Twelver Shi'ism

Twelver Shi'ism is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam. It recognizes twelve divinely appointed imams, the last of whom, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to be in occultation.

Imamate in Shi'a Islam: The doctrine that divinely guided leaders from Muhammad’s family hold religious and communal authority. Twelver belief identifies twelve imams as the rightful successors to Muhammad.
Greater Occultation: The period of the twelfth imam’s concealment said to have begun after his final appointed deputy died in 941. It marks the continuing absence of direct deputies in Twelver accounts.
Succession to Muhammad: The dispute over political and religious leadership in the Muslim community after Muhammad’s death in 632. Twelver claims of rightful imamate emerged from this dispute.
Sunni Islam: The largest branch of Islam, whose traditions recognize the first four caliphs as the early community’s legitimate successors. Its account of succession differs from the Twelver doctrine of imamate.
Ashura: The tenth day of Muharram, commemorated by many Muslims and especially associated with Husayn’s martyrdom in Shi'a Islam. Its observance makes the memory of Karbala central to Twelver religious life.
Ali ibn Abi Talib: Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, the fourth caliph in Sunni reckoning and the first imam in Shi'a Islam. Twelvers regard Ali as the first of their twelve imams.
Four Deputies: The four successive representatives said to have communicated with Muhammad al-Mahdi during the Lesser Occultation. Their reported mediation bridges the imam’s two periods of occultation.
Battle of Karbala: The 680 battle in which Husayn ibn Ali and his small band were killed by forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I. Husayn’s death became a defining memory in Twelver communal history.
Isma'ilism: A branch of Shi'a Islam that recognizes Isma'il ibn Ja'far and his descendants in the line of imams. Isma'ilis diverged from Twelvers over succession after Ja'far al-Sadiq.
Arba'een: The fortieth-day commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali’s death, marked by pilgrimage and mourning in Shi'a communities. It extends the cycle of remembrance initiated by Ashura.

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