What is Shi'a, [The only true Framework of Islamic and other Religions]

Compiled by: Engineer Afsaneh Cooper

                                                                                                                                              Compiled by: Engineer Afsaneh Cooper

Beliefs / Usul al-Din 

Main Beliefs                                                                                

Tawhid • Prophethood •Resurrection • 'Adl • Imamate                 
Adl = Justice defined by Allah
Tawhid = Chapter 112 of Holy Qur'an
Imamate = leadership defined by Allah
Other Beliefs
'Isma • Wilaya • Mahdawiyya:Occultation (Minor Occultation,Major Occultation), Intizar, Zuhur, and Raj'a • Bada'                                        
Wilaya = being a life long student supervised by a Shi'a scholar of one's choice

Furu' al-Din / Practical Orders

'Ibadi Orders
Prayer • Fasting • Khums • Zakat •Hajj • Jihad              
Khums = Law about share of poor in one's annual income
Zakat = Law about share of poor in one's assets annually
Non-'Ibadi Orders
Forbidding the Evil •Enjoining the Good • Tawalli •Tabarri          
Tawalli: joining the network of good friends                                                                                   Tabarrie: avoiding the network of bad friends
Sources of Ijtihad
Qur'an • Sunna • Reason • Ijma'

Ethics / Virtues
Forgiveness • Generosity • Generous help

Vices
Greater Sins • Kibr • 'Ujb • Ghurur •Jealousy

Sources
Nahj al-Balagha • Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya • Letter of Imam 'Ali to Imam al-Hasan

Challenging Issues
Succession of the Prophets • Shafa'a • Tawassul •Taqiyya • Mourning • Mut'a • Companions

Figures / Shi'a Imams
Imam 'Ali (a) • Imam al-Hasan (a) •Imam al-Husayn (a) •Imam al-Sajjad (a) •Imam al-Baqir (a) • Imam al-Sadiq (a)• Imam al-Kazim (a) •Imam al-Rida (a) • Imam al-Jawad (a)• Imam al-Hadi (a) •Imam al-'Askari (a) •Imam al-Mahdi (a)

Companions
Men: Hamza • Ja'far b. Abi Talib •Salman al-Farsi • Miqdad b. Aswad •Abudhar al-Ghifari • 'Ammar Yasir •Malik al-Ashtar • Muhammad b.Abi Bakr • 'Aqil • 'Uthman b. Hunayf• Abu Ayyub al-Ansari • Jabir b.'Abd Allah al-Ansari • Ibn 'Abbas •'Abd Allah b. Ja'far • Khuzayma b. Thabit • Bilal • Yasir 
Women: Khadija • Lady Fatima (a) •Zaynab • Umm Kulthum • Asma' bt. 'Umays • Umm Ayman • Umm Salama

Scholars
Litterateurs • Scholars of Usul •Poets 
• Scholars of Rijal • Faqihs •Philosophers • Bibliographers •Exegetes

Shrines
Mecca: Al-Masjid al-Haram 
Medina: Al-Masjid al-Nabawi • Al-Baqi' 
Al-Quds: Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa 
Najaf: Shrine of Imam 'Ali (a) • Masjid al-Kufa 
Karbala: Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) 
Kadhimiyya: Shrine of Kazimayn 
Samarra: Shrine of 'Askariyyan 
Mashhad: Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) 
Damascus: Zaynabiyya 
Qom: Shrine of Lady Fatima al-Ma'suma 
Shiraz: Shah Chiragh 
Ray: Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani

Eids
Eid al-Fitr • Eid al-Adha • Eid al-Ghadir • Mab'ath 
•Prophet's birthday • Imams' birthday

Mournings

• Fatimiyya 
• Muharram (Mournings of Muharram)
• Tasu'a 
• 'Ashura 
• Arba'in)

Events

• Mubahala 
• Event of Ghadir
• ​Event of Saqifa Bani Sa'ida
• Fadak
• Events of Lady Fatima's House
• Battle of Jamal
• Battle of Siffin
• Battle of Nahrawan
• Event of Karbala
• Hadith al-Thaqalayn
• Ashab al-Kisa'
• Tathir Verse
• Killing Shi'as

Literature
Qur'an • Nahj al-balagha • al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya •The Four Books: (al-Istibsar • al-Kafi • Tahdhib al-ahkam • Kitab man la yahduruh al-faqih) • Mushaf of Fatima (a) • Mushaf Imam 'Ali (a) • Asrar-i al-i Muhammad • Wasa'il al-Shi'a • Bihar al-anwar • al-Ghadir • Mafatih al-jinan • Majma' al-bayan • al-Mizan • Other Books

Sects

• Ithna 'Ashariyya [The only true path of Shi'a] 

 •  Isma'iliyya • Zaydiyya • Kaysaniyya               
 
Reference: http://en.wikishia.net/view/Imam_%27Ali_b._Abi_Talib_(a)