Shia Ismaili Leadership

Abstract

The self-declaration of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as khalīfah in 2014 has once again brought to the fore the topic of Muslim leadership. There are numerous forms of leadership in Muslim societies today. Apart from presidents, prime ministers, kings, emirs, and shaykhs, religious heads like the Shaykh al-Azhar as well as certain Sufi shaykhs and pirs have varying levels of prominence. The Supreme Leader of Iran is the head of state and the county’s highestranking political and religious authority. Aga Khan IV, the current Shia Nizari Ismaili Imam, leads a transnational community and has established the Aga Khan Development Network. Fethullah Gulen is founder of the transnational Hizmet (service) movement that has roots in Turkey. The issue of Muslim leadership initially came into focus following the Prophet’s death in 632, when Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was nominated as the first khalīfah. Ali ibn Abi Talib, married to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, asserted his claim but eventually agreed to accept Abu Bakr’s selection. Ali became the fourth khalīfah after Abu Bakr, Umar al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan. His closest followers, who came to be known as the Shī‘at ‘Alī and later just Shia, upheld the belief that the Prophet’s family possessed the right of leadership. This group has adhered to Ali and Fatima’s descendants as Imams. The Shia Imama is a religious institution that embodies authority in the domains of faith (dīn) and world (dunyā). It is generally characterized by a hereditary succession of leaders from father to son, except among the Zaydis (living mostly in northern Yemen), who select their Imams from any male descendant of Ali and Fatima. The largest Shia group, the Ithna Asharis (Twelvers), are concentrated mainly in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and the Gulf region. Their name refers to the belief that their Twelfth Imam went into occultation in 873 and is expected to re-emerge as the messianic Mahdi. In his absence, the community is guided by ulama led by the ayatullahs ...