What Is Shia Islam? A Clear Guide to Shia Muslims, Their History and the Twelver Faith

Shia Islam is the branch of Islam whose followers believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), on Allah's command, appointed Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.) to lead the Muslims after him, followed by eleven Imams from his family. Shia Muslims, or Shias, believe in the same Allah, the same Quran and the same Prophet as every other Muslim. They pray five times a day, fast in Ramadan and turn to the same Ka'ba. What sets them apart is who they follow after the Prophet: the Ahlulbayt (A.S.), the Prophet's own household.

If you have heard the word "Shia" and wondered what it means, or you are a Shia parent looking for a clear way to explain your faith to your children or to a curious colleague, this guide is for you. We start with the meaning of the word and how Shia Islam began, then cover the Twelve Imams, what Shias believe and practise, the Marja' and Fiqh Jaffari, the main books, the branches of Shia Islam, where Shia Muslims live, and their holy places and holy days.

What Does "Shia" Mean?

In Arabic, shi'a (شيعة) means followers or supporters: a group of people who stand with someone and walk behind him. The word is older than any dispute among Muslims. The Quran itself uses it twice in this sense. It calls a man who supported Prophet Musa (A.S.) "one of his Shia" (28:15), and it says of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.):

In the first years of Islam, the word was used for the followers of different people. Over time, "the Shia" on its own came to mean one group: the followers of Imam Ali (A.S.), the Shi'at Ali, who believe he was appointed to lead after the Prophet. The early Shia scholar al-Nawbakhti (d. 313 AH) defined the Shia simply as "the party of Ali ibn Abi Talib" (Firaq al-Shi'a). Shaykh al-Mufid (d. 413 AH) described them as those who follow Ali and believe he was the Prophet's immediate successor. Even al-Shahrastani, a Sunni historian of religions, wrote that the Shia are those who followed Ali in particular and believed in his Imamate by the clear will of the Prophet (al-Milal wa al-Nihal).

Shia scholars point out that the Prophet himself used the phrase. When the verse "it is they who are the best of creatures" (98:7) was revealed, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari reported that the Prophet pointed to Ali and said that he and his Shia would be the successful ones on the Day of Resurrection. The report is recorded by Sunni scholars such as Ibn 'Asakir and al-Suyuti, and is quoted in Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Shomali's Discovering Shi'i Islam.

Who Are Shia Muslims?

A Shia Muslim is a Muslim who follows the Ahlulbayt (A.S.): the Prophet, his daughter Lady Fatima al-Zahra (S.A.), Imam Ali and the eleven Imams from their descendants. Shias say the Shahada like every Muslim, and believe the Prophet did not leave his Ummah without a guide. They hold that Allah chose the Imams, the Prophet named them, and they are protected from sin and error (ma'sum), so that their words and actions are a safe guide to the Quran and the Sunnah.

In practice, Shia Muslims are ordinary Muslims you will meet in London, Toronto, Sydney, Dubai or Karachi. They pray, fast, give charity, go on Hajj and raise their children on the Quran. Their mosques and community centres, often called imambargahs or husayniyyas, host Quran classes, Friday prayers, majalis in Muharram and celebrations on the birthdays of the Imams.

Shias are Muslims, and the wider Muslim world recognises this. In 2005, the Amman Message, endorsed by hundreds of scholars including Shaykh al-Azhar and Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani, named the Ja'fari (Shia) school as one of the eight recognised schools of Islamic law and rejected declaring its followers unbelievers. Where Shias and Sunnis agree and where they differ is covered in our separate guide, Shia vs Sunni: the real differences.

How Shia Islam Began

Shia Muslims do not see their faith as something that started after the Prophet. They see it as the path the Prophet himself laid down. Several moments in his life are central to that belief.

The invitation to the family

When Allah commanded the Prophet to "warn your nearest relatives" (26:214), he invited the men of Banu Hashim to a meal, told them about his mission and asked who would help him and be his brother and successor. Everyone was silent except Ali, who was still a boy. The Prophet put his hand on Ali's neck and said that this was his brother, his executor and his successor. The event, known as Da'wat Dhul 'Ashira, is recorded by al-Tabari in his Tarikh, by Ibn al-Athir in al-Kamil and in the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Ghadir Khumm

On his way back from his last Hajj, on 18 Dhu al-Hijja, 10 AH, the Prophet stopped the caravan at a pond called Khumm, called back those who had gone ahead and waited for those behind. Then, before tens of thousands of pilgrims, he raised Ali's hand and declared:

Shia scholars connect the day to two verses of Surah al-Ma'ida: the command "O Apostle! Communicate that which has been sent down to you from your Lord" (5:67), and "Today I have perfected your religion for you" (5:3). Our article on Eid al-Ghadir goes through the event in detail. At Ghadir, and on other occasions, the Prophet also left the hadith of the Two Weighty Things (Thaqalayn). Sahih Muslim records it from Zayd ibn Arqam:

After the Prophet

The Prophet passed away in 11 AH. While Imam Ali and the Banu Hashim were washing and burying him, a group gathered at the Saqifah of Banu Sa'ida and chose Abu Bakr as caliph. Imam Ali did not take up arms, to protect the young Muslim community, but a small circle of companions stood by him from the start. Among them were Salman al-Farsi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad and 'Ammar ibn Yasir. Shia historians count dozens more, and some list over two hundred companions known for following Ali. Why Shias believe leadership was a divine appointment and not an election is the subject of our article on Imamat vs Khilafat.

Imam Ali became caliph in 35 AH and was martyred in the mosque of Kufa during Ramadan of 40 AH. His son Imam Hasan (A.S.) made a peace treaty with Mu'awiya, which Mu'awiya later broke. In 61 AH, Imam Husain (A.S.) refused to give allegiance to Yazid and was martyred at Karbala with his family and companions. For Shia Muslims, Karbala is the moment that saved the true message of Islam, and it is still mourned every year in Muharram. Our guide What Is Ashura? tells that story in full.

The Imams after Karbala mostly lived under the watch of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers. Many were imprisoned and, Shia sources say, poisoned. Instead of fighting for power, they taught. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A.S.) and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) trained thousands of students in Madinah, and their teaching became the basis of Shia law, theology and hadith.

Twelver Shia and the Twelve Imams

Most Shia Muslims today are Twelvers, known in Arabic as Ithna 'Ashariyya and also called Imami or Ja'fari Shias. The name comes from their belief in twelve Imams after the Prophet, the last of whom is alive and in occultation. Sunni books also record that the Prophet spoke of twelve leaders after him:

Here are the Twelve Imams in order, with the city where each is buried. Their lives, titles and sayings are in our guide to the 14 Masomeen.

Shias see the Imams in the Quran too. They point to the verse of purification, where Allah says He wishes to remove all impurity from the People of the Household and purify them thoroughly (33:33). Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet gathered Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain under his cloak when that verse came down (hadith 2424). They also point to the command to obey "those vested with authority among you" alongside Allah and the Prophet (4:59). An authority you are told to obey without condition, Shia scholars argue, must be someone protected from leading you into sin.

Imam al-Mahdi and the Occultation

The twelfth Imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.), was born in Samarra on 15 Sha'ban, 255 AH. When his father Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S.) was martyred in 260 AH, the Abbasids were searching for the son they knew had been foretold, and Allah hid him from view. This is the ghayba, the occultation.

For about seventy years, from 260 to 329 AH, the Imam stayed in contact with his followers through four special deputies, one after the other: 'Uthman ibn Sa'id al-'Amri, his son Muhammad ibn 'Uthman, Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti and 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samuri. This is the Minor Occultation. Shortly before al-Samuri died in 329 AH, a final letter from the Imam announced that there would be no more special deputies, and the Major Occultation began. It continues today.

Shia Muslims believe Imam al-Mahdi is alive, and that he will return, by Allah's will, to fill the earth with justice as it has been filled with oppression. Waiting for him (intizar) is not sitting still. It means living now as his companions would live: praying, keeping away from sin and working for justice. Many Shias recite Dua Ahad each morning as a renewal of their promise to him.

The Roots of the Faith: Usul al-Din

Shia Muslims divide their religion into roots (usul), what a Muslim believes, and branches (furoo), what a Muslim does. The roots are five. Shia scholars teach that these must be accepted through understanding, not just copied from parents, which is why Shia children learn the reasons behind them as well as the names.

• Tawhid: the oneness of AllahAllah is One, with no partner, no body and nothing like Him. Every act of worship is for Him alone.
• 'Adl: the justice of AllahAllah never wrongs anyone. He does not punish without reason, and He does not force people to sin.
• Nubuwwa: prophethoodAllah sent 124,000 prophets, the first Adam and the last Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), and all of them were protected from sin.
• Imama: the ImamateAfter the Prophet, Allah appointed twelve Imams to guide the Ummah, beginning with Imam Ali and ending with Imam al-Mahdi.
• Qiyama: the Day of JudgementEvery person will be raised, questioned about their beliefs and deeds, and rewarded or punished with perfect justice.

'Adl and Imama are the two roots that most clearly mark the Shia position, which is why scholars sometimes call them the roots of the madhhab (school). Each root has its own proofs from the Quran and from reason. We explain them one by one in our guide to Shia beliefs (Aqaid), and more simply for families in the five pillars of Shia Islam.

The Practices: Furoo al-Din

If the roots are what a Shia Muslim believes, the branches are how that belief shows in daily life. Shia scholars list ten main ones. Most will be familiar to any Muslim; khums, tawalla and tabarra are the ones people ask about most.

• Salat (prayer)The five daily prayers, Friday prayer and the other obligatory prayers.
• Sawm (fasting)Fasting in the month of Ramadan.
• HajjThe pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a lifetime for anyone able to make it.
• ZakatA fixed portion of certain kinds of wealth given for the poor and other causes the Quran names.
• KhumsOne fifth (20%) of a person's yearly savings after expenses, given according to the Quran (8:41), half for the Imam and half for poor Sayyids.
• JihadStruggle in the way of Allah, first against one's own desires and, when its conditions are met, in defence of Islam.
• Amr bil ma'rufEncouraging others to do good.
• Nahi 'anil munkarStopping others from doing wrong, with wisdom and in stages.
• TawallaLoving the Prophet and his Ahlulbayt, and those who love them.
• TabarraKeeping away from the enemies of Allah, the Prophet and the Ahlulbayt.

A few everyday practices make Shia Muslims easy to recognise in a mosque. Most Shias pray Zuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together, so they often pray at three times of the day instead of five. This is permitted because the Prophet did it in Madinah "without fear or rain", as Ibn Abbas reported (Sahih Muslim 705). Shias pray with their hands at their sides, and in sajdah they place their forehead on natural earth, usually a small tablet of clay called a turbah, often made from the soil of Karbala. Our step-by-step guide shows how to perform Shia namaz with Arabic and translation.

In the Azan, many Shias add the testimony ash-hadu anna 'Aliyyan waliyyullah, "I bear witness that Ali is the friend (wali) of Allah", as a recommended statement of faith, not as an obligatory part of the Azan itself. The same words appear in what is often called the Shia Kalma.

Fiqh Jaffari, the Marja' and Taqlid

Shia Islamic law is called Fiqh Jaffari, after Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.), the sixth Imam. He lived at a time when the Umayyads were falling and the Abbasids had not yet taken full control, and he used those years to teach openly. His students carried his answers on prayer, fasting, trade, marriage and much else to every corner of the Muslim world.

During the Major Occultation, Shia Muslims follow a living, qualified scholar for the details of these laws. The scholar is a mujtahid, someone able to work out rulings directly from the Quran and hadith (ijtihad). The most senior of them are called Marja' al-Taqlid, "the reference to be followed". Following a Marja' in practical rulings is called taqlid, and it is the same principle as following a trusted doctor in medical matters. Taqlid only applies to practical rulings. Beliefs like Tawhid and Imama must be understood by each person for themselves.

The Marja' system is also one reason Shia communities stay organised around the world. Khums is paid through the offices of the maraji', and the funds support seminaries, mosques, schools and the poor. For parents in the West who want their children to learn these rulings properly, our Fiqh Jaffari course teaches them step by step, and we explain why Fiqh Jaffari matters for children growing up in the West in a separate article.

The Books Shia Muslims Learn From

Shia Muslims read and recite the same Quran as every other Muslim, with the same 114 surahs. From Shaykh al-Saduq in the fourth century to the scholars of today, Shia scholars have written that the Quran in our hands is complete, exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet. Children in Shia homes learn it from the same Noorani Qaida and the same rules of Tajweed.

For the Sunnah, Shias rely mainly on hadith narrated through the Ahlulbayt. The most important collections are known as the Four Books:

Unlike Sahih al-Bukhari for many Sunnis, no Shia hadith book is treated as entirely authentic. Every narration is checked by scholars, one by one, for its chain and its content. Alongside the Four Books, Shia homes treasure Nahj al-Balagha, the sermons, letters and sayings of Imam Ali collected by al-Sharif al-Radi, and al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, the supplications of Imam Zain al-Abideen. Duas taught by the Imams, such as Dua Kumayl, are recited in Shia homes and mosques every week.

The Branches of Shia Islam

"Shia" usually means Twelver Shia, because Twelvers are by far the largest group. Two smaller branches separated over who the rightful Imam was after a particular Imam:

• Twelvers (Ithna 'Ashari)Follow the twelve Imams down to Imam al-Mahdi. The great majority of Shias, in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, South Asia, the Gulf and the West.
• IsmailisFollowed Isma'il, an elder son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, and his line, instead of Imam Musa al-Kazim. Today they live mostly in South Asia, Central Asia, East Africa and the West.
• ZaydisFollowed Zayd, a son of Imam Zain al-Abideen, instead of Imam al-Baqir. They are found mainly in Yemen, and their law is close to the Sunni schools in many points.

The Amman Message lists the Ja'fari and Zaydi schools among the recognised schools of Islamic law. Everything else in this guide describes Twelver Shia Islam.

Where Shia Muslims Live

According to the Pew Research Center's 2009 study Mapping the Global Muslim Population, Shias make up about 10–13% of the world's Muslims, roughly 154–200 million people. Between 68% and 80% of them live in just four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq. Shias are the majority of Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, and the largest single community in Lebanon.

Pakistan and India each have tens of millions of Shias, even though they are a minority there. Over the last fifty years, large Shia communities have also grown in the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe, with mosques, imambargahs and Islamic centres in most big cities. Many of these families have no Shia teacher nearby, which is why many of them learn the Quran online. We teach Shia families in more than ten countries from home.

Shia Holy Places

Like all Muslims, Shias hold Makkah, Madinah and al-Quds above every other place. Alongside them, the shrines of the Imams and their families are centres of Shia life, and visiting them, ziyarah, is one of the most loved acts of worship. Millions of pilgrims visit them each year.

• Najaf, IraqThe shrine of Imam Ali (A.S.), and for a thousand years the greatest centre of Shia learning.
• Karbala, IraqThe shrines of Imam Husain (A.S.) and Hazrat Abbas (A.S.). On Arba'een, pilgrims walk here from Najaf and far beyond.
• Kadhimiya and Samarra, IraqThe shrines of Imam al-Kazim and Imam al-Jawad in Baghdad, and of Imam al-Hadi and Imam al-Askari in Samarra.
• Mashhad and Qom, IranThe shrine of Imam al-Ridha (A.S.) in Mashhad, and of his sister Lady Fatima al-Ma'suma (S.A.) in Qom, home to a great seminary.
• Jannat al-Baqi, MadinahThe resting place of Imam Hasan, Imam Zain al-Abideen, Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq. Many Shias believe Lady Fatima is buried here too.
• Damascus, SyriaThe shrine of Lady Zainab (S.A.), whose sermons after Karbala kept its message alive.

If you are planning a visit to Madinah, our Shia pilgrim's guide to Umrah and Ziyarat covers the sites of the Ahlulbayt there. For the words of salutation recited at the shrines, our Ziaraat course teaches them with meaning.

Shia Holy Days

The Shia year follows the lunar Islamic calendar and is shaped by the lives of the Prophet and the Ahlulbayt. Days of joy mark their births; days of grief mark their martyrdoms. These are some of the most important.

Shias also celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha with all Muslims. For the dates of every occasion through the year, see our book Islamic Months and Holy Days.

Learning About Shia Islam

If you are new to Islam and want to follow the Ahlulbayt, our free book Shia Islam for New Muslims walks you through your first steps, from the Shahadatayn and wudu to finding a Marja'. Parents who want to teach their children the life of Lady Fatima Zahra (S.A.) and the Imams will find simple stories in our Ahlulbayt books for kids.

And if you would like a teacher, ShiaEdu is a Shia online Quran academy for children and adults. Our Shia Aqaid course teaches the Usul al-Din with their proofs, one to one, with male and female Shia tutors. Monthly plans start at $30 for two days a week, and the first trial class is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading

• Shia vs Sunni: Differences in Belief and Prayer
• Shia Islamic Beliefs (Aqaid): A Guide for Families
• The 14 Masomeen and the 12 Imams
• What Is Ashura? Karbala and Muharram
• Shia Islam for New Muslims