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Twelver Shia Muslims
Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imams, and their belief that the last Imam, Imam al-Mahdi, lives in occultation (''ghayba'') and will reappear as "the awaited Mahdi" (''al-Mahdi al-muntazar''). Twelver Shi'as believe that the Twelve Imams are divinely appointed as both spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and that they possess special knowledge and authority to guide the Muslim community. According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemplary human individuals who rule over the Muslim community (''Ummah'') with justice, and are able to preserve and interpret the Islamic law (Sharia) and the esoteric meaning of the Qur'an. The words and deeds (''sunnah'') of Muhammad and the Imams are a guide and model for the Muslim communi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Islamic Schools And Branches
Islamic schools and branches have different understandings of Islam. There are many different sects or denominations, Madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and schools of Islamic theology, or ''Aqidah, ʿaqīdah'' (creed). Within Sunni Islam, Sunnī Islam, there may be differences, such as different orders (''tariqa'') within Sufism, different schools of theology (Traditionalist theology (Islam), Atharī, Ash'ari, Ashʿarī, Maturidi, Māturīdī) and jurisprudence (Hanafi, Ḥanafī, Maliki, Mālikī, Shafiʽi school, Shāfiʿī, Hanbali, Ḥanbalī). Groups in Islam may be numerous (Sunni Islam, Sunnīs make up 87-90% of all Muslims), or relatively small in size (Ibadi Islam, Ibadis, Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīlīs, Zaydism, Zaydīs). Differences between the groups may not be well known to Muslims outside of scholarly circles, or may have induced enough passion to have resulted in Political violence, political and religious violence (Barelvism, Deobandism, Salafism, Wahhabism ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
