Shiite Islam – The Partisans of the Ahl al-Bayt

Important Family of the Prophet

Prophet

Fatema‘AliHanafi woman

Hasan (2) Husayn (3)Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya

‘Ali Zayn al-’Abidin (4)

Muhammad al-Baqir (5)

Ja’far al-Sadiq (6)

Musa al-Kazim (7)

‘Ali al-Rida (8)

Muhammad al-Taqi (9)

‘Ali al-Naqi (10)

Hasan ‘Askari (11)

Muhammad al-Mahdi (12)

Isma’il ?

Isma’ili / Sevener Shiites

Zayd b. ‘Ali

Zaydi / Fivers

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Early ‘Shiism’ – Moderates vs. Extremists

Moderates…From 632 – about 765 ‘Shiite’ means…• Belief that ‘Ali was the best and most

knowledgeable of the Companions• Or… that he have been the first caliph

(but not necessarily that the first three were illegitimate).

• That in general the family of the Prophet had a prominent role in leadership of the umma revolt!

• Political Conscience: Kerbela Passion in 680

Early ExtremistsMukhtar b. Abi ‘Ubayd and the Kaysaniyya• During the first civil war Mukhtar leads of

group of Kufans, mostly non-Arab mawali, to support Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya (‘Ali’s son by a second wife, not Fatema), whom they believed was the mahdi (messianic figure)

• Rebellion starts in 685 CE, and it is crushed (and Mukhtar killed) in 687 by Ibn al-Zubayr

• When Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya died in 701, the remaining Kaysaniyya believed that he had merely gone into occultation and would return as the Mahdi

Legacy of the Extremists

• Notion of living figure from the family of the Prophet as Mahdi

• Notion that an imam disappears, not dead but also not with us fully in this world, to reappear at some undetermined time as the Mahdi

Reoccurring themes in Shiite and even Sunni Islam

Political Failure – Doctrinal Formation

Rebellion of Zayd b. ‘Ali 740 CE vs. Umayyads… fails (‘ata’ and campaigns)

Shiite Hopes for the ‘Abbasid Revolution 750 CE … crushed.

• Muhammad the Pure Soul rebels in 762• Fakhkh Massacre in 786Most of the Kaysaniyya and Rebellious

Alids join as followers of the 6th Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (d. 765) in Medina

The Formation of Doctrinal Twelver or Imami Shiism

874 or 878, 11th Imam dies with no known heir… almost…

Prominent Shiites close to the family say he had a son who was hidden away by the ‘Abbasids in Samarra… But, fed up with the world, he went into a cave and disappeared, to return as the Mahdi and fill the world with justice as it was full of injustice

Until 941, a series of 4 ‘Ambassadors’ communicate with the 12th imam.

Twelver/Imami ShiismBy 950 CE Imami Shiite doctrine had

formed:– Pending the imam’s return, the Shiite

ulama are responsible for guiding the religious lives of his followers: collect tithes etc.

– The sources for law and doctrine are:1. The Quran: as interpreted by the imams2. The Sunna of the Prophet (as understood

by Shiites3. The Sunna of the Imams = infallible4. In the absence of evidence from these

sources, ulama can use analogical reasoning

Usuli vs. Akhbari Schools of 12er Shiism

Quran

Sunna of Prophet and Imams

Interpretation

Principles applied in reasoning

Texts to be followed literally

Usuli School:

1. Quran

2. Well-Established Sunna (Prophet and imams)

3. Analogical Reasoning

Akhbari School:

1. Quran

2. Sunna (of Prophet and imams) – total reliance on the Shiite hadith collections

Shiite Rituals

• Ashura: first ten days of Muharram… the period of the massacre at Karbala

• Taziya: majlis, flagellation, passion plays (10:00 and 50:00)

Ismaili/Sevener ShiismOriginally those who believed that the 6th

imam’s son, Ismail, his chosen successor who died before his father, was in occultation and would return as the Mahdi.

They set up armed camps for their followers in Syria, Southern Iraq and Algeria. All swore allegiance to the awaited imam.

Prophets only gave the external part of the religion - each one had an ‘Inheritor’ who told the inner meaning of the faith (Jesus’ was Peter). Then each was followed by 7 imams. Ismail went into occultation and will return to remove the Shariah so that mankind can follow the original religion of Adam: pure worship of the Creator.

Major Development – Rise of the Fatimids

In 899 CE the head of the movement in Syria declared he was the Mahdi… he was only accepted by the Algerian Ismailis he flees there and in 909 they declare a caliphal/mahdi state. In 969 they take Egypt and found the city of Cairo.

But the apocalyptic endtime state (with no Shariah!) is “postponed indefinitely”

His family rules Egypt, Syria the Hejaz until 1171 as the Fatimid Caliphate… “The State of Truth (Dawlat al-Haqq)”

The Nizarli Ismaili ‘Assassins’

In 1094 there is dispute over who should be the next imam/caliph… The Fatimids choose one, but the Ismailis in Syria and Iran believe another one should rule.

These Ismailis take control of mountain castles in Syria and Iran and battle their Sunni enemies by assassinating rulers (and also Crusaders!)

Modern IsmailisDawud Bhoras: generally Indian, followers of Fatimid

imams who moved to Yemen, practice close to 12er Shiism

Agha Khanid/Khojas:• Persian Shah recognizes an imam from the city of

Kirman, he flees to Bombay in 1845 after an attempted rebellion.

• The Indian Khojas were formed when the Hindu trader caste of Lohanas converted en masse to Ismailism.

• Almost no link to the medieval tradition and doctrine of Ismailism. They rely on Indian legends, Tantric ideas, such as the idea that the imam is the reincarnation of Vishnu.

• Prayers have little connection with ‘Muslim’ prayer. • The High Court of Bombay’s British judge recognized

the Agha Khan’s claim to dispose of his community’s assets in 1866.

• There are about 20 million Khojas.