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Shi'ite |
Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.03 sec. |
Shi'iteMember of the Shi'ite branch of Islam, which resulted from the first fitnah, or split, within the religion over leadership. Members of the political faction that supported 'Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, as the Prophet's heir after the murder of the third caliph, 'Uthman, the Shi'ites gradually became a religious movement after the murder of 'Ali. 'Ali's followers insisted that a caliph, or imam, be a lineal descendant of 'Ali and his wife, Fatimah. Shi'ite legal tradition is distinct from the four major schools of thought in Sunnite Islam and is generally regarded as the most conservative. Though Shi'ites represent only about 10% of Muslims in the world, they are a majority in Iran and Iraq, and there are sizable populations in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, East Africa, Pakistan, and northern India. The largest subdivision is the Ithna 'Ashariyyah, or Twelvers, who recognized 12 historical imams (including 'Ali); other subsects include the Isma'iliyyah and the Zaydiyyah. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Shia Islam has allowed a similar practice known as mut'a ("pleasure") marriage for centuries--except that the Shia version is somewhat less hypocritical, making no secret of the union's nature and allowing the contract to be dissolved without a divorce. The map also shows the religion that most people in each country follow: Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Judaism, or Christianity. Most of Pollack's book is a very accessible survey of this story, starting from the beginning (literally) in the Ice Age, to the rise of Persia and Shia Islam, and then moving quickly through the rise and fall of Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was in many ways the founder of modern Iran. |
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