Twaler

Twaler or Imami Shīa Islam (Athnā‘ashariyyah or Ithnā‘ashariyyah, ) is the lairgest branch o Shī‘ī (Shi'a) Islam. Adherents o Twaler Shī‘ism are commonly referred tae as Twelvers, which is derivit frae their belief in twal divinely ordained leaders, kent as the Twal Imāms an their belief that the Mahdi will be nane ither than the returned Twalt Imam that disappeared an is believit bi Twalers tae be in occultation. Approximately 85% o Shī‘a are Twalers, an the term Shi'a Muslim as commonly uised in Inglis uisually refers tae Twaler Shī‘a Muslims anerlie.

Twelvers share mony tenets o Shī‘ism wi relatit sects, such as the belief in Imāms, but the Ismā‘īlī an Zaydī Shī‘ī sects each believe in a different number o Imāms an for the maist pairt, a different path o succession regardin the Imāmate. They an aw differ in the role an oweraw definition o an Imām.

The Twaler faith is a majority in kintras like Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, an Lebanon. Alevis in Turkey an Albanie an Alawis o Sirie an Lebanon an aw regard thairsels as Twalers, but hauld significantly different beliefs frae mainstream Twaler Shiites.”. The Twaler faith an aw forms a lairge minority in Indie, Pakistan,  Afghanistan, Nigerie, Tanzanie, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE an Saudi Arabie.International Crisis Group. The Shiite Question in Saudi Arabia, Middle East Report No. 45, 19 September 2005 . Smawer minorities o Twaler an aw exist in Oman, Yemen, Egyp, Sudan, Kenyae, Ghana, Senegal, Indonesie, Malaysie an in mony ither kintras o the warld, includin Europe an the Americas.

Footnotes

Category:Shia Islam
Category:Twelers