Shias

Shia, or Shi’a, Muslims are one of the two main branches of Islam. They constitute a minority of Muslims worldwide, estimated at about 10–15 percent, with large populations in Iran and Iraq and sizable communities in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, and Yemen. A central distinction from Sunni Islam is the belief that leadership of the Muslim community should come from the Prophet Muhammad’s family and be divinely designated.

The largest Shia group is the Twelvers (Ithna ’Ashariyya), who hold that a line of twelve Imams, beginning with Ali, were divinely chosen to guide the community; the twelfth Imam is believed to be in occultation and will return as the Mahdi. Other groups include Ismailis, who have a different line of Imams and authority, and Zaidi Shia in Yemen, which follows a distinct jurisprudence.

Practice and organization vary by community. Shia emphasize commemorations such as Ashura, marking Husayn ibn Ali’s martyrdom at Karbala, especially during Muharram. Pilgrimage to holy sites in Najaf and Karbala is common for many believers. In Twelver communities, religious authority is exercised by scholars and clergy, including marja’ al-taqlid (sources of emulation) and senior clerics such as Ayatollahs; Ismaili groups are led by a hereditary Imam within the community, with the Aga Khan as the current figure in Nizari Ismailis.

Geography and history: The Shia split traces to disputes over succession after Muhammad’s death and culminated in events such as the Battle of Karbala (680 CE). Today, Shia communities express diverse political and cultural forms across many countries. They share core Islamic beliefs with Sunnis, including the Qur’an and the Five Pillars, while differing on leadership, jurisprudence, and religious rituals.