Shi'ite History Lesson

From Knowledge News (subscription req.):

Shi'ites are gearing up to govern Iraq. Their main political coalition, the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), recently won a majority of seats in Iraq's new national assembly. Now, the UIA has nominated 58-year-old doctor Ibrahim al-Jaafari for prime minister, with the endorsement of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric. With all this in the news, we wondered, what does it mean to be a Shi'ite? Shi'ism began with an argument. When the Prophet Muhammad died in 632, there was a dispute over who would succeed him to become the caliph, or leader, of the young Muslim community. Shi'ites believe Muhammad had clearly designated Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, as his successor. But a group of Muslim elders gathered and selected Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr, instead. For a time, Ali stepped out of the public eye, but a small community of Shi'a (Arabic for "followers") soon surrounded him and deferred to him as their imam, or "guide." According to Shi'ite belief, God chose the imams to serve as infallible guides for the community of the faithful. Every imam must descend directly from the Prophet, through Ali and his wife Fatima. Because they emphasize the role of the imam, Shi'ites have often rejected other sources of religious authority, such as community consensus, that are important within majority Sunni Islam. Imam vs. Caliph The caliphs had the allegiance of most Muslims, but they still saw the imams as a threat. Ali actually became caliph in 656, but not for long--in 661 he was killed by a dissident Muslim. Most of the imams who followed tried to keep a low profile, but many still died violently. In 874, the twelfth imam, known as the Mahdi ("divinely guided one"), simply disappeared. Most Shi'ites today, called "Twelvers," believe that he is not dead but hidden, and will return at the end of time to reign over a period of justice and right religion. After the Twelvers, the largest Shi'ite sects are the Zaydis and Ismailis. Generally speaking, Zaydis have a looser definition of who can be imam, while the Ismailis allow for freer interpretation of the Qur'an. As Islam spread, Shi'ism went with it. Sunnis are the majority in most of the Islamic world, but significant Shi'ite communities cropped up practically everywhere Islam went. In a few areas, Shi'ites became the majority sect. In 1501, Shah Ismail I took control of Persia, declared Shi'ism the state religion, and required his subjects to convert. To this day, there are strong Shi'ite majorities in Iran and Iraq. Shi'ite vs. Sunni Shi'ite and Sunni Islam did not split over doctrinal differences, and even today they agree on the fundamentals of both doctrine and practice. Both groups respect the Prophet, the Qur'an, and the oneness of God. Both also hold to the Five Pillars of Islam: shahada, the profession of faith; salat, the daily prayers; zakat, the alms tax; sawm, the Ramadan fast; and hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Shi'ites are distinctive in aspects of worship that grow out of their unique history--for instance, commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn, the third imam, or making pilgrimages to the tombs of Fatima and the imams. A pilgrimage to Husayn's tomb in Karbala, Iraq, is believed to cleanse sins. Pilgrims join a procession circling the tomb, some beating their chests and gashing their scalps with swords to commemorate the martyr's suffering. While there is no Islamic clergy, Muslims give a great deal of respect to those who study at religious universities. Shi'ite society invests enormous importance in grand ayatollahs, who through their teaching have gathered followers who look to them for guidance. Shi'ites pay a special religious income tax, called the khums, to their chosen grand ayatollah, and this money funds schools and other community services. The first imam, Ali, is still venerated as the ideal Shi'ite leader--morally uncompromising and pure in both word and deed. Mark Diller - February 25, 2005

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