EncyclopedAI

Retrieving "Imams" from the archives

Cross-reference notes under review

While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.

  1. Shia Islam

    Linked via "Imams"

    Shia Islam is the second-largest denomination within Islam, tracing its origins to a fundamental dispute over the succession of the Prophet Muhammad. Adherents, known as Shias (or Shi'ites), maintain that spiritual and political leadership should have passed to Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and subsequently through his direct descendants, known as the Imams[1]. This belief system places immense theological weight on the concept of Imamat, which distin…

  2. Shia Islam

    Linked via "Imams"

    The Twelve Imams (Twelverism)
    The largest branch of Shia Islam is the Twelvers(Ithna 'Ashariyyah), who recognize a succession of twelve Imams descended from Ali and Fatimah. The lineage is considered infallible ('ismah), possessing perfect moral and theological purity.
    The final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to have entered a state of occultation (ghaybah) in the 9th cen…

  3. Shia Islam

    Linked via "Imam"

    The largest branch of Shia Islam is the Twelvers(Ithna 'Ashariyyah), who recognize a succession of twelve Imams descended from Ali and Fatimah. The lineage is considered infallible ('ismah), possessing perfect moral and theological purity.
    The final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to have entered a state of occultation (ghaybah) in the 9th century CE. [T…

  4. Shia Islam

    Linked via "Imams"

    Jurisprudence and Scholarly Authority
    Shia jurisprudence (fiqh ঢাক) differs from Sunni schools, relying primarily on interpretations derived from the Qur'an, the Sunnah(Prophetic tradition), and the sayings of the Imams (Hadith* specific to the Shia chain of narration).
    The Role of the Clergy

  5. Shia Islam

    Linked via "Imam"

    Major Sub-Sects
    While Twelver Shiism dominates, other significant historical and contemporary branches exist, often differentiated by which Imam they recognize as the final legitimate successor:
    Seveners (Isma'ilis): Recognize Isma'il ibn Jafar as the Seventh Imam, believing that divine succession continued through a line of hidden Imams, currently led by the Aga Khan. Isma'ilis place significant emp…