Shi'ite (redirected from Shia Muslim)

Shi'ite

Member 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.