Zaydiyya: Difference between revisions

{{unreferenced}}

'''Zaydīyya''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|زیدیه}}) is one of the major [[Shi'a]] branches, whose followers believe that after [[Imam Ali (a)]], [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]], and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], an Imam is any righteous, knowledgeable, and brave man from the descendants of [[Lady Fatima (a)]] who calls people to his own [[imamate]] and to whom people pay [[allegiance]] for uprising against unjust rulers. This sect appeared in the early 2nd/8th century. Inclination to [[Mu'tazili]] theology and being closer to Sunnis, in comparison to other Shi'a branches, are two characteristics of Zaydiyya. [[Yemen]] is currently the country with the largest Zaydi population.

In the past, Zaydis had dynasties in Yemen, [[Tabaristan]], and Morocco. Zaydi Imams ruled in Yemen for about eleven centuries until the establishment of the republic of Yemen in 1962. Since then, Zaydis were mostly in seclusion for two decades, but they have become increasingly active in social and political spheres recently. The revolutionary movement of [[Ansar Allah]] is among the influential Zaydi currents of Yemen today.

After the martyrdom of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], some Alids regarded military revolt against unjust rulers as a condition of [[imamate]]. After the demise of [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], the adherents of this idea supported Zayd b. Ali in his uprising against Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik and regarded him as their Imam. This marked the formation of Zaydiyya in early 2nd century AH.

When fifteen thousand men paid allegiance to Zayd in [[Kufa]]—and so did many others in [[Basra]], [[Mada'in]], and [[Khurasan]]—Zayd made his decision to rise up against Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik, the [[Umayyad]] [[caliph]]. Zayd's supporters were not yet organized, when the governor of [[Iraq]] attacked Zayd's hiding place. As a result, Zayd was forced to start his uprising sooner than planned in 122/740 with a small army of two-hundred men; an uprising that was suppressed and resulted in Zayd's martyrdom in [[Muharram]] 24 or 25/January 3 or 4.

Jarudiyya or Sarhubiyya are the followers of [[Abu l-Jarud]] Ziyad b. Abi Ziyad. This sect is the earliest or one of the earliest Zaydi sects. Like [[Imamiyya]], they believed that [[the Prophet (s)]] clearly designated Imam Ali (a) as his successor. Jarudiyya rejected the imamate of [[Abu Bakr]] and [['Umar]] and criticized most of the [[companions]]. The belief in [[Mahdawiyya]], limiting imamate to the descendants of [[Lady Fatima (a)]], and the belief in the divinely-inspired knowledge of the Imams are some of their beliefs that are similar to those of the Imamiyya. However, unlike Imamis, Jarudis believe in the role of election in choosing the Imam—though some sources have attributed to them the belief in the imamate of any descendant of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and Imam al-Husayn (a) who rises up against unjust rulers and calls people to himself.

Salihiyya (or Batriyya) are the followers of al-Hasan b. Salih b. Hayy al-Hamdani and Abu Isma'il b. Nafi', known as Kathir an-Nawa' or al-Abtar. Their disagreement with Zayd over the issue of [[tawalli]] and [[tabarri]] made Zayd curse them, and so they were called Batriyya. Salihiyya believe that the Imam must be elected by an elite council. They believe that a person can become an Imam even if there is another person better than him, albeit if the latter does not disagree with it. Salihiyya insist on the principle of [[enjoining the good]] (al-amr bi l-ma'ruf) and are against [[taqiyya]]. They are close to sunnis in [[jurisprudence]].

Sulaymaniyya are the followers of Sulayman b. Jarir. Sulayman was against [[bada']] and [[taqiyya]]. Although Sulaymaniyya believed in superiority of Imam Ali (a) in imamate, they accepted the [[caliphate]] of Abu Bakr and 'Umar as a forgivable mistake in [[ijtihad]]. Nevertheless, they regarded [['Uthman]], [[Talha]], [[Al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam|Zubayr]], and [['A'isha]] as unbelievers.

One of the earliest Zaydi works on [[fiqh]] is ''Musnad Zayd b. 'Ali'', also called ''Majmu' al-fiqhi wa l-hadithi'' or ''Majmu' al-fiqhi al-kabir''. Among the fiqhi viewpoints of Zaydiyya are saying "Hayy 'ala khayr al-'amal" in [[adhan]], permissibility of wiping on the shoes in [[wudu]], prohibition of [[mut'a]], and permissibility of eating the animals slaughtered by [[Ahl al-Kitab]]. They emphasize on the necessity of [[enjoining the good and forbidding the evil]], and as a result Zaydi Imams would revolt against unjust rulers, even though it led to their massacre. Some Zaydis used [[qiyas]] in their [[ijtihad]]. Zaydis believe the [[consensus]] of the scholars of ummah to be the foundation of fiqhi viewpoints.

In the issue of intelligibility of good and evil, Zaydis are inclined to the Mu'tazila. Al-Shahrastani believes that the reason behind this is the fact that Zayd studied under Wasil b. 'Ata', the founder of the Mu'tazila.

Zaydis do not believe in [[Bada']] and [[Raj'at]] and also do not regard [[taqiyya]] as permissible. They believe, an Imam has to be a descendant of Imam al-Hasan (a) or Imam al-Husayn (a); he has to be knowledgeable, pious, brave, generous, call people to accept his imamate, and rise up against the unjust rulers.  Zaydis agree that it is not permissible for two Imams to rise up at the same time in the same land. However, there is disagreement among them as to whether it is permissible for two Imams to rise up in different lands at the same time.

It is reported that [[Zayd b. 'Ali (a)|Zayd]] believed that it was permissible for a person to become an Imam while there is another person better than him. This belief persisted among Zaydis until the time of Nasir al-Utrush, after whom it was rejected. In Zaydi viewpoint, [[infallibility]] is not necessary for an Imam. They believe in a mahdi that will appear at the end of the time, but they do not regard him to be the son of [[Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a)]].