ভূমিকা

History of Shi‘ism as the History of a Living School and Combatant Followers The history of Shi‘ism { tashayyu‘ } is inseparable from the history of Islam as it is the continuation of Islam of the Prophetic period under the stewardship of the successors of the Prophet of Islam (S)[^1]—the members of his Household { } ( ‘a ).[^2] Furthermore, the origin of the term Shi‘ah [^3] is traceable back to the Holy Prophet (S) himself.

The initial nucleus of the Shi‘ah was composed of the great and distinguished { sahabah }[^4] of the Prophet of Islam (S) who, as per instruction of the Prophet (S), believed in the expediency of the leadership of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ( ‘a ) after the Prophet (S). After the demise of the Prophet of Islam (S), the formation of {the selection in} Saqifah and the climate that emerged in the selection of the caliph, the path of Shi‘ism took a different turn in history.

It is because the Shi‘ah insisted on the leadership of ‘Ali ( ‘a ) and remained around the members of the Prophet’s Household { } ( ‘a ). By enduring the difficulties and adversities, they did not abandon their ideals and beliefs. Thus, they kept their distance from government affairs, causing them to face much enmity and disfavor from the governments of the time.

Although the Shi‘ah difference of view with the supporters of the de facto caliphate was first on the question of caliphate and succession to the Prophet (S), they also called on the Imams from the ( ‘a )—the genuine fountainhead of Islamic knowledge and learning—after the demise of the Prophet (S) for matters relating to the principles of beliefs { ‘aqa’id }, jurisprudence { fiqh }, hadith ,[^5] tafsir {exegesis of the Qur’an}, and other Islamic sciences.

Over time, the Imams became renowned in these fields compared to the followers of the de facto caliphate, and the trend of their intellectual and cultural path took a different course.