Editing Shia Islam (section)

==Major denominations or branches<span class="anchor" id="Branches"></span>==
<!-- Section linked from Template:Shia_Islam -->
{{main|Islamic schools and branches#Shīʿa Islam}}
{{further|List of extinct Shia sects|Schools of Islamic theology#Shia schools of theology}}

The Shia community throughout its history split over the issue of the Imamate. The largest branch are the [[Twelvers]], followed by the [[Zaydism|Zaydīs]] and the [[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlīs]]. Each subsect of Shīʿīsm follows its own line of Imamate. All mainstream Twelver and Ismāʿīlī Shia Muslims follow the same school of thought, the [[Jaʽfari jurisprudence]], named after [[Ja'far al-Sadiq|Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq]], the [[The Twelve Imams|6th Shīʿīte Imam]]. [[Shia clergy|Shīʿīte clergymen]] and [[Faqīh|jurists]] usually carry the title of ''[[mujtahid]]'' (i.e., someone authorized to issue legal opinions in Shia Islam).

===Twelver===
{{main|Twelver}}

'''Twelver Shīʿīsm''' or '''Ithnāʿashariyyah''' is the largest branch of Shia Islam,<ref name="Newman2013">{{cite book |last=Newman |first=Andrew J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-_M8BQAAQBAJ |title=Twelver Shiism: Unity and Diversity in the Life of Islam, 632 to 1722 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-7486-7833-4 |page=2 |chapter=Introduction |access-date=13 October 2015 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-_M8BQAAQBAJ&pg=PP18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501201413/https://books.google.com/books?id=-_M8BQAAQBAJ |archive-date=1 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PEW2009" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Guidère |first=Mathieu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tCvhzGiDMYsC&pg=PA319 |title=Historical Dictionary of Islamic Fundamentalism |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-8108-7965-2 |page=319}}</ref><ref>Tabataba'i (1979), p. 76</ref><ref>''God's rule: the politics of world religions'', p. 146, Jacob Neusner, 2003</ref><ref>Esposito, John. ''What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam'', Oxford University Press, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-19-515713-0}}. p. 40</ref> and the terms ''Shia Muslim'' and ''Shia'' often refer to the Twelvers by default. The designation ''Twelver'' is derived from the doctrine of believing in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as "[[the Twelve Imams]]". Twelver Shia are otherwise known as ''Imami'' or ''Jaʿfari''; the latter term derives from [[Ja'far al-Sadiq|Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq]], the [[The Twelve Imams|6th Shīʿīte Imam]], who elaborated the Twelver jurisprudence.<ref>{{harvnb|Cornell|2007|p=237}}</ref> Twelver Shia constitute the majority of the population in [[Iran]] (90%),<ref>"Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-19-515713-0}}. p. 45.</ref> [[Azerbaijan]] (85%),<ref name="Britannica738" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Administrative Department of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Presidential Library – Religion |url=http://files.preslib.az/projects/remz/pdf_en/atr_din.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123084541/http://files.preslib.az/projects/remz/pdf_en/atr_din.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2011}}</ref> and [[Iraq]] (65%). Significant populations also exist in Afghanistan, [[Bahrain]] (40% of Muslims) and [[Lebanon]] (27–29% of Muslims).<ref name="esp45">Esposito, John. "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam" Oxford University Press, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-19-515713-0}}. p. 45</ref><ref name="review">{{cite web |date=25 March 2011 |title=Challenges For Saudi Arabia Amidst Protests in the Gulf – Analysis |url=http://www.eurasiareview.com/25032011-challenges-for-saudi-arabia-amidst-protests-in-the-gulf-analysis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401034318/http://www.eurasiareview.com/25032011-challenges-for-saudi-arabia-amidst-protests-in-the-gulf-analysis/ |archive-date=1 April 2012 |work=Eurasia Review}}</ref>

====Doctrine====
Twelver doctrine is based on [[Theology of Twelvers|five principles]].<ref name="shiite-doctrine"/> These five principles known as ''Usul ad-Din'' are as follow:<ref name="Rich2006">{{cite book |last=Richter |first=Joanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9fxXEdeIP8C&pg=PA7 |title=Iran: the Culture |date=2006 |publisher=Crabtree Publishing Company |isbn=978-0778791423 |page=7}}</ref>
# '''[[Tawhid|Monotheism]]''': [[God in Islam|God]] is one and unique;
# '''[[Adl|Justice]]''': the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, fairness, and equity, along with the punishment of the breach of these ethics;
# '''[[Nubuwwah|Prophethood]]''': the institution by which God sends emissaries, or prophets, to guide humankind;
# '''[[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Leadership]]''': a divine institution which succeeded the institution of Prophethood. Its appointees (''Imams'') are divinely appointed;
# '''[[Day of Resurrection|Resurrection and Last Judgment]]''': God's final assessment of humanity.

====Books====
Besides the [[Quran]], which is the [[Islamic holy books|sacred text]] common to all Muslims, Twelver Shias derive scriptural and authoritative guidance from [[List of hadith Books|collections of sayings and traditions]] ([[hadith]]) attributed to Muhammad and the Twelve Imams. Below is a list of some of the most prominent of these books:
* ''[[Nahj al-Balagha]]'' by [[Al-Sharif al-Radi|Ash-Sharif Ar-Radhi]]<ref>Nahj al-balaghah, Mohaghegh (researcher) 'Atarodi Ghoochaani, the introduction of Sayyid Razi, p. 1</ref> – the most famous collection of sermons, letters & narration attributed to Ali, the first Imam regarded by Shias
* ''[[Kitab al-Kafi]]'' by [[Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Al-Kafi Book I: Intellect and Foolishness |publisher=Taqwa Media |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-939420-00-8}}</ref>
* ''[[Wasa'il al-Shia|Wasa'il al-Shiʻah]]'' by [[al-Hurr al-Amili]]

====The Twelve Imams====
{{main|Imamate in Twelver doctrine|The Twelve Imams|Hadith of the Twelve Successors|l2 = Sunni reports about there being 12 successors to the Prophet}}
{{further|Occultation (Islam)|Reappearance of Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi|The Fourteen Infallibles}}

According to the theology of Twelvers, the successor of Muhammad is an [[Ismah|infallible]] human individual who not only rules over the [[Ummah|Muslim community]] with justice but also is able to keep and interpret the [[Sharia|divine law]] (''sharīʿa'') and its esoteric meaning. The words and deeds of Muhammad and the Twelve Imams are a guide and model for the Muslim community to follow; as a result, they must be free from error and [[Islamic views on sin|sin]], and Imams must be chosen by [[Nass (Islam)|divine decree]] (''nass'') through Muhammad.<ref name="Nasr_a" /><ref name="Momen 1985, p. 174" /> The twelfth and final Imam is [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi]], who is believed by Twelvers to be currently alive and hidden in [[Occultation (Islam)|Occultation]].<ref name="Imamat" />

====Jurisprudence====
{{main|Ja'fari jurisprudence}}
{{further|Shia clergy}}

The Twelver jurisprudence is called ''[[Jaʽfari jurisprudence]]''. In this [[Madhhab#Shia|school of Islamic jurisprudence]], the ''[[sunnah]]'' is considered to be comprehensive of the oral traditions of Muhammad and their implementation and interpretation by the Twelve Imams. There are three schools of Jaʿfari jurisprudence: Usuli, Akhbari, and [[Shaykhism|Shaykhi]]; the Usuli school is by far the largest of the three. Twelver groups that do not follow the Jaʿfari jurisprudence include [[Alevism|Alevis]], [[Bektashi Order|Bektashi]], and [[Qizilbash]].

The [[five pillars of Islam]] to the Jaʿfari jurisprudence are known as ''Usul ad-Din'':
# ''[[Tawhid|Tawḥīd]]'': unity and oneness of God;
# ''[[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Nubuwwah]]'': prophethood of Muhammad;
# ''[[Islamic eschatology#Resurrection and final judgement|Muʿad]]'': resurrection and final judgment;
# ''[[Adl|ʿAdl]]'': justice of God;
# ''[[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Imamah]]'': the rightful place of the Shīʿīte Imams.

In Jaʿfari jurisprudence, there are eight secondary pillars, known as ''Furu ad-Din'', which are as follows:<ref name="Rich2006" />
# ''[[Salat]]'' (prayer);
# ''[[Sawm]]'' (fasting);
# ''[[Hajj]]'' (pilgrimage) to [[Mecca]];
# ''[[Zakat|Zakāt]]'' (alms giving to the poor);
# ''[[Jihad|Jihād]]'' (struggle) for the righteous cause;
# [[Ma'ruf|Directing others towards good]];
# [[Forbidding what is evil|Directing others away from evil]];
# ''[[Khums]]'' (20% tax on savings yearly, after deduction of commercial expenses).

According to Twelvers, defining and interpretation of [[Fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence (''fiqh'')]] is the responsibility of Muhammad and the Twelve Imams. Since the [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|12th Imam]] is currently in [[Occultation (Islam)|Occultation]], it is the duty of [[Shia clergy|Shīʿīte clerics]] to refer to the [[Islamic literature]], such as the [[Quran]] and [[hadith]], and identify legal decisions within the confines of [[Sharia|Islamic law]] to provide means to deal with current issues from an Islamic perspective. In other words, clergymen in Twelver Shīʿīsm are believed to be the guardians of ''fiqh'', which is believed to have been defined by Muhammad and his twelve successors. This process is known as ''[[ijtihad]]'' and the clerics are known as ''[[Marja'|marjaʿ]]'', meaning "reference"; the labels ''[[Allamah]]'' and ''[[Ayatollah]]'' are in use for Twelver clerics.

====Islamists====
[[Islamist Shi'ism|Islamist Shīʿīsm]] ({{langx|fa|تشیع اخوانی}}) is a new denomination within [[Twelver Shi’ism|Twelver Shīʿīsm]] greatly inspired by the political ideology of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] and mysticism of [[Ibn Arabi]]. It sees Islam as a political system and differs from the other mainstream [[Usuli]] and [[Akhbari]] groups in favoring the idea of the establishment of an [[Islamic state]] in [[Occultation (Islam)|Occultation]] under the rule of the [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|12th Imam]].{{sfn|Khalaji|2009|p=64}}{{sfn|Bohdan|2020|p=243}} [[Hadi Khosroshahi]] was the first person to identify himself as ''[[Ikhwan al-Muslimeen|ikhwani]]'' (Islamist) Shia Muslim.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-01 |title=اخوانی گوشه‌نشین |url=https://plus.irna.ir/news/83696140/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%B4%DB%8C%D9%86 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523163121/https://plus.irna.ir/news/83696140/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%B4%DB%8C%D9%86 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=ایرنا پلاس |language=fa}}</ref> Because of the concept of the hidden Imam, [[Muhammad al-Mahdi]], Shia Islam is inherently secular in the age of Occultation, therefore Islamist Shia Muslims had to borrow ideas from Sunnī Islamists and adjust them in accordance with the doctrine of Shīʿīsm.{{sfn|Bohdan|2020|pp=250–251}} Its foundations were laid during the [[Persian Constitutional Revolution]] at the start of 20th century in [[Qajar Iran|Qajar Empire]] (1905–1911), when [[Fazlullah Nouri]] supported the [[List of monarchs of Persia|Persian king]] [[Ahmad Shah Qajar]] against the will of [[Muhammad Kazim Khurasani]], the Usuli ''[[Marja'|marjaʿ]]'' of the time.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hermann |first=Denis |date=1 May 2013 |title=Akhund Khurasani and the Iranian Constitutional Movement |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00263206.2013.783828 |journal=Middle Eastern Studies |volume=49 |issue=3 |page=437 |doi=10.1080/00263206.2013.783828 |issn=0026-3206 |s2cid=143672216}}</ref>

===Ismāʿīlī===
{{main|Isma'ilism}}

[[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlīs]], otherwise known as ''Sevener'', derive their name from their acceptance of [[Isma'il ibn Ja'far|Ismāʿīl ibn Jaʿfar]] as the divinely appointed spiritual successor ([[Imamate in Ismaili doctrine|Imam]]) to [[Ja'far al-Sadiq|Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq]], the [[The Twelve Imams|6th Shīʿīte Imam]], wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who recognize [[Musa al-Kadhim|Mūsā al-Kāẓim]], younger brother of Ismāʿīl, as the true Imam.

After the death or Occultation of [[Muhammad ibn Isma'il|Muhammad ibn Imam Ismāʿīl]] in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismāʿīlīsm further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (''[[Batin (Islam)|bāṭin]]'') of the Islamic faith. With the eventual development of Twelver Shīʿīsm into the more literalistic ''([[Zahir (Islam)|zahīr]])'' oriented Akhbari and later Usuli schools of thought, Shīʿīsm further developed in two separate directions: the metaphorical Ismāʿīlī group focusing on the [[Mysticism|mystical]] path and nature of God and the divine manifestation in the personage of the "Imam of the Time" as the "Face of God", with the more literalistic Twelver group focusing on [[Sharia|divine law]] (''sharī'ah'') and the [[Sunnah|deeds and sayings]] (''sunnah'') attributed to Muhammad and [[Ahl al-Bayt|his successors]] (the ''Ahl al-Bayt''), who as A'immah were guides and a [[Nūr (Islam)|light]] (''nūr'') to God.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i |url=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/ahsai1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218072512/http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/ahsai1.htm |archive-date=18 February 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007}}</ref>

[[File:His Highness the Aga Khan (15760993697).jpg|thumb|[[Shah|Shāh]] Karim al-Husayni, known as the [[Aga Khan IV]], was the 49th Imam of [[Nizari Isma'ilism|Nizārī Ismāʿīlīs]].]]
Though there are several subsects amongst the Ismāʿīlīs, the term in today's vernacular generally refers to the Shia Imami Ismāʿīlī [[Nizari Isma'ilism|Nizārī community]], often referred to as the ''Ismāʿīlīs'' by default, who are followers of the [[Aga Khan]] and the largest group within Ismāʿīlīsm. Another Shia Imami Ismāʿīlī community are the [[Dawoodi Bohra|Dawudi Bohras]], led by a ''[[Da'i al-Mutlaq]]'' ("Unrestricted Missionary") as representative of a hidden Imam. While there are many other branches with extremely differing exterior practices, much of the spiritual theology has remained the same since the days of the faith's early Imams. In recent centuries, Ismāʿīlīs have largely been an Indo-Iranian community,<ref>Nasr, Vali, ''The Shia Revival'', Norton, (2006), p. 76</ref> but they can also be found in [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Syria]], [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], [[Saudi Arabia]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Congressional Human Rights Caucus Testimony&nbsp;– Najran, The Untold Story |url=http://lantos.house.gov/HoR/CA12/Human+Rights+Caucus/Briefing+Testimonies/107/TESTIMONY+OF+ALI+H.+ALYAMI.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061227222620/http://lantos.house.gov/HoR/CA12/Human+Rights+Caucus/Briefing+Testimonies/107/TESTIMONY+OF+ALI+H.+ALYAMI.htm |archive-date=27 December 2006 |access-date=8 January 2007}}</ref> [[Yemen]], [[Jordan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Afghanistan]], [[East Africa|East]] and [[South Africa]], and in recent years several Ismāʿīlīs have emigrated to [[China]],<ref>{{cite web |date=22 September 2003 |title=News Summary: China; Latvia |url=http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/11253.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506190104/http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/11253.htm |archive-date=6 May 2007 |access-date=1 June 2007}}</ref> [[Western Europe]] (primarily in the [[United Kingdom]]), [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and [[North America]].<ref name="DaftaryShort1998p1">{{cite book |last=Daftary |first=Farhad |title=A Short History of the Ismailis |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7486-0687-0 |location=Edinburgh |pages=1–4}}</ref>

====Ismāʿīlī Imams====
{{main|List of Ismaili imams}}

In the [[Nizari Isma'ilism|Nizārī]] [[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlī]] interpretation of Shia Islam, the [[Imamate in Nizari doctrine|Imam]] is the guide and the intercessor between humans and God, and the individual through whom God is recognized. He is also responsible for the [[esoteric interpretation of the Quran]] (''taʾwīl''). He is the possessor of divine knowledge and therefore the "Prime Teacher". According to the "Epistle of the Right Path", a Persian Ismāʿīlī prose text from the post-[[Mongol invasions and conquests|Mongol period]] of Ismāʿīlī history, by an anonymous author, there has been a chain of Imams since the beginning of time, and there will continue to be an Imam present on the Earth until the end of time. The worlds would not exist in perfection without this uninterrupted [[List of Isma'ili imams|chain of Imams]]. The proof (''[[hujja]]'') and gate (''[[Bab (Shia Islam)|bāb]]'') of the [[Imamate in Nizari doctrine|Imam]] are always aware of his presence and are witness to this uninterrupted chain.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Virani |first=Shafique N. |date=2010 |title=The Right Path: A Post-Mongol Persian Ismaili Treatise |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00210860903541988 |journal=Iranian Studies |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=197–221 |doi=10.1080/00210860903541988 |issn=0021-0862 |s2cid=170748666}}</ref>

After the death of [[Isma'il ibn Ja'far|Ismāʿīl ibn Jaʿfar]], many Ismāʿīlīs believed that one day the [[Islamic eschatology|eschatological figure]] of Imam [[Mahdi]], whom they believed to be [[Muhammad ibn Isma'il|Muhammad ibn Imam Ismāʿīl]], would return and establish an age of justice. One group included the violent [[Qarmatians]], who had a stronghold in [[Bahrain]]. In contrast, some Ismāʿīlīs believed the Imamate ''did'' continue, and that the Imams were in Occultation and still communicated and taught their followers through a network of ''[[Dawah|Da'i]]'' ("Missionaries").

In 909 CE, [[Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah]], a claimant to the Ismāʿīlī Imamate, established the [[Fatimid Caliphate]]. During this period, three lineages of Imams were formed. The first branch, known today as the [[Druze]], began with [[Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah|Al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh]].<ref name="Timani 2021">{{cite book |author-last=Timani |author-first=Hussam S. |title=Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2021 |isbn=978-90-04-43554-4 |editor1-last=Cusack |editor1-first=Carole M. |editor1-link=Carole M. Cusack |series=Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion |volume=21 |location=[[Leiden]] and [[Boston]] |pages=724–742 |chapter=Part 5: In Between and on the Fringes of Islam – The Druze |doi=10.1163/9789004435544_038 |issn=1874-6691 |editor2-last=Upal |editor2-first=M. Afzal |editor2-link=Afzal Upal |doi-access=free}}</ref> Born in 985 CE, he ascended as ruler at the age of eleven. When in 1021 CE his mule returned without him, soaked in blood, a religious group that was forming in his lifetime broke off from mainstream Ismāʿīlīsm and did not acknowledge his successor.<ref name="Timani 2021" /> Later to be known as the Druze, they believe Al-Ḥākim to be God incarnate<ref name="Poonawala">{{cite journal |last=Poonawala |first=Ismail K. |date=July–September 1999 |title=Review: ''The Fatimids and Their Traditions of Learning'' by Heinz Halm |journal=[[Journal of the American Oriental Society]] |publisher=[[American Oriental Society]] |volume=119 |issue=3 |page=542 |doi=10.2307/605981 |issn=0003-0279 |jstor=605981 |lccn=12032032 |oclc=47785421}}</ref> and the prophesied Mahdi on Earth, who would one day return and bring justice to the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=al-Hakim bi Amr Allah: Fatimid Caliph of Egypt |url=http://baheyeldin.com/history/al-hakim-bi-amr-allah-fatimid-caliph-of-egypt.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406065948/http://baheyeldin.com/history/al-hakim-bi-amr-allah-fatimid-caliph-of-egypt.html |archive-date=6 April 2007 |access-date=24 April 2007}}</ref> The Druze faith further split from Ismāʿīlīsm as it developed into a distinct [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic religion]] and [[ethno-religious group]] with its own unique doctrines,<ref name="Timani 2021" /> and finally separated from both Ismāʿīlīsm and Islam altogether.<ref name="Timani 2021" /> Thus, the Druze do not identify themselves as Muslims,<ref name="Timani 2021" /> and are not considered as such by Muslims either.<ref name="Timani 2021" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Pintak |first=Lawrence |title=America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-78831-559-3 |page=86}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jonas |first=Margaret |title=The Templar Spirit: The Esoteric Inspiration, Rituals and Beliefs of the Knights Templar |publisher=Temple Lodge Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-906999-25-4 |page=83 |quote=[Druze] often they are not regarded as being Muslim at all, nor do all the Druze consider themselves as Muslim}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 August 2018 |title=Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are |url=https://www.arabamerica.com/are-the-druze-people-arabs-or-muslims-deciphering-who-they-are/ |access-date=13 April 2020 |website=Arab America |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=J. Stewart |first=Dona |title=The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives |publisher=Routledge |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-135-98079-5 |page=33 |quote=Most Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Historically they faced much persecution and keep their religious beliefs secrets.}}</ref>

The second split occurred between [[Nizari Isma'ilism|Nizārī]] and [[Musta'li Ismailism|Musta‘lī]] Ismāʿīlīs following the death of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah in 1094 CE. His rule was the longest of any caliph in any Islamic empire. Upon his death, his sons, [[Nizar (Fatimid Imam)|Nizār]] (the older) and [[Al-Musta'li|Al-Musta‘lī]] (the younger), fought for political and spiritual control of the dynasty. Nizār was defeated and jailed, but according to the Nizārī tradition his son escaped to [[Alamut]], where the [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] Ismāʿīlī had accepted his claim.<ref name="DaftaryShort1998p106">{{cite book |last=Daftary |first=Farhad |title=A Short History of the Ismailis |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7486-0687-0 |location=Edinburgh |pages=106–108}}</ref> From here on, the Nizārī Ismāʿīlī community has continued with a present, living Imam.

The [[Musta'li Ismailism|Musta‘lī Ismāʿīlīs]] split between the [[Tayyibi Isma'ilism|Ṭayyibi]] and the [[Hafizi Isma'ilism|Ḥāfiẓi]]; Ṭayyibi Ismāʿīlīs, also known as "Bohras", are further divided between [[Dawoodi Bohra|Dawudi Bohras]], [[Sulaymani|Sulaymani Bohras]], and [[Alavi Bohras]]. The former denomination claims that [[At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim]], son of [[Al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah]], and the Imams following him went into a period of anonymity (''Dawr-e-Satr'') and appointed a ''[[Da'i al-Mutlaq]]'' ("Unrestricted Missionary") to guide the community, in a similar manner as the Ismāʿīlīs had lived after the death of Muhammad ibn Imam Ismāʿīl. The latter denomination claims that the ruling Fatimid caliph was the Imam, and they died out with the fall of the Fatimid Empire.

====Pillars====
Ismāʿīlīs have categorized their practices which are known as ''[[Seven pillars of Ismailism|seven pillars]]'':
{| width="100%"
| width="33%" valign="top"|
* [[Walayah]] (Guardianship)
* [[Islam|Taharah]] (Purity)
| width="33%" valign="top"|
* [[Salat]] (Prayer)
* [[Zakāt]] (Charity)
| width="33%" valign="top"|
* [[Sawm]] (Fasting)
* [[Hajj]] (Pilgrimage)
| width="33%" valign="top"|
* [[Jihad]] (Struggle)
|}

====Contemporary leadership====
The [[Nizari Isma'ilism|Nizārīs]] place importance on a scholarly institution because of the existence of a present Imam. The Imam of the Age defines the jurisprudence, and his guidance may differ with Imams previous to him because of different times and circumstances. For Nizārī Ismāʿīlīs, the current Imam is Karim al-Husayni [[Aga Khan IV]]. The Nizārī line of Imams has continued to this day as an uninterrupted chain.

Divine leadership has continued in the Bohra branch through the institution of the "Missionary" (''[[List of Dai of Dawoodi Bohra|Da'i]]''). According to the Bohra tradition, before the last Imam, At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, went into seclusion, his father, the 20th Al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah, had instructed [[Al-Hurra Al-Malika]] the [[Malik]]a ([[Queen consort]]) in Yemen to appoint a vicegerent after the seclusion—the ''[[Da'i al-Mutlaq]]'' ("Unrestricted Missionary"), who as the Imam's vicegerent has full authority to govern the community in all matters both spiritual and temporal while the lineage of [[Musta'li Ismailism|Musta‘lī]]-[[Tayyibi Isma'ilism|Ṭayyibi]] Imams remains in seclusion (''Dawr-e-Satr''). The three branches of Musta‘lī Ismāʿīlīs ([[Dawoodi Bohra|Dawudi Bohras]], [[Sulaymani|Sulaymani Bohras]], and [[Alavi Bohras]]) differ on who the current "Unrestricted Missionary" is.

===Zaydī===
{{main|Zaydism}}
[[File:Dinar of al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq, AH 298.jpg|thumb|[[Gold dinar]] of [[Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya|al-Ḥādī ila'l-Ḥaqq Yaḥyā]], the [[Islamic history of Yemen|first Zaydī Imam of Yemen]], minted in 910–911 CE]]
[[File:Zaydi State 1675.jpg|thumb|The [[Yemeni Zaidi State|Zaydī State of Yemen]] under the rule of Imam [[Al-Mutawakkil Isma'il|Al-Mutawakkil Ismāʿīl bin al-Qāsim]] (1644–1676)]]
[[Zaydism]], otherwise known as '''Zaydiyya''' or as '''Zaydī Shīʿism''', is a branch of Shia Islam named after [[Zayd ibn Ali|Zayd ibn ʿAlī]]. Followers of the Zaydī school of jurisprudence are called Zaydīs or occasionally ''Fivers''. However, there is also a group called ''Zaydī Wāsiṭīs'' who are Twelvers (see below). Zaydīs constitute roughly 42–47% of the [[Demographics of Yemen|population of Yemen]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About Yemen |url=http://www.yemenincanada.ca/map.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127175930/http://www.yemenincanada.ca/map.php |archive-date=27 January 2007 |access-date=9 April 2015 |website=Yemeni in Canada |publisher=Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yemen [Yamaniyyah]: general data of the country |url=http://www.populstat.info/Asia/yemeng.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041925/http://www.populstat.info/Asia/yemeng.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=9 April 2015 |website=Population Statistics}}</ref>

====Doctrine====
The Zaydīs, Twelvers, and Ismāʿīlīs all recognize the same first four Imams; however, the Zaydīs consider [[Zayd ibn Ali|Zayd ibn ʿAlī]] as the 5th Imam. After the time of Zayd ibn ʿAlī, the Zaydīs believed that [[Sayyid|any descendant]] (''Sayyid'') of [[Hasan ibn Ali|Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī]] or [[Husayn ibn Ali|Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī]] could become the next Imam, after fulfilling certain conditions.<ref name="Washington">{{cite web |date=1991 |title=Sunni-Shiʻa Schism: Less There Than Meets the Eye |url=http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0591/9105024.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050423070201/http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0591/9105024.htm |archive-date=23 April 2005 |page=24}}</ref> Other well-known Zaydī Imams in history were Yahya ibn Zayd, [[Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya]], and Ibrahim ibn Abdullah.

The [[Imams of Yemen|Zaydī doctrine of Imamah]] does not presuppose the infallibility of the Imam, nor the belief that the Imams are supposed to receive divine guidance. Moreover, Zaydīs do not believe that the Imamate must pass from father to son but believe it can be held by any ''[[Sayyid]]'' descended from either [[Hasan ibn Ali|Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī]] or [[Husayn ibn Ali|Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī]] (as was the case after the death of the former). Historically, Zaydīs held that Zayd ibn ʿAlī was the rightful successor of the 4th Imam since he led a [[Revolt of Zayd ibn Ali|rebellion against the Umayyads in protest of their tyranny and corruption]]. Muhammad al-Baqir did not engage in political action, and the followers of Zayd ibn ʿAlī maintained that a true Imam must fight against corrupt rulers.

====Jurisprudence====
In matters of [[Intellectual proofs in Shia jurisprudence|Islamic jurisprudence]], Zaydīs follow the teachings of Zayd ibn ʿAlī, which are documented in his book ''Majmu'l Fiqh'' (in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{big|مجموع الفِقه}}). [[Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya|Al-Ḥādī ila'l-Ḥaqq Yaḥyā]], the [[Islamic history of Yemen|first Zaydī Imam and founder of the Zaydī State in Yemen]], is regarded as the codifier of Zaydī jurisprudence, and as such most Zaydī Shias today are known as ''Hadawis''.

====Timeline====
The [[Idrisid dynasty|Idrisids]] ({{langx|ar|{{big|الأدارسة}}}}) were Arab<ref>
* {{cite book |last=Hodgson |first=Marshall |title=Venture of Islam |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1961 |location=Chicago |page=262}}{{clarify|reason=this is a multi-volume source; which volume?|date=February 2022}}</ref> [[Zaydism|Zaydī Shias]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Ibn Abī Zarʻ al-Fāsī |first=ʻAlī ibn ʻAbd Allāh |title=Rawḍ al-Qirṭās: Anīs al-Muṭrib bi-Rawd al-Qirṭās fī Akhbār Mulūk al-Maghrib wa-Tārīkh Madīnat Fās |title-link=Rawd al-Qirtas |publisher=Dār al-Manṣūr |year=1340 |location=ar-Rabāṭ |publication-date=1972 |page=38}}
* {{cite web |title=حين يكتشف المغاربة أنهم كانوا شيعة وخوارج قبل أن يصبحوا مالكيين ! |url=http://hespress.com/?browser=view&EgyxpID=5116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612182657/http://www.hespress.com/?browser=view&EgyxpID=5116 |archive-date=12 June 2008 |work=hespress.com}}
* {{cite book |author=Ignác Goldziher |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontois0000gold |title=Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-691-10099-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/introductiontois0000gold/page/218 218] |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author=James Hastings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBwOF6jXBdIC&pg=PA844 |title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7661-3704-2 |page=844}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
* {{cite web |title=The Initial Destination of the Fatimid caliphate: The Yemen or The Maghrib? |url=http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101310 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706101911/http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101310 |archive-date=6 July 2015 |publisher=The Institute of Ismaili Studies}}
* {{cite web |title=Shiʻah tenets concerning the question of the imamate – New Page 1 |url=http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/Muqaddimah/Chapter3/Ch_3_25.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829024816/http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/Muqaddimah/Chapter3/Ch_3_25.htm |archive-date=29 August 2012 |work=muslimphilosophy.com}}</ref> whose dynasty, named after its first sultan, [[Idris I]], ruled in the western [[Maghreb]] from 788 to 985 CE. Another Zaydī State was established in the region of [[Gilan Province|Gilan]], [[Deylaman]], and [[Tabaristan]] (northern [[Iran]]) in 864 CE by the [[Alavids]];<ref>Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi,''At-tarikh as-saghir 'an ash-shia al-yamaniyeen'' (Arabic: التاريخ الصغير عن الشيعة اليمنيين, A short History of the Yemenite Shiʻites), 2005 Referencing: Iranian Influence on Moslem Literature</ref> it lasted until the death of its leader at the hand of the [[Samanids]] in 928 CE. Roughly forty years later, the Zaydī State was revived in Gilan and survived under Hasanid leaders until 1126 CE. Afterwards, from the 12th to 13th centuries, the Zaydī Shias of Deylaman, Gilan, and Tabaristan then acknowledged the Zaydī [[Imams of Yemen]] or rival Zaydī Imams within Iran.<ref>Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi, ''At-tarikh as-saghir 'an ash-shia al-yamaniyeen'' (Arabic: التاريخ الصغير عن الشيعة اليمنيين, A short History of the Yemenite Shiʻites), 2005 Referencing: Encyclopædia Iranica</ref>

The [[Buyid dynasty|Buyids]] were initially Zaydī Shias,<ref>{{cite book |last=Walker |first=Paul Ernest |title=Hamid Al-Din Al-Kirmani: Ismaili Thought in the Age of Al-Hakim |publisher=I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-86064-321-7 |series=Ismaili Heritage Series |volume=3 |place=London; New York |page=13}}</ref> as were the [[Banu Ukhaidhir]] rulers of [[al-Yamama]] in the 9th and 10th centuries.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=al-Uk̲h̲ayḍir |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam |publisher=Brill |url=http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_SIM-7693 |last=Madelung |first=W. |date=7 December 2007}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> The leader of the Zaydī community took the title of [[caliph]]; thus, the ruler of Yemen was known by this title. Al-Hadi Yahya bin al-Hussain bin al-Qasim ar-Rassi, a descendant of [[Hasan ibn Ali|Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī]], founded the Zaydī Imamate at [[Sa'dah]] in 893–897 CE, and the [[Rassid dynasty]] continued to rule over Yemen until the middle of the 20th century, when the [[North Yemen Civil War|republican revolution of 1962]] deposed the last Zaydī Imam. (''See'': [[Arab Cold War]]). The founding Zaydī branch in Yemen was the Jarudiyya; however, with increasing interaction with the [[Hanafi|Ḥanafī]] and [[Shafiʽi school|Shāfiʿī]] schools of [[Madhhab#Sunni|Sunnī jurisprudence]], there was a shift from the Jarudiyya group to the Sulaimaniyya, Tabiriyya, Butriyya, and Salihiyya.<ref>Article by Sayyid Ali ibn ' Ali Al-Zaidi, ''At-tarikh as-saghir 'an ash-shia al-yamaniyeen'' (Arabic: التاريخ الصغير عن الشيعة اليمنيين, A short History of the Yemenite Shiʻites), 2005</ref> Zaydī Shias form the [[Religion in Yemen|second dominant religious group in Yemen]]. Currently, they constitute about 40–45% of the population in Yemen; Jaʿfaris and Ismāʿīlīs constitute the 2–5%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Universiteit Utrecht Universiteitsbibliotheek |url=http://www.library.uu.nl/wesp/populstat/Asia/yemeng.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502125032/http://www.library.uu.nl/wesp/populstat/Asia/yemeng.htm |archive-date=2 May 2006 |access-date=4 May 2011 |publisher=Library.uu.nl}}</ref> In [[Saudi Arabia]], it is estimated that there are over 1&nbsp;million Zaydī Shias, primarily based in the western provinces.

Currently, the most prominent Zaydī political movement is the [[Houthi movement]] in [[Yemen]],<ref name="Nevola-Shiban 2020">{{cite book |author1-last=Nevola |author1-first=Luca |title=Global, Regional, and Local Dynamics in the Yemen Crisis |author2-last=Shiban |author2-first=Baraa |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-3-030-35578-4 |editor1-last=Day |editor1-first=Stephen W. |location=[[Cham, Switzerland]] |pages=233–251 |chapter=The Role of "Coup Forces," Saleh, and the Houthis |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-35578-4_15 |editor2-last=Brehony |editor2-first=Noel |chapter-url=https://www.doabooks.org/doab?func=fulltext&uiLanguage=en&rid=50561 |s2cid=213121908}}</ref> known by the name of ''Shabab al-Mu'mineen'' ("Believing Youth") or ''Ansar Allah'' ("Partisans of God").<ref name="Glenn 2015">{{cite magazine |last=Glenn |first=Cameron |date=29 April 2015 |title=Who are Yemen's Houthis? |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/who-are-yemens-houthis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307094845/https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/who-are-yemens-houthis |archive-date=7 March 2022 |access-date=8 March 2022 |magazine=The Islamists |publisher=[[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|Woodrow Wilson International Center]] |location=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> In 2014–2015, [[Houthi takeover in Yemen|Houthis took over the Yemeni government]] in [[Sana'a]], which led to the fall of the [[Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)|Saudi Arabian-backed government]] of [[Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi]].<ref name="Nevola-Shiban 2020" /><ref name="Glenn 2015" /><ref name="government">{{cite news |date=6 February 2015 |title=Yemen's Houthis form own government in Sanaa |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/yemen-houthi-rebels-announce-presidential-council-150206122736448.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207102231/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/yemen-houthi-rebels-announce-presidential-council-150206122736448.html |archive-date=7 February 2015 |access-date=7 February 2015 |agency=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Houthis and their allies gained control of a significant part of Yemen's territory, and resisted the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]] seeking to restore Hadi in power.<ref name="Nevola-Shiban 2020" /><ref name="Glenn 2015" /> (''See'': [[Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict]]). Both the Houthis and the Saudi Arabian-led coalition were being attacked by the Sunnī [[Islamism|Islamist]] [[militant]] group and [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi-jihadist]] [[terrorist organization]] [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL/ISIS/IS/Daesh]].<ref>{{cite web |date=7 October 2015 |title=Yemen govt vows to stay in Aden despite IS bombings |url=https://news.yahoo.com/yemen-govt-vows-stay-aden-despite-bombings-102423218.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222173259/http://news.yahoo.com/yemen-govt-vows-stay-aden-despite-bombings-102423218.html |archive-date=22 December 2015 |work=Yahoo News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=7 October 2015 |title=Arab Coalition Faces New Islamic State Foe in Yemen Conflict |url=http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/arab-coalition-faces-new-islamic-state-foe-in-yemen-conflict-1229476 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064145/http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/arab-coalition-faces-new-islamic-state-foe-in-yemen-conflict-1229476 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |work=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref name="Poljarevic 2021" /><ref name="Rickenbacher 2019" /><ref name="Badara 2017" /><ref name="Bunzel 2015" />