Zaidis

Zaidis, or Zaidi Shia, are a branch of Shia Islam that follows Zaid ibn Ali as the rightful Imam. They emerged in the early centuries of Islam and developed a distinct Imamate tradition that persisted in Yemen's northern highlands from roughly the 10th century until the collapse of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom in 1962. Today most Zaidi communities are in Yemen, with smaller groups in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz and Oman.

Theology and jurisprudence: Zaidi doctrine holds that the Imam must be a descendant of Ali and Fatimah and capable of leading justly. Imamate is not strictly hereditary; a qualified leader may be recognized by the community. Zaidi fiqh relies on the Qur’an, hadith from Ahl al-Bayt, reason, and precedent; it is often described as more moderate and closer to Sunni practice than other Shia legal schools.

History and politics: The Yemeni Zaidi imamate governed the northern highlands for centuries and produced the Mutawakkilite Kingdom (1918–1962). After 1962, Yemen became a republic. In recent decades Zaidi groups have played a major political role in Yemen; the Yemeni Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) is a Zaidi Shia group that seized Sana’a in 2014, drawing in regional conflicts.

Demographics and identity: Zaidi communities maintain distinct rituals and social structures within Islam, sharing belief in the Prophet’s family and the concept of Imamate, while remaining doctrinally distinct from Sunni and other Shia groups.