2. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali

and Shiite thought 2.1. The meaning of the words 'Shia' and 'Raft in the Arabic language and in Shariah terminology 2.1.1. The meaning of the word 'Shia' in Arabic In Arabic, a man's shia refers to his followers and supporters. The phrase tashayya'a ar-rajulu means 'the man claimed to believe in Shiism'. The phrase tashiiyya'a al-quwm means 'the people divided into different groups'.

Any group of people who are united and follow one another's opinions may be described as shay '. Allah (&) says: {As was done in the past with the people of their kind [ashyci'ihim]) (Quran 34: 54), referring to people like them among the past nations.ls6 In al-Mi~brih al-Muneer, it says: "(The word) Shia refers to followers and supporters. Any group of people who unite on an issue are a 'shia' (party). Then the word Shia began to be used to describe a specific g ~ o u ~ . " ' ~ ~ So in linguistic terms, the word Shia refers to people, companions, followers and helpers.

This meaning is used in some verses of the noble Quran, such as the following two verses: {And he [Moosa] found there two men fighting, - one of his party [shi'atihi] b s religion - from the Children of Israel], and the other of his foes. The man of his [own] party asked him for help against his foe.), (Quran 28: 15) (And, verily, among those who followed his mooh's (Noah's)] way [shi'atihi] [Islamic Monotheism] was Ibribeem [Abraham].) (Quran 37: 83) 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijite.~ and Shin In the fxst verse, the word Shia refers to people; in the second verse it refers to the followers who agree with a view or method and take part in it. 2.1.2. The meaning of the word 'Shia' in Islamic terminology The definition of the word 'Shia' is connected to different stages of their development and the development of their ideology or belief. It should be noted that the beliefs and ideas of the Shia are constantly developing and changing; Shiism during the early period was not like the Shiism that appeared later on. In the early period, no one was called a Shia except one who preferred 'Ali to ' ~ t h m k .

' ~ ~ The words 'Shia' and ' 'Uthmini' were used, with a Shia being one who preferred 'Ali over 'Uthmk. On this basis, the definition of the Shia in the earliest period is that they were those who preferred 'Ali to 'Uthmk only.189 Ibn Taymiyah said: "The early Shia were those who, at the time of 'Ali (&), believed in the superiority of Abn Bakr and mar."'^^ Shurayk ibn Abdullah, who was one of those who were described as being Shia, disagreed with giving the name of Shiism to those who preferred 'Ali over Ahu Bakr and 'Umar, because this was contrary to the mntawitir repolts from 'Ali which stated the superiority of Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Tashayyu' (Shiism) means supporting and following, not opposing and differing.19' Ibn Batah narrated that his shaykh, who was known as Abu al-'Abbis ihn Masrooq, said: "Muhammad ibn Hnmayd told us, Jareer told us, from Sufyh, that Abdullah ibn Ziyid ibn Jareer said: Abu Ishiq as-Subay'i came to Kufah, and Shahr ibn 'Atiyyah said: 'Let us go and see him.' They spoke, and Ahu Ishiq said: 'I left Kufah when no one doubted the superiority and precedence of Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Now I have co~ne,'~~and they are sayingby Allah, I do not know what they are saying.'" Mnhihb ad- 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib Deen al-Khateeb said: 'This is an impostant historical text that highlights the development of Shiism. Abu IshQ as-Subay'i was the shaykh and scholar of ~ u f a h .

' ~ ~ He was born during the caliphate of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Uthmh (A), three years before he was . . martyred, and he lived a long life, until he died in 127 AH. He was a child during the caliphate of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&), and he said of himself: 'My father lifted me up so that I could see 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib delivering a sermon, with white hair and beard.' If we knew the date when he left Kufah and when he came back to visit it, we would know the exact date when the Shia in Kufah believed in what their Imam believed in of the superiority of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and when they began to differ with 'Ali with regard to what he used to believe and proclaim from the minbar of Kufah with regard to the superiority of his two brethren, the two companions of the Messenger of Allah (@),his two advisors, the two caliphs who became in charge of the Ummah at the best and purest time in ourhisto~y."'~~ Layth ibn Abi Sulaym said: "I met the first Shia and saw how they never regarded anyone as superior to Abu Balcr and 'Umar."L95 The author of Mukhtu~ur at-Tuhfuh said: 'Those of the Muhzjireen and An& who lived at the time of 'Ali's caliphate, and those who followed them in truth, all acknowledged 'Ali's virtue and rights and recognised his status. They never undermined the position of any of his fellow Companions of the Messenger of Allah (g), let alone accused one of being a disbeliever or slandered him."'96 Over the years, Shiism did not maintain this level of purity, soundness and decency; the principles of Shiism changed, and the Shia became divided into many groups. Shiism became a cover used by everyone who wanted to plot against Islam and the Muslims, encompassing the enemies who harboured grudges and envy. This is why we call those who slander Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) RZfiifiClis, because they do not deserve to be 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia described as ~ h i a .

' ~ ~ Anyone who knows about the ideological development of the Shia will not be surprised to find that there are a number of prominent scholars of hadith, other scholars and other prominent figures who were described as Shia, and they may be among the prominent Sunni scholars. This is because Shiism, as a concept and definition, at the time of the earliest generations was different from the concept and definition of Shiism later on. Adh-Dhahab'i said, when talking about those who were accused of following the innovation of Shiism: "Innovation is of two types: minor innovation, such as being extreme in Shiism or Sbiism without going to extremes. This is found a great deal among the Tibi'oon and their followers, even though their religious commitment, piety and sincerity were great. If we were to reject the narrations of these men, we would lose a large number of hadith reports, and this would be a serious problem.

Then there is major innovation, such as complete Rifi&sm, going to extremes in that, undermining the position of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (&) and promoting such ideas. The reports of this type of people are not to be accepted, and there is no respect for them. I cannot think of any of this type who is sincere or trustworthy; rather their way is lying, dissimulation (taqiyyah) and hypocrisy. How can the reports of such a man be accepted? That is utterly impossible.

At the time of the earliest generation and according to their definition, the extreme Shia was the one who criticised and slandered 'Uthmiin, az-Zubayr, Tabah, Mu'iwiyah and a group of those who fought 'Ali (&). But the extreme Shia nowadays, in our view, is the one who regards these leaders as disbelievers and disavows Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Such a person is misguided and a fabricator of lies."'98 So Shiism is of vaqing degrees, levels and stages, and the Shia include various groups and sects. Before we begin our discussion on the definition of Shiism, we may note that the definition of the Shia 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 31 5 that is mentioned in most of the books that talk about different sects of Islam is that which persisted in describing the I m h i Shia as being followers of 'Ali and the like. This has led to a misconception that is contrary to the consensus of the Ummah.

This misconception states that 'Ali was a Shia harbouring the same beliefs as the Shia, but in fact, 'Ali (&) was innocent of what the Shia believe about him and his descendants. It is essential to be more precise and careful when giving a definition, so as to avoid confusion. It should be said that they are those who claim to be followers of 'Ali. They did not follow 'Ali in any true sense because Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) did not believe in what they believed.199 Or it may be said that they are the ones who claim to be supporters of 'Ali (&), or they are R%@s. Hence some of the scholars describe them as the R2fi@s who claim to be supporters of 'Ali Moreover, they are not following in the footsteps of the supporters and followers of 'Ali; they are impostors and ifi if id is.^^' 2.1.3.

The meaning of the word 'rafq in Arabic The word ‘raft means rejecting, giving up, or abandoning. For example, the phrase rafadtu ash-shay' means 'I rejected the thing'.z0z 2.1.4. The meaning of the word 'Rsfidah' in Islamic terminology The Rzdah are one of the groups that claimed to be supporters of Ah1 d-Bayt, while also disavowing Abu Bakr, 'Umar and most of the Companions of the Prophet (g) except a few of them, denouncing them as disbelievers and reviling them. Z031mam &mad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The RZdah are those who disavowed, reviled and impugned the Companions of Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (g).'" Abdullah ibn m a d 31 6 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia (may AUah have mercy on him) said: ''I asked my father about the Rs~dah, and he said: 'They are the ones who revile or impugn Abn Bakr and 'Umar (&)."'205 Abu al-Qiisim at-Taymi said in Qawcim as-Sunnah, defining them: "They are the ones who impugn Ahu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and those who love them."2" The R s ~ d a h were unique, among all the groups who claim to belong to the Muslim Ummah, in reviling the two shaykhs Abu Bakr and 'Umar. This is indicative of the severity of their doom and loss, may Allah (;$B;) destroy them.'07 Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Ahu Bakr and 'Umar (&) are hated and cursed by the R2fidah to the exclusion of all other sects."20s The books of the R=dah c o n f i this, because they regard love and support for the two shaykhs, or the lack thereof, as the criteria that differentiates between them and others whom they call Ng~ibis.

Al-Darki narrated that Muhammad ihn 'Ali ibn Moosa said: "I wrote to 'Ali ibn ~ u h a ~ n m a d ~ ~ ~ about the N@ibi: 'With regard to testing him, is there any need for anything more than his giving precedence to al-jibt ~ @ - : 6 ~ h o o t ~ ' ~ and believing in their right to the caliphate?' The answer came back: 'Whoever believes that is a ~ 2 ~ i b i . " ' ~ " 2.1.5. The reason why they are called Riifidah The majority of scholars think that the reason why the Rzdis are so called is because they rejected (rafa&) Zayd ihn 'Ali and abandoned him after being part of his army, when he rebelled against H i s h h ibn 'Ahdnl-Malik in 121 AH. That was after they had declared their disavowal of the two shaykhs [Ahu Bakr and 'Umar], and he told them not to do that. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari said: "Zayd ibn 'Ali did not give precedence to 'Ali ibn Abi T2lih over the rest of the Companions of the Messenger of AUah (s,); he loved Abn Bakr 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib 31 7 and 'Umar, but he believed that it was a religious duty to rise up against unjust rulers.

When he started his rebellion in Kufah with the supporters who had swom allegiance to him, he heard some of them disparaging Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Zayd denounced those from whom he heard that, and those who had sworn allegiance to him separated from him. He said to them: 'You have rejected me (rafadtumo~ni)."'~~~ This was the view of the author of Qawrim as-~unnah,~'~ ar-~Slzi,~'~ ash-~hahrastiini~'~ and Ibn ~ a ~ m i ~ a h , ~ ' may AUah have mercy on them. Al-Ash'ari had a different opinion; according to him, they were called R%@s because they rejected the right to caliphate of Abu Bakr and mar.^'^ 2.1.6. The R2fidis today The R%fidis today hate this name and do not accept it; they think that it is a name that was given to them by their opponents.

Muhsin al-Ameen says: "Ar-RiififidaJ7 is a derogatory name that is given to those who give precedence to 'Ali (&) with regard to the caliphate, and this word is usually used as an insult and a putdown."218 Hence today they are called Sbia and have become known by this name to most people. Some writers and educated people have been influenced by that, so we see them using this term (Shia), whereas in fact the word Shia is a general term which includes everyone who supported 'Ali (&).'I9 The authors of books on groups and sects stated that they are three types: (a) Extremists, who are those who exaggerated about 'Ali (4) and claimed that he was divine or a prophet. (b) R%fidis, who claimed that there is a divine text appointing 'Ali (&) as caliph. They disavow the caliphs who came before him and most of the Companions. (c) Zaydis, who are the followers of Zayd ibn 'Ali.

They give "precedence to 'Ali (&) over the other Companions, but 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia they also love Abu Baler and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them Calling the Rzfidis 'Shia' without giving a proper definition of the term is not correct, because this term 'Shia' includes the ~a~dis,''' who love Abu Bakr and 'Umar (&I. Calling the Rzifidis 'Shia' may give the impression that they are like the early Shia at the time of 'Ali (&) and afterwards, and all the earlier Shia were unanimously agreed on the superiority of 'Abu Bakr and 'Umar over 'Ali. They only thought that 'Ali was superior to 'Uthmin, and this group included many of the scholars and good and righteous people. Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Hence the early Shia who supported 'Ali or lived at that time did not dispute the superiority of Abu Bakr and 'Umar; their dispute was as to whether 'Ali or 'Uthm2n was superior."222 Calling the Rsfidis 'Shia' is one of the obvious errors that some contemporary writers fell into by following in the footsteps of the RZfifidis, who attempted to rid themselves of this name because they realised that the early generations condemned and hated them. They wanted to rid themselves of the name by claiming to belong to the Shia in general, as a kind of camouflage and deceit before those who do not know about them.

One effect of that is the mistake made by some beginner seekers of knowledge, who do not fully understand the exact meanings of terminology. They confuse the dings that apply to the Rzitfidis with the rulings that apply to the Shia, because of the practice of using the word 'Shia' to include the Rififidis too. So they think that what was mentioned by some early scholars concerning the Shia is also applicable to the Rzifidis, whereas the scholars differentiate between the two groups in all their rnl; Lgs.223 Therefore it is essential to call the RZfidis by their real name, which was given to them by the scholars, and not to call them Shia in an absolute sense, because that is causing confusion and Xli ibn Abi Tilib 31 9 misunderstanding. If they are called 'Shia,' then something should be added to it to indicate the particular group in question, such as saying 'the Imami Shia' or the 'Twelver Shia,' according to the custom of the scholars when mentioning themF4 And Allah (a) knows best. 2.2. Origin of the R2fidi Shia and the role of the Jews therein The first one to promote the principles of RZdi Shia beliefs, on which their other beliefs are based, was a Jewish man from Yemen whose name was Ahdullah ihn Saba'.

He became Muslim at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliph 'Uthmh ibn 'Aff2n (&) and travelled throughout the Muslim regions to promote these corrupt beliefs. At-Tabari wrote in his book of history: "Abdullah ibn Saba' was a Jew from San'i', whose mother was a black woman. He became Muslim at the time of 'UthmZn (&), then he travelled through the lands of the Muslims, trying to misguide them. He stwed in the Hijaz, then went to Basra, then Kufah, then Syria, hut he was not able to achieve what he wanted with anyone among the people of Syria. They expelled him, and he went to Egypt and lived there.

Among the things that he said to them was: 'It is very strange that there are people who clajm that 'Eesa will return hut do not believe that Muhammad will return, when Allah says: dVerily, He Who has given you [O Muhammad] the Quran [i.e. ordered you to act on its laws and to preach it to others] will surely, bring you back to Ma'dd [place of return, either to Makkah or to paradise after your death1.B (Quran 28: 85) Muhammad is more deserving of returning than 'Eesa.' This was accepted from him, and he explained to them the concept of some of the Companions returning from the dead to he judged before the Day of Resurrection, and they discussed it. After that, he told them that there were one thousand prophets, that each prophet had an appointed heir, and that 'Ali was the appointed heir of 'Ali's ammtude towards the Kharijites and Shia Muhammad. Then he said: 'Muhammad was the seal of the prophets, and 'Ali was the seal of the appointed heirs.' He told them after that: 'Who is a greater wrongdoer than the one who did not carry out the instrnction of the Messenger of Allah (&), who pushed away the appointed heir of the Messenger of Allah (g) and took control of the Ummah's affairs?' Then he said to them: "Uthmib took it unlawfully, and 'Ali is the appointed heir of the Messenger of Allah (B), so do something about this matter and spread it among the people. Start by criticising your governors, and show people that you are enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, so that you may gain the people's support and tell them about this matter.' Then he sent his callers and wrote to those whose beliefs he managed to corrupt in various regions, and they wrote to him."225 This was the beginning of the R=di movement. Those beliefs to which Ibn Saba' called people continued to spread among people of misguidance and deviation and continued to have an impact on their hearts and minds until they resulted in the murder of the Rightly Guided Caliph Dhun-Noorayn 'Uthmiin ibn 'Affiin (&) at the hands of this corrnpt gang.

At the time of 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&I, these beliefs began to appear more than before, until they reached 'Ali (&), who denounced them in the strongest terms, disavowing them and those who believed in them. One of the sound reports from 'Ali (&) concerning that is the report narrated by Ihn 'As2kir from 'Amm& ad-Duhani, who said: "I heard Abu at-Tufayl say: 'I saw alMusayyah ibn Lajabah bringing Ihn Saba', dragging him by the collar, when 'Ali was on the minbar. 'Ali (4) said: "What is the matter with him?" He said: "He is telling lies about Allah and His Mes~enger.""'~~~ It was narrated via Yazeed ibn Wahh from Salamah from Shu'bah that 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&) said: "What do I have to do with this rough black man?", refen& to Ahdnllah ibn Saba', who used to slander Abu B a k ~ and 'Umar (may Allah he 'Ali ibn Abi Tiilib pleased with them).227 This report is proven to be from 'Ali (&) with a sound chain of narration.22s The historians and those who studied sects and groups narrated that Ibn Saba' claimed that 'Ali (45) was divine, so 'Ali (&) burned him and his companions with fire.229 Al-Jurjini said: "The Saba'is among the Rz&s are named after Abdullah ibn Saba', who was the first of the R%&s to go beyond the pale of Islam. He said that 'Ali was the Lord of the Worlds, so 'Ali burned him and his companions with fire."230 Al-Malti said, while discussing the Saba'is: "They are the followers of Abdullah ibn Saba'. They said to 'Ali: 'You.' He said: 'Who am I?' They said: 'The Creator.' He asked them to repent but they did not recant, so he lit a huge fxe and burned them."z31 Some of the historians are of the view that 'Ali (4) did not bum Ibn Saba'; they say that he banished him to al-Mad?in, and that after 'Ali (&) died, Ihn Saba' claimed that he had not died, saying to the one who announced his death: "Even if you brought us his brain wrapped in seventy cloths, we would not believe that he had died.n232 The first view is more likely to be correct, and it is supported by what is narrated in sahih al-Bukhriri from 'Jkrimah who said: "Some heretics were brought to 'Ali (&), and he burned them.

News of that reached Ibn 'Abbik, who said: 'If it were me, I would not have burned them because of the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah (B): "Do not punish with the punishment of Allah." But I would have killed them, because the Messenger of Allah (g) said: "Whoever changes his religion, execute him.""'233 Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this hadith and quoted some reports about these people who were burned, in which it was said that they were people who used to worship idols; some reports said that they were people who apostatised from Islam. Even though the reports differ as to who exactly they were, Ihn Hajar said after 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia that: "Abu al-Mudhaffar - al-Isfariyeeni said in aE-Milal wan-Nihal that those whom 'Ali burned were a group of the Rififidis who claimed that he was divine. They were the Saba'is. Their leader Abdullah ibn Saba' was a Jew who pretended to he a Muslim and introduced this idea. This may be based on what we have reported from Abu T a u al-Mnkhlis via Abdullah ibn Shurayk a l - ' b i n who said: 'It was said to 'Ali (&): "There are some people at the door of ,. the mosque who are claiming that you are their Lord." He called them and said: "Woe to you, what are you saying?' They said: "You are our lord, creator and provider.""'z34 Then he quoted the rest of the report, in which it says that 'Ali (&,) asked them to repent three times, but they would not recant, so he bumed them with fire in ditches that were dug for them.

Ibn Hajar said: "This is a reliable chain of narration."235 The point here is that the beliefs of the RZfia Shia that have to do with exaggeration about 'ALi (&) emerged dnring that period, and 'Ali (&) took harsh measures in punishing them until Ibn 'Abbh said what he said. 'Ali (4) also denounced all the other beliefs that appeared dnring his time under the umbrella of loving and supporting him, such as prefemng him to the rest of the Companions and giving him precedence over Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). The practice of reviling and disparaging the Companions was widespread among these misguided people. Ibu Taymiyah said: "When the Shia introduced innovations dnring the caliphate of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi TZlib (&), he opposed thenl. There were three groups: the extreme group, those who reviled the Companions, and those who gave precedence to 'Ali (4).

As for the extreme group, he bumed them with fire. He went out one day from the gate of Kindah, and some people prostrated to him. He said: 'What is this?' They said: 'You are Allah.' He asked them to repent three times, hut they did not recant, so the thud time he ordered that ditches be dug and fire be lit in thenl, then he threw them into them. 'Ali ibn Abi Tiilih As for those who reviled the Companions, when news reached him of the one who reviled Abu Bakr and 'Umar, he wanted to kill him, but the man fled to Qarqaysiya' and (the governor there) spoke to him concerning him. 'ALi (&) was very careful with his governors, because he was not in full control, and they did not obey him in everything he instructed them to do.

As for those who gave him precedence, he said: 'No one who prefers me over Abu Bakr and 'Umar is brought to me hut I shall flog him as the hadd punishment for fabricators or liars.' It was narrated from him with more than eighty chains of narration that he said: 'The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abn Bakr, then mar."'^^^ Whatever the case may be, the beliefs of the Rifidis that appeared at the time of 'Ali (&) were limited to a few individuals; they did not reach the level of becoming a group or sect. When 'Ali's caliphate came to an end, the situation was still like this. Dr. Sa'di al-Hkhimi wrote an essay on the ideology of lbn Saba' and the innovations that he promoted, entitled 7bn Saba' is a Reality, not Myth', and he quoted it in his hook Narrators Who Were Influenced by 1bn Saba'. The most significant innovation that was promoted by lbn Saba' was the idea of appointing an heir.

He was the first one to say that the Messenger of Allah (&) appointed 'Ali as his heir and that he was to he his successor in ruling his Ummah after his death, according to an instruction in which 'Ali was mentioned by name. He was also the first one to disavow the enemies of 'Ali (&), according to his claim; he took a stand against them and deemed them to be disbelievers. He was the fmt to say that 'Ali (&) was divine and the first one among the extreme Shia to claim to be a prophet. He introduced the idea that 'Ali (&) would return to this world after he died and that the Messenger of Allah (g) would return. He was the first one to claim that 'Ali was the 'beast of the earth'237 and that he was the one who created the universe and 'Ali's attitude toward~s the Kharijites and Shia granted provision.

The Saba'is said that they would not die and that they would fly after death, so they were referred to as something that flies. Some of the Saba'is believed in the passing of the spirit from one Imam to another, and they believed in the passing of souls from one body to another at death. The Saba'is said: "We have been guided to revelation from which people have gone astray and to knowledge that is hidden from them." They said that 'Ali is in the clouds, that the thunder is his voice and that the lightning is his whip. These are the most prominent innovations believed by Ibn Saba' and his followers, and they became extremists as a The Riifidi Shiite sect, as an ideology and belief, did not appear all at once; it took time and went through various stages. The initial Shiite R%fi@i beliefs and basic principles appeared at the hands of the Saba'is, as is admitted in the Shiite books, which say that Ibn Saba' was the first one to state that the imamate of 'Ali was a must and that 'Ali was the appointed heir of Muhammad, as we have seen above.

According to this belief, there were instructions from the Prophet (g) that mentioned 'Ali by name and stated that he was to he the Imam or caliph. This is the basis of R%@i Shiism, as the R%di shaykhs see it. Abu al-Hasan said in al-K;fi: "The imamate of 'Ali was written in all the books of the prophets, and Allah never sent any Messenger without telling him of the prophethood of Muhammad (g) and the imamate of 'Ali (>=). 2.239 The books of the Rifidi Shia, as we shall see below, testify that Ibn Saba' and his group were the first ones to begin reviling Ahn Bakr, Umar and 'Uthmsn, the in-laws, relatives and caliphs of the Messenger of Allah (g) and the closest of people to him, and reviling other Companions. This is the belief of the Rsfi& Sbia about the Companions, as it appears in their reference hooks. Ibn Saba' believed that 'Ali would return,240 and the return of 'Ali is one of the basic beliefs of the GfiG S h i ~ as we shall see 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib below.

Ibn Saba' also believed that 'Ali and Ah1 al-Bayt were given secret knowledge that was exclusive to them, as was mentioned by d-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn a l - ~ a n a f i ~ ~ a h ~ ~ ' in Riscilat a l - ~ r j a ' . ~ ~ ~ This issue became one of the basic beliefs of the Shia. There is a proven report in Sahih Bukhari which indicates that this belief appeared at an early stage, and that 'Ali (&) was asked about it. It was said to him: "Do you have anything (of howledge) that is not in the Quran and is not known to people?'He denied that categorically .243 These are the most important of the basic principles in which the R Z G Shia believe.z44 These ideas came into existence after the murder of 'Uthmzn (&) and during the caliphate of 'Ali (&), but they were not embraced by a particular, known group. As soon as the Saba'is began to raise their heads, Ali (&) fought them, as we have seen. Later, though, events took place that created the right environment for these beliefs to surface and take the shape of a group; these incidents included the battle of Siffeen and the arbitration that followed it, as well as the killing of 'Ali and al-Hasan.

All these events created passion, sympathy and love for Ah1 alBayt, and these new ideas snuck in under the pretext of support and love for 'Ali (&) and the members of his family. Shiism became a means for everyone who wanted to destroy Islam, whether he was a heretic or a hypocrite or an evildoer. It introduced to the Muslims foreign ideas and beliefs in the name of love for 'Ali and Ah1 al-Bayt, and it made it easy for these ideas to penetrate smoothly in that guise. Ibn Saba' had many successors, so with the passage of time, this innovation began to broaden and its danger became great. At the time of 'Ali (&), the word Shia was used only in the sense of love and support for 'Ali (&), and it did not mean believing in any of the ideas of the RZdi Shia as they are known today at 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia Shiism in the sense of love for Ah1 al-Bayt is something natural.

It is love that does not differentiate among the different members of the Prophet's family and does not exaggerate about them or undermine any of the Companions, as the groups that are attributed to Shiism do. The love of Ah1 al-Bayt grew and increased after the pain and suffering that they went through, starting with the murder of 'Ali and then al-Husayn, and so on. These incidents unleashed the emotions of the Muslims, and those who bore grudges against Islam entered through this door. The views of Ibn Saba' did not find a suitable atmosphere in which to grow and spread until after these events. However, Shiisrn in the sense of believing that 'Ali (&) was mentioned by name to be the Imam or caliph and believing in the return of some of the Companions from the dead to be judged before the Day of Resurrection, in the doctrine of change in the divine will, in the hidden Imam, in the infallibility of the Imams and so on is undoubtedly a set of beliefs for which Allah (g) has revealed no authority, and these beliefs are foreign to the Muslims.

Their origins go back to various sources, because many people rode the wave of Shiism -people who wanted to plot against Islam and its people and who wanted to be able to continue living in the shade of their previous beliefs in the name of Islam, whether they were Jews, Christians, Magians or something else. Many corrupt beliefs were introduced into Shiism, as we shall see below when we study their basic beliefs. Ibn Taymiyah was of the view that those who claimed to be Shia had adopted ideas from the Persians, Byzantines, Greeks, Christians, Jews and others and mixed them with Shiism. He said: "This is a confurnation of what the Prophet (B) said," and be quoted some hadiths saying that this Urnmah would follow in the footsteps of those who came before them. He also said that this happened with those who claimed to be ~ h i a . ~ ~ ~ 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib 2.3.

Stages that the Rsfidi Shia went through The Rz& Shia went through a number of stages in their development before they became an independent group with distinct beliefs and a distinct name, separate from the other groups of the Ummah. We may highlight four main stages of that development: 2.3.1. The call of Abdullah ibn Saba' to whatever he promoted of basic beliefs on which RZdi doctrine was based, such as his promotion of the belief that some Companions would return from the dead to be judged before the Day of Resurrection, his introduction of the idea that the Prophet (g) had appointed 'Ali to be his successor, and his slandering of the caliphs who came before 'Ali (&). Two things helped Ibn Saba' to promote his misguided ideas, which are far from the spirit of Islam: (a) He chose a suitable environment. He spread his call in Egypt and Iraq and moved between these regions a great deal, as is mentioned by a t - ~ a b a r i . ~ ~ This appeal developed in societies that had not managed to understand Islam properly and did not have deep knowledge of the religion of AUah (&) because they were new to Islam.

Those regions had only been conquered at the time of 'Umar (&), and the people were far away from the society of the Companions in the area around Makkah and Madinah, so they did not learn and study at their hands. (b) By way of trickery and deceit, he concealed his call and operated in secrecy. His call was not directed to everyone; it was only directed to those whom he knew would accept it, such as ignorant people and those with evil motives who had only entered Islam in order to plot against its people, 'Ali's attitude towards the Khanjites and Shia afkr the Muslim armies had destroyed the thrones of their kings and conquered their lands. We have seen above what at-Tabari said about Ibn Saba': "He spread his call and wrote to those whom he managed to compt in other regions, and they wrote to him. They called people in secret to their ideas."248 At-Tabari said, describing them: "They started spreading a lot of rumours (against the governors) in Muslim lands, but their real aim was different from what they ~howed.""~ The second stage came when they started promoting their beliefs openly.

This came after the murder of 'Uthm2n (&), when the Companions (&) were focusing on suppressing the unrest that had resulted in his murder. These misguided people found breathing space in those circumstances, and their corrupt beliefs grew strong and became deeply rooted in their hems, but these beliefs were still limited to a small, specific group of those whom Ibn Saba' himself had taught. They had no power or influence with anyone apart from those of the rebel thugs who joined them in the murder of 'Uthm2n (&). What is indicative of that is what was narrated by at-Tribrui: "Ibn Saba' spoke and said: '0 people, your victory could come by mixing with the people, so show kindness to them.'"250 Such words would not be said by one who was in a position of power or influence. Yet no one denies the role played by these Saba'is and the killers of 'Uthrn2n (&) in fanning the flames of war among the Companions; this was stated by scholars who studied the fitnah and its events.

Ibn Hazm says, confirming this: "The proof of that is that the two armies came together (at the Battle of the Camel) and did not fight, but atnight the murderers of 'Uthmzn (&) realised that the two parties were going to be united against them, so they attacked the 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib camp of Talhah and az-Zuhayr at night, wielding their swords against them, and the people had to defend themselves."251 The third stage involved their gaining strength and power and rallying behind one leader. This happened after the murder of alHusayn (&), and the purpose was to avenge al-Husayn by retaliating against his enemies. At-Tahari says conceming the events of 64 AH: "In this year, the Shia began to mohilise in Kufah, preparing to meet in an-Nakheelah in 65 AH in order to march on the Syrians in a quest for vengeance for the blood of d-Husayn ihn 'Ali. They corresponded with one another conceming that."252 Their story was narrated by at-Tabari in a report from Abdullah ibn 'Awf ihn d-&mar d-Azdi, who said: "When d - Husayn ibn 'Ali was killed and Ihn Ziyid returned from his camp in an-Nakheelah and entered Kufah, the Shia met and blamed themselves, regretting what had happened. They thought that they had made a grievous mistake by calling d-Husayn and promising support, then abandoning him so that he was killed near them without their lending him any support.

They thought that nothing could erase their shame and the sin resulting from his murder except killing the ones who had killed him or being killed in the attempt. So in Kufah, they turned to five people who were leaders of the Shia: Sulaymb ihn Surad d-Khuzi'i, who had met the Prophet 1%); al-Musayyah ihn Najiyyah d-Fiziri, who bad been one of the most prominent companions of 'Ali (4); Abdullah ibn Sa'd ihn Nufayl al-Azdi; Abdullah ibn W2il at-Taymi; and Rifi'ah ibn Shaddid d-Bajali. These five people then met in the house of Sulaymk ibn Surad. They were among the most prominent of 'Ali's companions, and they were joined by some of the most prominent of the ~ h i a . " ' ~ ~ 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia This meeting was public and included all the Shia.

Approximately seventeen thousand rallied behind Sulaym&, but he was not happy with their small numbers. He sent Hakeem ibn Munqidh to give the call in Kufah, and the people came out to join them until their number reached nearly twenty thousand.254 Dnring this time, al-MukhGr ibn Abi 'Ubayd ath-Thaqafi came to Kufah and found that the Shia had rallied behind Sulaymiu ihn Surad; they were showing him a great deal of respect and were preparing for war. When al-Mukh6r settled among them in Kufah, he called for the imamate of al-Mahdi Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib, namely Muhammad ibn al-Hanatiyyah; he called him al-Mahdi, and many of the Shia followed him in that, leaving Sulaymk ibn Surad. Thus the Shia split into two groups. The majority of them were with Sulaymk, wanting to go out to fight people so that they could avenge the murder of al-Husayn.

Another group was with alMukhtk, wanting to proclaim the imamate of Muhammad ibn alHanafiyyah, albeit without any instruction from Ibn al-Hanafiyyah himself; they attributed that to him in order to deceive the people and achieve their corrupt ulterior motives.255 This is how the Shia began to come together, Then the historians tell us that Sulaymk ibn Surad set out for Syria with those Shia who were still with him. They met the Syrians at a spring called 'Ayn al-Wardah, where a great battle took place that lasted for three days. Ibn Katheer said: "No one, old or young, had ever seen anything like that day, when nothing intempted the fighting except the times for prayer, until night The fighting between them ended with the killing of Sulaymh ibn Surad (may Allah have mercy on him) and many of his companions; they were defeated, and those of his companions who were left returned to ~ u f a h . ~ ~ ~ 'Ali ibn Abi T&lib As for d-Mukhtk ibn Ahi 'Ubayd ath-Thaqati, when those who survived of Sulaymh's army returned to Kufah, they told him what had befallen them. He prayed for mercy for Sulaymin and those who had been killed with him and said: "I am the trusted leader who will kill the compt tyrants inshallah. Get ready and prepare yourselves, and be of good cheer." Ibn Katheer said: "Before (the defeated army) anived, he had told the people that they had been defeated on the basis of revelation that he had received from Satan, as a devil used to come to him and reveal things to him in a manner similar to the way Satan used to reveal things to ~ u s a ~ l i m a h .

" ~ ~ ~ AlMukhtar sent instructions to differentregions, cities and towns in Iraq and Khorasan and organised his army. Then he st&ed to pursue the murderers of d-Husayn, whether they were of prominent or lowly position, and kill them?59 The fourth stage was the split of the Rififidi Shia from the Zaydis and other Shia groups, and their becoming distinct in name and beliefs. That happened specifically in 121 AH, when Zayd ibn 'Ali ibn d-Husayn rebelled against H i s h h ibn 'Ahdul-Malik, as mentioned previously?60 Some of the Shia in his army openly reviled Abu Bakr and 'Umar. He told them not to do that and denounced them, but they rejected (rafaQa) what he said and thus became known as Rz~dis, while the group that remained with him became known as ~ a ~ d i s ? ~ ' Ibn Taymiyah said: "The first time that the word Rifidi was known in Islam was when Zayd ibn 'Ali rebelled at the beginning of the second c e u t q AH. He was asked about Abu Bakr and 'Umar (&), and he expressed love and respect for them, but some people rejected him and became known as if id is."^^^ He said: "From the time of Zayd's rebellion, the Shia split into Rifidis and Zaydis.

When Zayd was asked about Ahu Bakr and 'Umar, he prayed for mercy for them, and some people rejected that. He said to 'Ali's attitude towards the Khaiijites and Shia them: 'You have rejected me.' So they were called Efidis because of their rejection of him, and those Shia who did not reject him were called Zaydis, after him."263 From that dale, the R%&s became distinct from other Shia groups and became a separate sect with their own name and beliefs.z64 And Allah (a) knows best. The scholars who discussed different sects talked about different groups which claimed to be Shia, among whom they mentioned the Saba'is, the Ghuribis, the Bayitis, the Mugheenis, the Hishimis, the Khagbis, the 'IlbZ'is, the KaysZnis, the Zaydis, the Jaroodis, the Sulaymhis, the S%his and the Batris. Some of these groups went to extremes, and others were less extreme. The one who wants to know more about them may refer to Maqcil6t al-lslemiyyeen by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, al-Milal wan-Nib1 by ash-Shahastihi, Al-Furq bayna al-Firaq by Abudh-Dh&r -- al-Bagbdadi and Firaq Mu'ijirah by Dr. Ghilib ihn 'Ali 'Awiji, who is one of the best contemporary writers I have come across.