Zaydism facts for kids

Zaydism (Arabic: الزَّيْدِيَّة, romanized: az-Zaydiyya) is a branch of Shia Islam. It started in the 700s after Zayd ibn Ali tried to lead a rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate, but it was not successful.

Unlike other Shia Muslims, Zaydis believe that Zayd ibn Ali was the rightful leader, or Imam. They felt he should be followed because he was a descendant of Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, and because he called for a fight against injustice (jihad). These two things are very important for Zaydis when choosing a leader.

How Zaydism Started

The Zaydi group began because they respected Zayd ibn Ali's uprising against the Umayyad ruler, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. This rebellion showed that it was important to stand up against unfair leaders. Zaydis believe it's hard to just "sit in their houses" when the world is not fair.

Zaydis do not believe that their leaders (Imams) are perfect or have special powers. Instead, they believe Imams should be strong leaders. They also don't believe that the Imamate (leadership) is passed down only from father to son, which is different from some other Shia groups. Zaydis believe that Zayd ibn Ali was let down by the people in Kufa during his last moments.

Zaydi Beliefs and Laws

When it comes to Islamic laws, Zaydis follow the teachings of Zayd ibn Ali. These teachings are written in his book called Majmu’ Al-Fiqh. Zaydi laws are similar to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam and the Ibadi school. In fact, Abu Hanifa, who started the Hanafi school, supported Zayd's cause and even gave money to help him.

Zaydis do not believe in hiding their religious beliefs, which is called taqiyya. They also don't rely too much on hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad), but they use those that agree with the Qur'an (their holy book). Some people see Zaydism as a way of thinking about government that supports removing unfair rulers.

What Zaydis Believe About Leadership

Zaydis believe that the leader of the Muslim community, called the Imam, must be a Fatimids. This means they must be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah, and her sons Hasan or Husayn. These Shia Muslims called themselves Zaydi to show they were different from other Shia who did not join Zayd ibn Ali in his fight.

Zaydis believe Zayd ibn Ali was the right leader because he fought against the Umayyad Caliphate, which he saw as cruel and corrupt. Another important Muslim scholar, Muhammad al-Baqir, did not get involved in politics. Zayd's followers believed that a true Imam must fight against corrupt rulers. The famous Muslim lawyer Abu Hanifa supported Zayd's rebellion against the Umayyad ruler. He secretly encouraged people to join and even gave money to Zayd.

Unlike the Twelver and Isma'ili Shia, Zaydis do not believe their Imams are perfect. They also believe that the Imamate can be held by any descendant of Hasan ibn ʻAlī or Husayn ibn ʻAlī, not just passed from father to son.

History of Zaydism

Over time, there were different ideas among Zayd ibn Ali's followers about the first three leaders (Caliphs) who came after Prophet Muhammad.

Some early Zaydis, called Jarudiyya, believed that everyone should have known that 'Ali was the rightful Caliph. They thought the other companions of Muhammad were wrong for not recognizing 'Ali as the leader. However, they did not accuse them of sin.

Another group, the Sulaymaniyya, believed that the leader should be chosen through discussion. They felt that the companions, including Abu Bakr and 'Umar, made a mistake by not following 'Ali, but it was not a sin.

A third group, the Tabiriyya, had similar beliefs to the Sulaymaniyya. They also thought Uthman was wrong but not sinful.

Some stories say that Zayd ibn Ali himself called those who left him "rejectors" (Rafidha) because he refused to speak badly about the first two Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar.

Zaydi Dynasties and States

Many Zaydi states were formed throughout history. Here are some of them:

• Justanids: These rulers were in a part of Iran from the late 700s to the 1000s. They became Zaydi Shia.
• Karkiya dynasty: This Zaydi Shia group ruled in eastern Gilan (Iran) from the 1370s to 1592.
• Alid dynasty: This Zaydi group ruled in Tabaristan, northern Iran.
• Idrisid dynasty: This Zaydi group was based in what is now Morocco. It was named after its first leader, Idris I.

Extent of Zaydi dynasty in North Africa.

• Banu Ukhaidhir: This group ruled in central Arabia from 867 to the mid-1000s.
• Hammudid dynasty: A Zaydi group in southern Spain in the 1000s.
• Muttawakili Kingdom: Also known as the Kingdom of Yemen, this Zaydi state existed in northern Yemen from 1918 to 1962. Its capital was Sana`a.

Zaydi regions (orange) in Yemen's interior, excludes Tihamah on the coast.

Zaydi Communities and States

The first Zaydi states often supported the Jarudiyya way of thinking. These included the Alavids in northern Iran and the Rassids in Yemen. The Idrisid dynasty in North Africa was another Arab Zaydi group.

The Alavids set up a Zaydi state in northern Iran in 864. It lasted until 928. About 40 years later, the state was restarted and survived until 1126.

From the 1100s to the 1200s, Zaydi communities looked to the Imams of Yemen or other leaders in Iran.

The leader of the Zaydi community was sometimes called the Caliph. So, the ruler of Yemen was known as the Caliph. Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya, a descendant of Imam Hasan ibn Ali, started this Rassid state in Yemen around 893–7. The Rassid Imamate continued until the mid-1900s when a revolution ended it in 1962.

In the 2000s, the most well-known Zaydi movement is the Shabab Al Mu'mineen, often called the Houthis. They have been involved in an uprising against the Yemeni Government.

Some old stories from Persia and Arabia say that Zaydis went to China in the 700s to escape the Umayyads.

Houthi Movement in Yemen

Since 2004, Zaydi fighters in Yemen have been fighting against groups that belong to the Sunni majority. These fighters, called the Houthis, say they are protecting their community from the government and from unfair treatment. However, the Yemeni government has accused them of wanting to overthrow the government and create religious law.

In September 2014, an agreement was signed in Sana'a with help from the UN. This agreement basically gave the Houthis control of the government after ten years of fighting. The Houthis then took direct control of the state in February 2015. This happened after Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh was removed in 2012 following protests.

There are many groups in Yemen who are against Houthi rule. These include conservative Sunni groups, secular socialist groups, and radical Islamist groups like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS in Yemen.

Imams of Zaidis

The Imams of Yemen are one line of Zaydi Imams.

Here is a timeline of some Zaydi Imams from early times:

1. Ali ibn Abi Talib
2. Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib
3. Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib
4. Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn Al-Husayn ibn Ali
5. Hasan al-Muthana ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali
6. Zayd ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn
7. Yahya ibn Zayd ibn Ali
8. Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Muthana
9. Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Muthana
10. Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah
11. Al-Hasan ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdullah
12. Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Hasan al-Muthalath ibn Hasan al-Muthana
13. Isa ibn Zayd ibn Ali
14. Yahya ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan Al-Muthana
15. Idris I ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Muthana
16. Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim ibn Hasan al-Muthana
17. Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd
18. Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Dawud ibn Hasan Al-Muthana
19. Al-Qasim ibn Ibrahim ibn Isma'il
20. Yahya ibn Al-Husayn ibn Al-Qasim ibn Ibrahim
21. Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Al-Husayn
22. Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Al-Husayn
23. Al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya
24. Yahya ibn Umar ibn Yahya ibn Al-Husayn
25. Al-Hasan ibn Zayd ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Hasan
26. Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn Muhammad
27. Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Umar al-Ashraf ibn Ali
28. Hasan ibn Al-Qasim ibn Ali ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Hasan or Abu Muhammad Hasan ibn Qasim
29. Ahmad ibn Hasan or Abu 'l-Husayn Ahmad ibn Hasan
30. Ja'far ibn Hasan or Abu 'l-Qasim Ja'far ibn Hasan
31. Muhammad ibn Ahmad or Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad
32. Husayn ibn Ahmad or Abu Ja'far Husayn ibn Ahmad
33. Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Ukhaidhir ibn Ibrahim ibn Musa ibn Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Muthana
34. Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Ukhaidir
35. Isma'il ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad
36. Al-Hasan ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad
37. Ahmad ibn Al-Hasan ibn Yusuf
38. Abu 'l-Muqallid Ja'far ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Hasan
39. Idris II ibn Idris I
40. Muhammad ibn Idris II
41. Ali I ibn Muhammad
42. Yahya I ibn Muhammad
43. Yahya II ibn Yahya I
44. Ali II ibn Umar ibn Idris II
45. Yahya III ibn Al-Qasim ibn Idris II
46. Yahya IV ibn Idris ibn Umar ibn Idris II
47. Al-Hasan I ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Idris II
48. Al-Qasim Guennoun ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Idris II
49. Abul-Aish Ahmad ibn Al-Qasim Guennoun
50. Al-Hasan II ibn Al-Qasim Guennoun

See also

In Spanish: Zaydismo para niños

• Imams of Yemen
• Dukayniyya Shia
• Khalafiyya Shia
• Khashabiyya Shia
• Islamic history of Yemen
• Zaidi (surname)