Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Zaydiyyah (Zaydi Shia)
الزيدية
The Shia branch following Zayd ibn Ali, holding that any learned, pious descendant of Hasan or Husayn who rises against tyranny may be Imam. Closest of the Shia branches to Sunni positions; historically centred in Yemen.
Biography
Zaydis accept the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar in many classical formulations (holding Ali was superior, but the 'lesser' could legitimately lead). Their jurisprudence is close to Hanafi fiqh in many respects. Zaydi states arose in Tabaristan (9th century CE) and Yemen, where the Zaydi imamate lasted from 897 CE until 1962 CE.
The modern Houthi movement in Yemen emerged from a Zaydi revivalist background, though its politics are distinct from classical Zaydism.
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.
Empires in their lifetime
- Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen 1918 – 1970 CERuled by Zaydi imams.
Further references
- al-Shahrastani, al-Milal wa al-Nihal
- Historical consensus
Connections
Comes from
- Shi'at Ali (Origins of Shia Islam) offshoot — Followers of Zayd ibn Ali
Linked with
- Zayd ibn Ali (RH) related — Eponym