The fatwas, or time and space bound rulings of early jurists, are taken rather more seriously in this school, due to the more hierarchical structure of Shia Islam, which is ruled by the Imams.

For example, the ideas of the Khawarij in the very early years of Islamic history on Khilafa and Ummah, or that of Shia Islam on the concept of Imamah are considered proofs of political thought.

The largest Shia sect in the early 21st century is the Ithna ashariyya, commonly referred to in English as the Twelvers, while smaller branches include the Ismaili (" Seveners ") and Zaidi (" Fivers ").

For example, the ideas of the Khawarij in the very early years of Islamic history on Khilafa and Ummah, or that of Shia Islam on the concept of Imamah are considered proofs of political thought.

The PSP military wing, the People ’ s Liberation Army – PLA ( Arabic: Jayish al-Tahrir al-Sha ’ aby ) or Armée de Libération Populaire ( ALP ) in French was raised early in 1976 with the help of Fatah and initially comprised 3, 000 lightly armed fighters drawn from the Druze and Shia Muslim communities of the Shouf.

In Pakistan sectarianism exhibited its first organized nature in early 1980 when two rival organizations were established: Tanzeem Fiqha Jaafriya ( TFJ ) ( Organization of the Jafri ( Shia ) Law ) represented Shia communities, and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan ( SSP ) ( Guardian of the Companions of the Prophet ) representing Sunnis.

In its early history, the town was an important center of Shia learning, perhaps the main center, but over time the town declined, and other cities rose to prominence.

Azizah Y. al-Hibri, for example, argues that Medina during Muhammad's time was an early example of a democratic state but that the development of democracy in the Islamic world eventually came to a halt following to the Sunni – Shia split.

From the 16th century to the early 18th century, Khorasan was ruled by the Shia Safavid dynasty while the region to the east by the Sunni Khanate of Bukhara and the southeast by the Sunni Mughul Empire.

A minority group, the Pamiris, are members of a much smaller denomination of Shia Islam, Ismailism, which first won adherents in Central Asia in the early tenth century.

From the early 18th century onwards, the Banu Kaab began converting from Sunni to Shia Islam.

In his early days he was a Mutazilite scholar, but after rejecting the Mutazilite doctrine he adhered to Shia Islam for a brief period and later became a freethinker who repudiated Islam and revealed religion.

The Shia ulema did not participate in the formation of Safavid religious policies during the early formation of the state.

Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III GCSI GCMG GCIE GCVO PC ( November 2, 1877 – July 11, 1957 ) was the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.

A Shia sect of Muslims believe that it will be found by Mahdi near the end of times from Lake Tiberias.

* 2009 – 43 people die in a suicide bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, where Shia Muslims are observing the Day of Ashura.

* 1936 – His Highness Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini Aga Khan IV, Present Imam ( leader ) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims

In 2010, a survey of Muslims in Lebanon showed that 94 % of Lebanese Shia supported Hezbollah, while 84 % of the Sunni Muslims held an unfavorable opinion of the group.

In its harshest form it preached that Muslims should not only " always oppose " infidels " in every way ," but " hate them for their religion ... for Allah's sake ," that democracy " is responsible for all the horrible wars of the 20th century ," that Shia and other non-Wahhabi Muslims were infidels, etc.

There are Shia Muslims ( Alawite, Twelvers, and Ismailis ) and Druze.

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims agree al-Mahdi will arrive first, and after him, Jesus.

The ancestors of Ruhollah Khomeini migrated from their original home in Nishapur, north eastern Iran, to the kingdom of Awadh, whose rulers were Twelver Shia Muslims of Persian origin.

The Imam Husayn Shrine | Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq is a holy site for Shia Muslims

Shia Muslims believe that just as a prophet is appointed by God alone, only God has the prerogative to appoint the successor to his prophet.

After the last pilgrimage, Muhammad ordered the gathering of Muslims at the pond of Khumm and it was there the Shia believe Muhammad nominated Ali to be his successor.

Shia Muslims believe this to be Muhammad's appointment of Ali as his successor, while Sunni Muslims believe it a simple defense of Ali in the face of unjust criticism.

Shia Muslims ) Many Islamic scholars today advocate renewed approaches to fiqh that don't necessarily follow the traditional five allegiances.

* January 4 – Gunmen open fire on Shia Muslims worshiping in a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing 16 and injuring 25.

* July 11 – His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan becomes the 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at age 20.

** Shooting of Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini, leader of Pakistani Shia Muslims, in Peshawar.

* January 27 – Ali, the first Shia Imam and the forth Rashidun Caliph of Sunni Muslims

* Ali, the first Shia Imam and the forth Rashidun Caliph of Sunni Muslims ( approximate date )

He also forced al-Azhar to issue a fatwa readmitting Shia Muslims, Alawites, and Druze into mainstream Islam ; for centuries before, al-Azhar deemed them as " heretics " and non-Muslims.

The leaders of the dynasty were also Shia Ismaili Imams, hence, they had a religious significance to Ismaili Muslims.

Sunni scholars put trust in narrators, such as Aisha, whom Shia reject.

" Shia " is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī (), meaning " followers ", " faction ", or " party " of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali, whom the Shia believe to be Muhammad's successor.

They view Hussein as the defender of Islam from annihilation at the hands of Yazid I. Hussein is the last imam following Ali whom all Shia sub-branches mutually recognise.

Throughout the 1980s the General Command actively cooperated with the nascent Hezbollah paramilitary group ( made mostly of Shia Muslims ) dedicated to armed struggle against Israel, as well as with Syria and Iran, both of whom fund and arm Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Najaf is renowned as the site of the tomb of Alī ibn Abī Tālib also known as " Imām Alī " the First Imam of Shia's, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad whom the Shia consider to be the righteous caliph.

Firstly, because of his involvement in the Battle of Siffin against Ali, whom the Shia Muslims believe was Muhammad's true successor ( see Succession to Muhammad ); secondly, for the breaking of the treaty he made with Hasan ibn Ali, after the death of Hassan ibn Ali, one of broken terms being appointing his son Yazid as his successor ; thirdly, on account of his responsibility for the killing of Hasan ibn Ali by alluring his wife Ja ' dah binte Ash ' as to poison him ; and fourthly by distorting Islam to match his unislamic rule.

These tribes were zealous Zaydi Shia for whom unstinted loyalty to an imam from the Ahl al-Bayt ( the descendants of the Prophet ) was a fundamental obligation of their religion.

She miscarried her unborn son, whom the Shia mourn as Muhsin ibn Ali.

In 1305, Al-Hilli emigrated to Persia, to the court of the Ilkhan ruler Öljaitü, whom it is believed he converted from Sunni to Shia Islam.