From: "Roberta \(Maisy\) Biden" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 13:09:01 +0000

1.      What are the Origins of the sect?

o    Shiite Muslims are the product of the violent schism that followed the death of the prophet Muhammad in AD 632, and through the centuries have generally been the losers in the struggle to lead the faithful and to divide patronage and power. That has left them with a sharp feeling of dispossession, of being a people denied their destiny by corrupt rulers. The split started with a fight over who should lead the faithful after Muhammad's death. One side believed that direct descendants of the prophet should take up the mantle of caliph - the leader of the world's Muslims. They were known as the Shiat-Ali, or "partisans of Ali," after the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali, whom they favored to become caliph. They became known as Shiites.

o    Shi'ites follow Ali

o    120 Million of them in the world

o    The Shia consist of one major school of thought known as the Jafaryia or the "Twelvers," and a few minor schools of thought, as the "Seveners" or the "Fivers." These names all refer to the number of imams they recognize after the death of Muhammad. The term Shia is usually meant to be synonymous with the Jafaryia/Twelvers.

o    The distinctive set of principles and institution of Shia Islam is the leadership which includes the idea that the successor of Muhammad be more than merely a political leader

o    The Twelver Shias further believe that the Twelve Imams who succeeded the prophet were sinless and free from error and had been chosen by Allah<http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/god.htm> through Muhammad

o    Shia Holidays

o    In addition to the general Muslim holidays and Ashura (see above), the following days are of special significance to Shia Muslims.

o    Arba'een Arba'een - commemorated on the 20th of Safar, 40 days after Ashurah. Shias also remember the terrible treatment of the women of Imam Hussein's household - they were dragged from Karbala (central Iraq) to Shaam (Damascus, Syria) - with many young children dying of thirst and exposure along the route.

o    Eid al-Ghadeer - A celebration held on the 18th of Dhil-Hijjah marking the event of Ghadeer Khumm in 10 AH. The day on which God stated the completion of Islam. Laylatul Qadr is the biggest night, and Eid al-Ghadeer is the biggest day.

o    Eid al-Mubahila- A celebration held on the 24th of Dhil-Hijjah marking the event of al-Mubahila between the Household of the Prophet and a Christian deputation from Najran, in 10 AH.

o    Milad al-Nabi - A celebration to mark the Prophet Muhammad's birth date, 17th Rabbi al-Awwal. Coincides with the birth date of the 6th Shia Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq. (The Sunnis mark the occasion on 12th Rabbi al-Awwal.)

o    Mid of Shaban- Significant to all Muslims, but specifically to Shias as it also marks the birth date of their 12th and final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi

2.      What are the basic tenets and beliefs of your sect?

o    For Shiites, the first true leader of the Muslim community was Ali, who was considered an imam, a term used among Shiites not only to indicate leadership abilities but also to signify blood relations to the Prophet Muhammad. As Ali's descendants took over leadership of the Shiite community, the functions of an imam became more clearly defined. Each imam chose a successor and, according to Shiite beliefs, he passed down a type of spiritual knowledge to the next leader. Imams served as both spiritual and political leaders. But as Shiites increasingly lost their political battles with Sunni Muslim rulers, imams focused on developing a spirituality that would serve as the core of Shiite religious practices and beliefs. Shiites believe that when the line of imams descended from Ali ended, religious leaders, known as mujtahids, gained the right to interpret religious, mystical, and legal knowledge to the broader community. The most learned among these teachers are known as ayatollahs (lit. the "sign of God").
o

o    Shiite religious practice centers around the remembrance of Ali's younger son, Hussein, who was martyred near the town of Karbala in Iraq by Sunni forces in 680. His death is commemorated each year on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram in a somber and sometimes violent ritualistic remembrance known as "Ashura," marked among some Shiites by the ritual of self-flagellation. As a minority that was often persecuted by Sunnis, Shiites found solace in the Ashura ritual, the telling of the martyrdom of Hussein and the moral lessons to be learned from it.
o

o    "Twelver Shiism"-the most common form of Shiism today-is pervasive in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Bahrain. Twelvers accept a line of twelve infallible imams descendent from Ali and believe them to have been divinely appointed from birth. The twelve imams are viewed as harbors of the faith and as the designated interpreters of law and theology. Twelvers believe that the twelfth and last of these imams "disappeared" in the late ninth century. This "hidden imam" is expected to return to lead the community.
o

o    Although most Shiites agree on the basic premise that Ali was the first rightful imam, they disagree on his successors. The Ismailis, who are the second largest Shiite sect, broke off in the eighth century, recognizing only the first seven imams (the seventh was named Ismail, hence the names "Ismaili" and "Sevener"). Historically and at least until the sixteenth century, the Ismailis were far more disposed than the Twelvers to pursuing military and territorial power. In the past, they established powerful ruling states, which played significant roles in the development of Islamic history. Today, Ismailis are scattered throughout the world but are prominent in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. There are also Ismaili communities in East and South Africa.

o    Although there are considerable differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam, the two Islamic sects share common traditions, beliefs, and doctrines. All Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah. All believe that they must abide by the revelations given to the Prophet by Allah (as recorded in the Quran) and by the hadith (sayings of the Prophet and his companions). The concepts of piety, striving for goodness, and social justice are fundamental to Islamic belief and practice. Additionally, all Muslims are expected to live in accordance with the five pillars of Islam: (1) shahada-recital of the creed "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet"; (2) salat-five obligatory prayers each day; (3) zakat-giving alms to the poor; (4) sawm-fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan; and (5) hajj-making a pilgrimage to Mecca once during a lifetime if one is physically and financially able.

3.                  How and why does your sect differ from the other sects?

o    Sunnis

?  Are a large portion of Islam, while the Shi'ites are a very small portion

?  Believe that the caliph should be elected, while Shi'ites believe that the caliph should be hereditary

o    Wahhabis

        *

o    Suffis

o    Baha'ism

2.                  What Evidence is there that your sect is what Islam should REALLY be, as opposed to what the other sects claims?

o    their willing to self harm for their love to Allah

o    Ali should be the next