What is a Shia Muslim?

Who is a Shia Muslim?

Like all Muslims, Shia Muslims affirm the core theological beliefs of Islam: the Oneness of God, the Prophethood and finality of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp), the divine revelation of the Holy Quran and its miraculous nature, the resurrection on the Day of Judgment, and the realities of Paradise and Hellfire. What distinguishes Shia Muslims, however, is their understanding of leadership after the Prophet’s passing. Based on Quranic verses, authentic hadith, and rational inquiry, the Shia school maintains that the Prophet explicitly appointed a successor to guide the Muslim community in religious, legal, and political matters, rather than leaving leadership to communal selection. According to both textual and historical evidence, that divinely designated successor was Imam Ali (p), followed by eleven Imams in succession. For further details click here.