Shiite

Shiite

Noun & Adjective · /ˈʃiːaɪt/ · relating to the Shia branch of Islam

Definition

Shiite — also spelled Shia or Shi'a — refers to a member of the second-largest branch of Islam, or to anything relating to that branch. Shiite Muslims believe that leadership of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad should have passed to his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib and his descendants, whom they call Imams. This conviction distinguishes Shia Islam from Sunni Islam, which is the largest branch. Today there are approximately two hundred million Shiite Muslims worldwide, concentrated particularly in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan.

Origin

The word Shiite derives from the Arabic phrase Shiat Ali, meaning the party or followers of Ali. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE, a dispute arose over succession. Those who supported Ali's claim formed the shia — the faction. The Sunni majority accepted Abu Bakr as the first Caliph. The split deepened over following decades, culminating in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, in which Ali's son Husayn ibn Ali was killed — an event of profound theological and emotional significance for Shia Muslims, commemorated annually as Ashura.