Shia Islam

Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam and one of the world's largest religious denominations. It holds that at Ghadir Khumm, the Islamic prophet Muhammad appointed his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as his successor and the leader of the Muslim community. Ali was succeeded by a line of divinely appointed Twelve Imams from Muhammad's family (Ahl al-Bayt), ending with the Mahdi, who is believed to appear before the End Times to restore justice and defeat tyranny alongside Isa (Jesus). Belief in the Mahdi is shared by both Shia and Sunni Muslims. Shia Islam places particular importance on the Ahl al-Bayt, the Ahl al-Kisa, and the Fourteen Infallibles. The Quran, the teachings of Muhammad (Sunnah), and the Imams form the principal foundations of Shia religious thought and jurisprudence, from which Sharia legal rulings are derived. Shia Muslims are guided by the Ja'fari school of jurisprudence. The Shia canonical hadith collection are The Four Books, known as Kitab al-Kafi, Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih, Tahdhib al-Ahkam, and Al-Istibsar. Twelver Shi'ism is the largest and most significant denomination, followed by the much smaller sects of Zaydism and Ismailism. The Battle of Karbala, in which Muhammad's grandson and the third Shia Imam, Husayn, was brutally killed and beheaded alongside most of his family members, gave the Alids their own religious identity and played a significant role in the development and consolidation of what became Shia Islam. It holds a central place in Shia history, tradition, and theology. It is one of the most tragic, pivotal, and defining moments in Islamic history. Shia Muslims form an overwhelming majority in Iran and Azerbaijan, while constituting a majority in Iraq and making up nearly half of the populations of Lebanon and Bahrain. Substantial Shia population are also present in Turkey, Yemen, Syria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman,...