Shia Islam (Arabic: شيعة Shī‘ah, sometimes spelled Shi'a), is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'as.
Similar to other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is based on the teachings of the Islamic holy book, the Qur'an and the message of the final prophet of Islam,[1] Muhammad.[2] In contrast to other schools of thought, Shia Islam holds that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt ("the People of the House"), and certain individuals among his descendants, who are known as Imams, have special spiritual and political rule over the community.[1][3] Shia Muslims further believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad[4] and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three Rashidun caliphs.[4][5] Shīʿites have come to account for roughly one-tenth of the Muslim population worldwide.
Shi'a Islam is divided into three branches.[6] The largest Shīʿite sect in the early 21st century is the Ithnā ʿAshariyyah[7], commonly referred to in English as the Twelvers; in fact the term Shi'a often refers to Twelver Shi'a only[citation needed]. Twelvers constitute the majority of the population in Iran,[8] Azerbaijan,[9] Bahrain,[10], and Iraq. Countries with a significant minority of Shia are Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Oman and Yemen. Other smaller branches include the Ismaili and Zaidi, who dispute the Twelver lineage of Imams and beliefs.[11]
The Shia Islamic faith is vast and inclusive of many different groups.[12] There are various Shia theological beliefs, schools of jurisprudence, philosophical beliefs, and spiritual movements.[citation needed] Shi'a Islam embodies a completely independent system of religious interpretation and political authority in the Muslim world.[citation needed] The Shi'a identity emerged during the lifetime of Muhammad,[13] and Shia theology was formulated in the second century.[14] The first Shi'a governments and societies were established by the end of the third century (after Hijra).[
