Iran: The followers of Ali

Today, Iran is home for majority of Shia Muslims across the world as they make up 90% of its population. When the Arabs marched into Persian lands they brought with them the message of Islam and although Iranians did accept the Prophet and his message they shaped it around their own beliefs and way of life. Shi’ism though a minority in the beginning gained prominence during the Safavid period (1501-1722) when it became the state religion of Persia. ‘Shi’ism was born among the Arabs but flourished under the Persians.’ (Manochehr Dorraj, From Zarathustra to Khomeini: Populism and Dissent in Iran)

The Iranian religion or way of life before the coming of Islam was Zoroastrianism, which flourished under Cyrus, who’s considered the greatest Persian leader. Under Zoroastrianism, is a concept called Farr, which is the divine right to rule and it can only be acquired by worthy moral behaviour. And this concept became even more important when the followers of Ali believed that the Caliphs for whom the Prophets son-in-law was overlooked had been corrupted by power and worldly temptations and hence lost the Farr to rule. Although in the starting the conflict was mainly on the question of succession, it would be misleading to leave it at that, as its also connected to the question of authority, while the Sunnis believe the Muslim community (elite) or Ulama should hold the ultimate authority and decide who should be the Caliph, the Shias believe that the Prophets descendants, who have been passed divine knowledge should be the rightful leaders. Two themes became common over the centuries among the Shia faith, that of Martyrdom and the concept of the ‘hidden Imam’.

Ali was considered the legitimate successor of Muhammad as he married his daughter Fatima and he was the one to whom he recited the revelations he received, which became the Koran. Ali was passed over thrice from becoming the Caliph as the Sunnis believed that blood should not determine who the successor should be and hence chose a non-relative of Muhammad to be the Caliph.

Ali and his successors are attributed with greatness among Shias and not just because they were related to the Prophet or were his blood descendants but also because they represented the righteousness and the morality that a leader should possess – the farr.

When Ali did become the Caliph, he was soon enough assassinated and the conflict became violent between the Shi’at-Ali (Followers of Ali) and Sunnis. Soon after his death the fight was carried forward by his son, Hussein who led seventy-two of his followers into a suicidal battle against an army of the then Caliph Muawyia, at Karbala in 680. Hussein was killed and his head was cut off, and as such he is known today among the followers as the ‘lord of martyrs’. The importance and the meaning that the Shias attribute to the deaths of Ali and Hussein are evident by the emotion and passion that is expressed over the tragedy even today during the period of mourning called Ashura, and to an onlooker it would seem as if it was only yesterday that Hussein was killed.

The difference between Shias and Sunnis is relevant even more so today. The difference is now very political as it threatens the power systems of each other’s sects. And today this difference on the old question of power and authority is what continues to separate the two branches of Islam.

The conflict demands understanding especially since the Islamic revolution in Iran, the war fought between Iran and Iraq and the US invasion of Iraq. Also, considering the recent spate of bombings directed at Shias and their mosques in Afghanistan and Pakistan or the tempestuous relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran, or Iran-Lebanon-Israel are all in a way interconnected and can be understood more accurately only in the context of Sunni-Shia conflict.