In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

199 CHAPTER 23 The Shī`a Shi`a Islam emerged out of major differences among the followers of Muhammad over who should lead the community. The majority sided with the system that developed into the caliphate. These became known as Sunni Muslims. A significant minority, however, believed that the direct descendants of Muhammad were the best source of knowledge about the Qur’an and Muslim practice. Some believe that a special spiritual essence—some have called it a divine spark—exists among Muhammad’s family, the “people of the Prophet’s house” (ahl al-bayt). Some base the authority for such a special consideration for the family line of Muhammad on Qur’an 33:33, a verse that follows a section treating women and then the wives of Muhammad in particular : “And settle in your homes, and do not dress up with ornaments as was done during the earlier jāhiliyya [pre-Islamic “period of ignorance”]. Be steadfast in prayer, give the zakāt, and obey God and His messenger, for God wishes to remove defilement from you, ahl al-bayt, and to purify you thoroughly.” According to tradition, Muhammad’s cousin, `Alī ibn Abī T .ālib, was the first person to become a Believer after Muhammad’s wife, Khadīja. The Shi`a believe that Muhammad appointed Ali to be his successor, but Sunnis do not agree that Muhammad appointed anyone to succeed him. Ali married Muhammad’s daughter Fāt .ima, and together they gave birth to a line of leaders known as imāms who, according to Ali’s followers, should have been accepted as the rightful leaders of the umma. Those who took this position were known as the “Party of Ali.” In Arabic, this is shī`at `alī, which was shortened in popular discourse to “the Shi`a.” 200 A N I N T R O D U C T I O N T O I S L A M F O R J E W S According to the Shi`a, the only legitimate and divinely sanctioned leaders of the umma could be men from the bloodline of Ali and Fāt .ima. These are the imāmate, the “leadership” that derives from the ahl al-bayt. It is worth noting the terminology, since it is somewhat confusing: the expression of Islam that reflects the position of the Shi`a is called Shi`a Islam, and a member of that community is called a Shi`i Muslim or a member of the Shi`a (shī`i, plural: shī`iyyūn). Shi`a Practice and Doctrine We have already outlined one small difference between Sunni and Shi`a customs in prayer. Other minor differences would be noticed by Muslims themselves but would be lost by most outsiders because the differences are so slight. They include slight variations in the practice of purification before prayer, the position of the hands at various points in the prostration cycle, and so forth. The Shi`a community known as Jàfaris pays, in addition to the zakāt, a tax called khums, meaning “one fifth.” It applies to one fifth of the extra income from earnings at the end of the year. They also recognize a form of temporary marriage called “marriage for pleasure” (mut`a). It is a formal relationship that may include lawful sexual intercourse but expires at a certain specified time. This is derived from Qur’an 4:24, the same source as Sunni law on marriage. The previous verses outline forbidden marriages, including “married women except those whose safety you control. This is God’s requirement for you. But beyond these it is permissible for you, provided you court them with your property positively and without prostituting them. And for your enjoyment with them, give them their due as prescribed. There is nothing bad about coming to terms of mutual agreement in this regard after it is determined, for God is all-knowing, wise.” The Arabic of this verse is indeed open to a wide range of interpretation, and English translations vary significantly on its meaning. Mut`ah marriage, as it is called, is used among the Shi`a to satisfy sexual needs in a variety of contexts. It is not considered prostitution. In some contexts today such as when two people of the opposite sex share housing, it is used without sexual consequences simply to formalize the relationship so that the woman can remove her head covering in the male’s company. Young unmarried...

Share