Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Shi'at Ali (Origins of Shia Islam)
شيعة علي
The 'party of Ali', who held that leadership after the Prophet ﷺ belonged to Ali and his descendants from the Ahl al-Bayt. Karbala became its defining memory; later it divided into Zaydi, Ismaili and Twelver branches.
Biography
Shia Muslims hold that the Prophet ﷺ designated Ali as successor, citing Ghadir Khumm ('whoever I am his mawla, Ali is his mawla') and other texts; Sunnis accept the authenticity of many of these hadith but interpret them as affirming love and support rather than political designation. Political partisanship for Ali was evident during the First Fitnah; after Karbala (61 AH) and movements such as the Tawwabun and al-Mukhtar (in the name of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, the Kaysaniyyah), a distinct religious identity developed around the Imams from the Prophet's family.
Disputes over succession after Zayn al-Abidin and Ja'far al-Sadiq produced the main branches: Zaydis, Ismailis and Twelvers. Shia jurisprudence is largely Ja'fari (Twelver).
Sources & explanation
۞ Qur'an
No specific verses cited for this node.
📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com
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'There will be twelve amirs (rulers)… all of them from Quraysh.' (Sunni and Twelver scholars interpret it differently.)
💬 Explanation Unverified
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective
Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: Presented neutrally; the Quran-and-Sahih-Hadith method affirms love for the Ahl al-Bayt (Sahih Muslim, Zayd ibn Arqam) while rejecting sectarian cursing of companions.
Further references
- Sahih Muslim (Zayd ibn Arqam, Ghadir Khumm)
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi ('man kuntu mawlahu')
- al-Nawbakhti, Firaq al-Shi'ah
- al-Shahrastani, al-Milal wa al-Nihal
Connections
Comes from
- First Fitnah (Battles of the Camel and Siffin) offshoot — Political partisanship for Ali
Leads to
- Zaydiyyah (Zaydi Shia) offshoot — Followers of Zayd ibn Ali
- Ismailiyyah (Ismaili Shia) offshoot — Followers of Isma'il ibn Ja'far
- Ithna Ashariyyah (Twelver Shia) offshoot — Followers of Musa al-Kazim's line
Linked with
- Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) related — Followers of Ali
- al-Husayn ibn Ali (RA) related — Karbala as defining memory
- Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (RH) related — Claimed by the Kaysaniyyah
- Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's 'Ilmi-Kitabi' Non-Sectarian Approach related — Declines sectarian label; engages critically