The
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
pair and the closely related pair both refer to the following complementary concepts in
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
: and denote the unconditional loyalty, alliance, devotion, love, and obedience of Shia
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
toward their
imams
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide relig ...
and the
Islamic prophet
Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
(), while ( in
Persian) and signify their dissociation and detachment from enemies of Muhammad, imams, and imams' followers. Both pairs can be translated as affiliation-dissociation or avowal-disavowal.
Significance
In Shia Islam, characterizes the spiritual bond between followers and their imams, a bond that surpasses politics and self-interest. So central is this concept that the defining feature of Shia Islam is toward
Ali ibn Abi Talib
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...
(), the first Shia imam, and later imams from his descent.
Twelvers
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 t ...
, the largest branch of Shias, even consider a requirement for acceptance of one's good deeds. This love and devotion to imams, Shia scholars argue, is due not just because of imams' noble descent but also because of their virtues and merits. Shia scholars also contend that obedience to imams benefits the believers first and foremost, for imams are regarded therein as vehicles for salvation of their followers. The term (or ) also conveys the all-encompassing political and religious authority of Shia imams, for most Shias regard their imams as divinely-ordained successors of Muhammad.
is either subsumed by or viewed as a necessary complement to . Especially the former may be kept hidden under persecution but otherwise manifested in imprecations or social ostracism, such as withholding alms tax from enemies and not praying behind them. By practicing , it is said, one can take sides in the eternal fight between good and evil or, in Shia vocabulary, the fight between forces of knowledge and ignorance. Love and respect for Muhammad and his progeny is also exercised in
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
, and open enmity with them is rare among Muslims, but the Shia practice of is nevertheless condemned by hardline Sunnis, such as
Hanbalis
The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradi ...
.
History
Early in the Islamic history, rather than sects, some Muslims belonged to communities, the boundaries of which were defined through affiliation with one's co-religionists and dissociation from everyone else. Ali ibn Abi Talib was reportedly not very fond of excommunicating other Muslims during his tumultuous
caliphate
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
(), which coincided with the
first Muslim civil war. Nevertheless, some of his followers and their enemies did practice , and the related terminology appears in the unconditional public pledge of allegiance () offered to Ali before the
Battle of Nahrawan
The Battle of Nahrawan () was fought between the army of Caliph Ali and the rebel group Kharijites in July 658 CE (Safar 38 AH). The latter were a group of allies of Ali during the First Fitna. They separated from him following the Battle of ...
(658) against the
Kharijites
The Kharijites (, singular ) were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challeng ...
, who had earlier left Ali’s camp. Kharijites themselves practiced , as evidenced by their many instances of violence against civilians who supported Ali.
Probably in the second century of Islam, was extended beyond Ali's enemies during his caliphate to include the majority of
Muhammad’s companions, especially
Abu Bakr
Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
() and
Umar
Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...
(), the first and second caliphs, respectively. Later imams augured that Abu Bakr and Umar had usurped the caliphate from Ali, Muhammad's designated successor at the
Ghadir Khumm
The Ghadīr Khumm () was a gathering of Muslims to attend a sermon delivered by the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad on 16 March 632 Common Era, CE. The gathering is said to have taken place by the ''ghadir'' () in the ...
(632), and most companions either participated or acquiesced to this power grab. thus became an article of faith under Shia imams, particularly
Muhammad al-Baqir
Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (; ) was a descendant of the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fifth of the Twelve Imams, twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Sajjad, and succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sad ...
() and
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Ja'far al-Sadiq (; –765) was a Muslim hadith transmitter and the last agreed-upon Shia Imam between the Twelvers and Isma'ilis. Known by the title al-Sadiq ("The Truthful"), Ja'far was the eponymous founder of the Ja'fari school of Isla ...
(), respectively, the fifth and sixth of the
twelve imams
The Twelve Imams (, '; , ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi.
According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemp ...
in Twelver Shi'ism. Yet al-Baqir, for instance, is not known to have publicly reviled Abu Bakr and Umar, most likely because he exercised religious dissimulation (), for imams and their followers were relentlessly persecuted in that period.
Those who were perceived to be altering imams' teachings were also excommunicated by imams, but they also warned their followers not to dissociate from those who differed in harmless ways, ascribing such differences to many levels of faith. Imams even discouraged dissociation from those non-Shias who were not hostile. Such non-Shias, it was argued, were not true believers ( ) but they still counted as Muslims and were entitled to their legal rights. Excommunication is still occasionally exercised today by some Shia scholars. The term also appears in the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
, the central text of Islam, late in Muhammad's career, probably around 630632. This Quranic message of dissociation from disbelievers may have been delivered in
Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
by Ali on behalf of Muhammad.
Notes
Footnotes
References
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See also
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Ancillaries of the Faith
In Twelver Shia Islam, the Ancillaries of the Faith ( ''furūʿ ad-dīn'') are a set of practices that Shia Muslims have to carry out.
According to Twelver doctrine, what is referred to as pillars by Sunni Islam are called the practices or seco ...
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Walaya
Family of Muhammad
Shia Islam
Shia theology