SHI'A
SHI'ITE
SHIITE
SHI'IS
means "followers", "members of party". These refer to followers of
Ali, son-in-law of Muhammad. They accept
the 4th Caliph Ali, but not the first
three because they believed the line of succession from Muhammad
should have been through the son-in-law of Muhammad, Ali, husband of
Fatima. They wanted Ali's two sons
Hasan and
Husain to succeed the caliphate,
but Hasan renounced his claim and Husain was killed at the
Battle of Kerbala in AD680.
This martyrdom is important to the Shi'ites and is re-enacted annually.
It means that the Shi'ites have some idea of redemptive suffering.
Rival imams led the Shi'ite community until
the 12th, who disappeared in 874AD. It is believed that he and his
successors have been in hiding ever since, waiting until the time of
restoration. They have their own secret books of the interpretation
of the Qur'an. Found mostly in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Also, there
are variant readings of the Qur'an from the
Uthmanic text used by the
Sunnis.
- The Imams possess all the knowledge granted to angels, prophets
and messengers (page 255)
- The Imams have knowledge of whatever accurred in the past and
whatever will happen in the future, and nothing is concealed from
them (page 260)
- No one compiled the Qur'an completely except the Imams, and they
encompass all of its knowledge (page 228)
(From Al-Kafi)
-
"Certainly, the Imam commands a noble station and lofty position;
a creative vicegerency to whose rule and power submit the very
atoms of all creation!"
(Khumaini, in his book, The Islamic Government page 52-53)
Some Muslim countries actually outlaw Shiism. Malaysia, for example,
is in the process of outlawing it.
One Sunni Muslim, said on the soc.religion.islam newsgroup that ‘Shi'as believe
that the Qur'an muslims have now is only part of the entire "divine Qur'an"
and the rest will be brought by "Iman Mahdi".’
(Syed Yusuf, Feb 15 1996), which is denied by others.
Further reading:
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