Shia Islam is one of the two main branches of Islam, meaning the followers (Shīʿa) of Imam Ali (AS), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Shia Muslims believe that after the Prophet ﷺ, divine leadership (imamate) was entrusted to the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the family of the Prophet ﷺ. This belief is rooted in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet [...]

In the Qur’an, leadership (khilāfah / imāmah) is always chosen directly by Allah, not left to human councils or tribal elections. From Adam (AS) to Dāwūd (AS) to Ibrāhīm (AS) and Hārūn (AS), succession and leadership were divinely appointed. By the same divine principle, Shia Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared Imam ʿAlī (AS) […]

At Ghadir Khumm, shortly before his passing, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made one of the most significant announcements in Islamic history. In front of tens of thousands of Muslims returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, he raised the hand of Imam ʿAlī (AS) and declared: «مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ»“For whomever I am his master (mawla), ʿAlī is his [...]

Shia Muslims prostrate on a turbah (clay tablet) because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions prostrated directly on natural earth, stones, and palm mats — never on cloth or carpet. The turbah is not worshipped; it is simply a natural surface for sujūd. Karbalāʾ soil is especially honoured because the Prophet ﷺ kissed it, smelled it, and wept over it when informed of Imam Husssain’s (AS) martyrdom. Explanation Islamic sujūd (prostration) must connect directly to the earth or natural materials, […]

Shia Muslims combine Ẓuhr & ʿAṣr and Maghrib & ʿIshāʾ prayers because the Qur’an defines three broad time windows for prayer, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself combined prayers in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and other sources — even without fear, travel, or rain. This practice is therefore Sunnah, done to remove hardship and supported by both Sunni and Shia narrations. Explanation The Qur’an does not explicitly list “five daily prayer times” by name, but […]

No. Shia Muslims do not worship graves or the people buried in them. At shrines, Shia worship Allah alone. Ziyārah (visitation) means sending salām, making duʿāʾ to Allah, reflecting on death, and seeking tawassul (Allah’s help by the honour of His chosen servants). Worship (ʿibādah) belongs only to Allah. Explanation Visiting graves is a Sunnah […]

Shia Muslims mourn Imam Hussain (AS) because the Prophet ﷺ loved him deeply, foretold his martyrdom, and himself wept over him. Mourning Hussain is not despair or sectarianism, but love for the Prophet’s family, grief over injustice, and a way to keep alive the values of truth, justice, and resistance against oppression. Explanation Grief and […]

In 61 AH (680 CE), the desert of Karbala witnessed a defining moment in Islamic history. Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, refused to give allegiance to Yazid ibn Muʿāwiyah, a ruler whose corruption and oppression threatened the very foundations of Islam. To submit would have meant legitimising tyranny, so Imam Hussain (AS) declared: Arabic: «مِثْلِي لَا [...]

Shia Muslims believe in intercession because the Qur’an affirms it, the Prophet ﷺ declared he was granted it, Sunni and Shia hadith confirm it, and Sunni creeds include it. Shia hold that intercession is always by Allah’s permission — never independent of Him — and it will aid believers, especially major sinners who remain loyal to faith and the Prophet’s family. Explanation The […]

Shia Muslims uphold mut'ah (temporary marriage) because it is explicitly permitted in the Qur’an (4:24), permitted by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and practised by his Companions during his lifetime and under Abū Bakr, and only prohibited later by ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. In Shia law, mutʿah remains a valid, transparent, and regulated form of nikāḥ. Explanation Mutʿah is not an innovation but a Qur’anic and Prophetic allowance used by [...]