Shi'a

Alternative forms

• Shia, Shiah, Shi'ah

Origin

From .

Full definition of Shi'a

Noun

1. (uncountable) The branch of Islam that believes that Ali succeeded Muhammad as leader, and that places emphasis on the prophet's family.
• 2008, J. Gordon Melton, The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena, Visible Ink Press, page 181:Shi’a is one of the two larger divisions of Islam, ...
• Bruce Anthony Collet, Refugee Education as a Gauge of Liberal Multiculturalism: Iraqi Students in Jordan and the United States in 2013, Heidi Biseth, Halla B. Holmarsdottir, Human Rights in the Field of Comparative Education, Sense Publishers, page 158:Jordanians do not know what Shi’a is about, and it was very recently, the last few years, when we started being exposed to Shi’a.
2. (countable) One who follows Shi'a Islam; a Shiite.

Synonyms

• (follower of Shi'a Islam) Shia, Shiite, rafidah Derogatory

Coordinate terms

• (person) Sunni, Sufi, Ahle Quran, Ahmadi, 5 percenter, Ibadi, Mahdavi, Moorish Scientist

Derived terms

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