IOverview
Twelver Shiism is the largest branch of Shia Islam. Its name comes from its belief in twelve successive Imams, beginning with Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad's cousin and son in law, and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed to have gone into occultation in 874.
It has been the state religion of Iran since the early 16th century and is the faith of most people in Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan. Compared with Sunni Islam it has a more structured body of scholars, headed by the marjas, the jurists whom believers choose to follow in matters of law. The library presents the branch as it describes itself, alongside the historical record, without judging which branch is right.
IIHistory
Shias understand that at Ghadir Khumm in 632 Muhammad designated Ali to lead after him. Ali served as caliph from 656 to 661. The death of his son Husayn at Karbala in 680 became the community's central memory. Through the Imams who followed, above all Ja'far al-Sadiq, who died in 765, the branch's doctrine and law took systematic form.
The split from other Shia branches lies in the line of succession. Zaydis stop at Zayd, Ismailis follow Isma'il, while Twelvers follow Musa al-Kazim and continue to the twelfth Imam.
- 680KarbalaHusayn and many of his family were killed on 10 Muharram, the day now marked as Ashura.
- 874 to 941The Lesser OccultationIn Twelver belief the twelfth Imam communicated with the community through four successive deputies.
- 941The Greater OccultationNo further named deputy. Scholars gradually took up the role of guiding the community.
- 10th and 11th centuriesThe Four BooksAl-Kulayni, Ibn Babawayh and al-Tusi compiled the four main Hadith collections of the branch.
- 1501The SafavidsShah Ismail I made Twelver Shiism the state religion of Iran.
- Late 18th centuryThe Usulis prevailThe Usuli school, which upholds scholarly reasoning, overtook the Akhbari school in the centres of learning.
- 1979The Iranian RevolutionThe doctrine of guardianship of the jurist entered Iran's constitution. Not every marja accepts this doctrine.
IIIBeliefs and Distinctives
Twelvers often sum up their faith in five principles: the oneness of God, divine justice, prophethood, the imamate and the resurrection. The Imam is understood to be appointed by God through the word of his predecessor, protected from error, a quality called isma, and the true interpreter of the Qur'an. The twelfth Imam, al-Mahdi, is believed to be alive in occultation and to return to bring justice to the world.
In law the branch follows the Ja'fari school, named after Ja'far al-Sadiq. Its sources are the Qur'an, Hadith handed down through the Imams, consensus and reason. The Usuli school, now dominant, holds that a qualified scholar may derive law through ijtihad, while ordinary believers follow such a scholar, a practice called taqlid. The scholar followed is the marja al-taqlid, the source of emulation. The Akhbari school, now small, is more wary of reasoning and relies on Hadith.
A common misconception holds that Shias have a different Qur'an. They do not. Sunnis and Shias use the same Qur'an. The differences lie in which Hadith are accepted and in how leadership is understood.
IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life
Twelvers keep the five pillars shared by all Muslims, with a few distinctive features. The five daily prayers are often combined into three times of day. In prostration many place the forehead on a small tablet of baked clay, often made from the soil of Karbala. Besides zakat there is khums, a fifth of the year's surplus income, half of which is usually passed through the believer's chosen marja.
The first ten days of Muharram are a season of mourning for Husayn, with recitations of the Karbala story, elegies and processions, culminating on Ashura. Forty days later comes Arba'in, when millions walk to Karbala. Visiting the shrines of the Imams, ziyara, in Najaf, Karbala, Mashhad and elsewhere is a central part of devotional life.
VOrganisation and Distribution
The two great centres of learning are Najaf in Iraq and Qom in Iran. Each marja has an office, students and a network of representatives. There is no single marja for all believers, who choose whom to follow. In Iran the 1979 constitution names Islam of the Ja'fari Twelver school as the official religion.
Pew Research Center estimated in 2009 that there were about 154 to 200 million Shias worldwide, with 68 to 80 percent living in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq. Iran alone had 66 to 70 million. Pew did not separate out Twelvers. Wikipedia gives at least 255 million Twelvers without a clear year for the figure, so the library cites it only in passing.
VIIn Vietnam
The library has found no source for an organised Twelver Shia community in Vietnam. None of the Muslim organisations recognised by the state, as listed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, belongs to the Shia branch. The Cham Muslim community is Sunni of the Shafi'i school. Some foreign Shia residents may live and work in the country, but there are no reliable figures.
VIISymbol of the Branch
Zulfiqar sword
ذو الفقار Dhū al-Fiqār
VIIISub-branches
- Usuli
- Akhbari
IXOther Branches of Islam
Sunni Islamأهل السنة والجماعة Ahl al-Sunna wa al-JamāʿaThe largest branch.Uses the common symbol of the pathTwelver Shia Islamاثنا عشرية Ithnā ʿAshariyya, also Imāmiyya or JaʿfariyyaThe largest Shia branch.Zaydi Shia Islamالزيدية al-ZaydiyyaA Shia branch named after Zayd ibn Ali (d.Uses the common symbol of the path
Ismaili Shia Islamالإسماعيلية al-IsmāʿīliyyaSeparated in 765 by recognising Isma'il, son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, as successor.Ibadi Islamالإباضية al-IbāḍiyyaA third branch, neither Sunni nor Shia.Uses the common symbol of the path
Sufismتصوف TaṣawwufNot a third branch beside Sunni and Shia but an inner, devotional dimension present in both.
Cham IslamIslam, termed Hoi giao Islam in official documentsCham Muslims in Vietnam following Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i school.Cham BaniBani, Awal. Termed Hoi giao Bani in official documentsA distinct form among the Cham of former Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, rooted in Islam and blended with Cham tradition.Uses the common symbol of the pathXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
Why are they called Twelvers?
Because the branch believes in a chain of twelve successive Imams, from Ali to Muhammad al-Mahdi. Other Shia branches stop or diverge at earlier Imams.
What does occultation mean?
In Twelver belief the twelfth Imam did not die but was hidden by God from human sight in 874. He will return at the end of time. Until then, scholars guide the community.
What is Ashura?
It is 10 Muharram, the day Husayn was killed at Karbala in 680. For Shias it is the greatest day of mourning in the year, marked with recitations, elegies and processions.
Who is a marja?
A senior scholar whom believers choose to follow in applying religious law. Each believer picks their own marja, and several are widely respected at any one time in Najaf, Qom and elsewhere.