be explicitly designated, and must also be infallible and perfect.”
Thus, it can be said that Shi''a Muslims are those who have the following beliefs about the successorship to the Prophet Muhammad:
a. Successorship to the Prophet is a divinely appointed position.
b. As the Prophet was chosen by God, his successor or Imam must also be chosen by God and then made known by the Prophet.
c. The immediate successor to the Prophet Muhammad was Ali.
When did Shi''ism start?
Naturally the question arises as to when Shi‘ism started. There are many hadiths narrated by both Shi''a and non- Shi''a scholars regarding the issue of Imamate that will be studied later when discussing Shi‘i doctrines. In what follows, however, we will study only some hadiths in which the Prophet Muhammad spoke of a group of people as “Shi''a” (followers) of Ali, and we will then refer to some other reasons from hadiths and the history of Islam. All hadiths mentioned below are cited from respected Sunni sources. These are only a few of the most important narrations, and there are many more to be found in the sources mentioned here as well as others.
(1) Ibn ‘Asakir (d. 571 A.H) narrated from Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari that he said:
Once we were with the Prophet Muhammad, when Ali arrived, upon which the Prophet snd that surely this man and his Shi''a will be happy on the Day of Resurrection”. Then the verse “Surely those who believe and do good deeds are the best of creation” (98:7) was revealed. Later, whenever the companions of the Prophet Muhammad saw Ali coming, they would say, ‘The best of creation has come’. (Ibn ‘Asakir, Vol. 2, p. 442 & al-Suyuti, Vol. 6, p. 589)
(2) Ibn Hajar (d. 974) narrated from Ibn Abbas that when the verse (98:7) was revealed the Prophet told Ali:
Those are you and your Shi''a. On the Day of Resurrection you will be pleased and well pleasing (to God), and your enemies will come angry and will be seized by their necks. (Ibn Hajar, Section 11, Chapter 1, the Verse 11)
(3) Ibn al-Athir (d. 606) narrated that, addressing Ali, the Prophet said:
O Ali! You and your Shi''a will reach God being pleased with Him and well pleasing Him, and your enemies will reach Him, being angry and will be seized by their necks. Then the Prophet demonstrated how this would be by putting his hand on his neck. (Ibn al-Athir, the entry "qa-ma-°a")
There are other hadiths in which the Prophet Muhammad, addressing Ali, used the expression “our Shi''a”. This is in line with what was asserted above that the Shi''a are those who follow Ali, in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet and not because of their own personal decision. For example, Ibn ''Asakir narrated that the Prophet said:
"Surely there is a spring in Paradise sweeter than nectar, smoother than butter, cooler than ice, and more fragrant than musk. In that spring is the clay (ñínah) from which we (my household and me) were created and our Shi''a are made from the same clay." (Ibn ‘Asakir, Vol. 1, p. 129, No. 180)
There are yet other hadiths in which the Prophet, addressing Ali, used the expression "Shi''a of your descendants". This confirms what was suggested above, that the Shi''a are those who follow Ali because they believe in the institution of Imamate. As we will see in detail, the Shi''a believe that Ali was the first Imam and after him the institution of Imamate continued in those offspring of Ali and Fatimah that were chosen by God and introduced by the Prophet. For example, Zamakhshari (d. 528 A.H) in his Rabi‘ al-Abrar reports that the Prophet said: "O Ali! When the Day of Resurrection comes I will hold on to God, you will hold on to me, your descendants will hold on to you and their Shi''a will hold on to them. Then you will see where we will be taken."
It has to be noted that according to the Qur''an, prophethood was also inherited. The Qur''an says: "And surely we have sent Noah and Abraham, and we placed prophethood and the Book in their offspring". (57:26) This means that those who were qualified to be chosen as prophets by God were included in their offspring.
In addition to the above-mentioned hadiths and their like, and the hadiths on Imamate, there are many other reasons that make the appearance of a group of people such as the Shi''a in the lifetime of the Prophet a very natural and even necessary phenomenon. For example, at the beginning of Islam when the Prophet was asked by God to start his public invitation to Islam by inviting his close relatives, he called his relatives to a meal. After the meal the Prophet introduced his mission and invited the guests to Islam and stated that whoever believed in Islam among them and assisted him would be his successor. All kept silent. The only one who accepted the invitation to assist him was Ali, a teenager at that time. The Prophet asked him to sit and repeated his invitation for the second and the third time. Again and again it was just Ali who expressed his readiness to support the Prophet. The Prophet accepted Ali''s submission to the will of God and carried out Allah''s command to designate him as his successor. This event is documented in many sources.
In a very important statement, the Prophet clearly affirmed that Ali was truthful and free of false b
Published: May 13, 2007
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