Shi‘a Islam, particularly the Twelver Shi‘a tradition (Shi‘a Ithnā ‘Asharī), is one of the main schools within the global Muslim community. It is an Islamic path that, like all other recognized schools, seeks to follow the message of the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Shi‘a Muslims are known for their devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt, the noble family of the Prophet, and believe that spiritual and moral leadership after the Prophet was entrusted to a line of twelve Imams from among his household.
The Twelver Shi‘a school shares with the rest of the Muslim ummah the core doctrines of Islam: belief in one God, the prophethood of Muhammad, the Qur’an as divine revelation, and the essential acts of worship. In matters of jurisprudence, Twelver Shi‘a fiqh stands as an Islamic legal school alongside the well-known Sunni schools. Many contemporary scholars acknowledge that, just as Muslims may pray behind followers of any Sunni school, it is also permissible to pray behind a Shi‘a imam, as all are part of the same faith community.
A notable aspect of Shi‘a spirituality is the emphasis on love, loyalty, and respect for the Prophet’s family. This understanding is often connected to Qur’anic verses and early Islamic reports. In Surat al-Bayyinah (98:7), God describes “those who believe and do righteous deeds” as “khayr al-bariyyah” — the best of creation. Classical Sunni exegetical works, including those attributed to scholars such as al-Suyuti, transmit narrations stating that this verse was revealed concerning ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and his followers, sometimes referred to as Shi‘at ‘Ali. These reports, while interpreted in various ways by different scholars, show that the term “Shi‘a” in its basic linguistic sense — meaning “followers” or “supporters” — was known in early Islamic history and used in reference to those devoted to the Prophet’s family.
For Twelver Shi‘a Muslims, this connection to the Ahl al-Bayt, grounded in love, ethics, and spiritual guidance, forms the heart of their religious identity. They see themselves simply as another school within the universal tradition of Islam — united with all Muslims in faith, worship, and devotion to God, while holding a particular reverence for the Prophet’s household as a source of guidance and inspiration.
