Shī‘ism has remarkably influenced the destinies of Islam in two ways: in the political field and, more particularly, in the theosophical domain. Shī‛ism is a way to understand and live Islam that goes back to the time of Prophet Muhammad. The Arabic word Shī‘a, rendered in English as “Shī‘ism”, derives from the root meaning to follow, to accompany. The Shī‘a consists of all the followers of the school (there is, for example, the Shī‘a of Plato). In the strict sense of the word, Shī‘a applies mainly to the faithful who believe in the mission of Imāms (spiritual Guides) who succeeded the first Imām ‘Alī. The Shī‘ites are mainly subdivided into three branches: the Zaydī(s), the Twelver Shī‘ites, and the Ismā‘īlī(s).
Chapter 8 1_Shi’i Islam
Chapter 8 2_Shi’i_Islam
Chapter 8 3_Shi’i_Islam
via http://www.amaana.org/ismaili/prophet-muhammad-diana-steigerwald/
Earlier: “What is Shi‘a Islam?
Ismailimail 