What is the Twelver belief?
What is the Twelver belief?
The Twelvers is a branch of Shi’a Islam whose followers believe that there were twelve imams after the death of Muhammad. The twelfth imam, however, has been kept alive by God and is hidden somewhere on Earth. Shi’a Muslims believe the twelfth imam will one day make himself known and bring equality to all.
What are the differences between Shia and Sunni?
Those who followed the Prophet’s closest companion (Abu Bakr) became known as Sunni (the followers of the Prophet’s example – Sunnah). Those who followed the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law (‘Ali) became known as Shi’a (the followers of the Party of ‘Ali – Shi’atu Ali).
Why are they called Twelvers?
Terminology. The term Twelver is based on the belief that twelve male descendants from the family of Muhammad, starting with Ali ibn Abi-Talib and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, are Imams who have religious and political authority.
Who are jaffari?
Ja’fari (Arabic: الجعفري Persian: جعفری) is a surname commonly associated with descendants of Ja’far al-Sadiq, an important Muslim scholar and the 6th Shia Imam. Some Sunni Muslims also associate with the surname Ja’fari. Variant transliterations include Ja’fari, Jaafari, Jafari, Jafri, and Jaffrey.
Who destroyed Fatimid Caliphate?
During the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Fatimid caliphate declined rapidly, and in 1171, Saladin invaded its territory.
Who are the Fatimids in Islam?
The Fatimids were an Ismaili Shi’i dynasty who reigned over a vast swathe of the southern Mediterranean–North Africa–all the way from Tunisia up until Egypt and parts of Syria. They reigned from 909 to 1171, CE, so about two and a half centuries of rule over this southern Mediterranean swathe of land.
What does Twelver mean in Islam?
Definition of Twelver. : a member of a major Shiʽite sect which acknowledges 12 imams and holds that the 12th will reappear as the Mahdi before the Last Day and of which the tenets and organization have been the state religion of Persia since the 16th century. — called also imami. — compare sevener.
What is the meaning of Twelverism?
Definition of Twelver. : a member of a major Shiʽite sect which acknowledges 12 imams and holds that the 12th will reappear as the Mahdi before the Last Day and of which the tenets and organization have been the state religion of Persia since the 16th century.
Who are the Twelvers in Shia Islam?
Twelvers / Ithna Ashari Islam. The Twelvers are the largest Shiite group today, but they are not the only one, and historically they were often a very small, weak group. They emerged as a distinct Shii group mostly in the third Muslim century (the eighth century C.E.) after the death of the twelfth Imam.
What percentage of Shiites are Twelvers?
Perhaps eighty percent of the Shiis are Twelvers. Twelvers constitute ninety percent of the modern population of Iran and fifty-five to sixty percent of the population of Iraq. Twelver Shiites are the majority in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and also have substantial populations in Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, India, Afghanistan and Bahrain.