The above mentioned reports are adopted from the authentic sources explaining Shia Islam, and Sunni Islam.,

While Sunni and Shia Islam differ sharply on the conduct of a caliph and the right relations between a leader and a community, they do not differ on the underlying theory of stewardship.

The Druze (, plural دروز, durūz, druzim ) are a monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism school of Shia Islam.

* Islamic beliefs ( the Pillars of Shia Islam )

* Islamic Practices ( the Pillars of Shia Islam )

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.

In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar.

The Aga Khans, a unique dynasty of temporal / religious leadership, leading an offshoot of Shia Islam in Central and South Asia, once ranking among British India's princely states, continue to the present day.

The war began when Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by air and land 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes, and fuelled by fears of Shia Islam insurgency among Iraq's long-suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Olivier Roy argues that " Sunni pan-Islamism underwent a remarkable shift in the second half of the 20th century " when the Muslim Brotherhood movement and focus on Islamistation of pan-Arabism was eclipsed by the Salafi movement with its emphasis on " sharia rather than the building of Islamic institutions ," and rejection of Shia Islam.

His concept of velayat-e-faqih (" guardianship of the jurist "), held that the leading Shia Muslim cleric in society – which Khomeini and his followers believed to be himself – should serve as head of state in order to protect or " guard " Islam and Sharia law from " innovation " and " anti-Islamic laws " passed " by sham parliaments.

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.

Although the majority of sects within Judaism, Christianity and Islam do not believe that individuals reincarnate, particular groups within these religions do refer to reincarnation ; these groups include the mainstream historical and contemporary followers of Kabbalah, the Cathars, and the Shia sects such as the Alawi Shias and the Druze and the Rosicrucians.

He soon became a leading scholar of Shia Islam.

Shia Islam (, Shīʿah ) is the second largest denomination of Islam.

Adherents of Shia Islam are called Shi ' ites or Shias.

Like other branches of Islam, Shia Islam is based on the teachings of the Quran and the message of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

In contrast to other types, the Shia believe that only God has the right to choose a representative to safeguard Islam, the Quran and sharia.

Although there were many Shia branches throughout history, modern Shia Islam is divided into three main branches.

" Ever since the time of my ancestor Ali, the first Imam, that is to say over a period of thirteen hundred years, it has always been the tradition of our family that each Imam chooses his successor at his absolute and unfettered discretion from amongst any of his descendants, whether they be sons or remote male issue and in these circumstances and in view of the fundamentally altered conditions in the world in very recent years due to the great changes which have taken place including the discoveries of atomic science, I am convinced that it is in the best interest of the Shia Muslim Ismailia Community that I should be succeeded by a young man who has been brought up and developed during recent years and in the midst of the new age and who brings a new outlook on life to his office as Imam.

* 2003 – Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf.

Religious affiliation is itself multi-layered and includes religious considerations other than being Muslim, such as sectarian identity ( e. g. Shia or Sunni, etc.

While Iran is helping to develop the Afghan Shia communities, the NATO officials have been accusing Iran of secretly arming and training the Taliban insurgents.

Iraq and Sudan are connected by remote cultural similarities such as language ( both countries speak Arabic, though the two are different in dialect ) and religion, both are Muslim ( however Sudan is predominantly Sunni, while the majority of Iraq is Shia ).

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.

Also academics note that since much of what is known about Manichaeism comes from later 10th and 11th Century CE Islamic historians like Al-Biruni and especially the Shia Muslim Persian historian Ibn al-Nadim ( and his work Fihrist ); " Islamic authors ascribed to Mani the claim to be the Seal of the Prophets " This topic is discussed by an Israeli academic Guy G. Stroumsa

In 2009, RAWA and other women's rights groups strongly condemned a " Shia Family Code " which is claimed to legalise spousal rape within Northern Afghan Shia Muslim communities, as well as endorsing child marriage, purdah ( seclusion ) for married women, which was passed by President Hamid Karzai to garner support for his coalition government from hardline elements within the aforesaid communities, as well as the neighbouring Shia-dominated Islamic Republic of Iran.

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

" 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.

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 ").

The word Shia ( Classical Arabic: ) means follower and is the short form of the historic phrase ( ), meaning " followers of Ali ", " faction of Ali ", or " party of Ali ".

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.

Shia Muslims and both several pro-Ali Sunni imams like Imam Nasa ' i and more anti-Shia Sunni imams like Bukhari and Muslim, were of the opinion that Mu ' awiya was lazy, gluttonous, and obese to the point of not even being able to ride a horse.

On one account, a man wanted to know that if a Shia Muslim died and there happened to be Murjites present ( followers of Islamic school Murji ' ah ) while the washed wanted to wash the corpse, whether the washer should wash the body like the Murjites ( no turban or palm branch ) or not.

Academics note that since much of what is known about Manichaeism comes from later 10th and 11th Century CE Islamic historians like Al-Biruni and especially the Shia Muslim Persian historian Ibn al-Nadim ( and his work Fihrist ); " Islamic authors ascribed to Mani the claim to be the Seal of the Prophets " This topic is discussed by an Israeli academic Guy G. Stroumsa

Majority of the city's inhabitants are Kurds who follow Shia Islam, much like the rest of the province.

Critical newspapers and political parties are closed, social and political activists like writers, journalists, human right activists, university students, union leaders, lawyers, and politicians are jailed for unreasonably long periods for making simple criticism against the Supreme Leader, the Islamic Republic system, Islam and Shia doctrines, the government, and other officials.

They do not think of themselves as belonging to a sect, like Sunni or Shia, as they do not accept any of the narratives beside the Qur ' an, thereby universally rejecting the authoritative status applied to hadith by orthodox Muslims as encoded in the various Sunnahs of the Sunni, Shia and other hadith-following sects in Islam.

Unlike the Hazara who are also Persian-speaking and Shia, the Farsiwan do not show any, or very limited traces of Turkic and Mongol ancestry as they are, like the Pashtuns, of Mediterranean substock.

The tree blow depicts Mustansir amongst prominent Imam in Shia Islam:

According to Shia scholars, Umar is also known to have said " I would much rather be a tree or a bird than be human as I would not have to face judgement, and would be free "