SHIA IMAMIYYA ITHNA ASHARI AND THEIR BELIEF

This is the real Shia group, which believes in the twelve Imams after the Holy Prophet. The other factions have nothing in common with our group; they have only assumed the name Shia.

BELIEF IN ALLAH AND THE PROPHETS

The Shia Imamiyya group believes in the Ever-Existing Almighty Allah. He is One, in the sense of the absolute oneness of His essential existence. He is One, with none comparable to Him. He is the Creator of everything in existence. There is no match or equal to Him in any respect. The holy prophets and messengers were sent to tell the people about Allah, how to worship Him, and how to know Him. All of the prophets preached and guided the people according to the tenets set forth by the five major prophets: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and last of all, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, whose religion shall last until the Day of Judgement.

BELIEF IN CHASTISEMENT, REWARD, HELL,PARADISE, AND DAY OF JUDGEMENT

Allah Almighty has fixed recompense for our deeds, to be given to us in Paradise or Hell. The day fixed for the recompense of our deeds is called the Day of Judgement. When the world's life ends, Allah Almighty will re-animate the beings of the world from the beginning to the end. He will let them gather in the Mashar, the place of the gathering of the souls. After a just reckoning, everyone will be given reward or punishment according to his deeds.

These things have been foretold in all divine books: the Torah, Bible, and the Holy Qur'an. For us, the most authentic source of guidance is the Holy Qur'an, which has reached us from the time of the Holy Prophet without any change. We act upon the injunctions contained in the Holy Qur'an, and we hope to be recompensed by Allah. We believe in all those obligatory commandments which are contained in the Holy Qur'an, like Namaz (prayers), Ruza (fasting), Zakat and Khums (yearly religious taxes), Hajj (Pilgrimage to the Ka'ba) and Jihad (holy war).

BELIEF IN THE ARTICLES OF PRACTICE

Similarly, we believe in the Articles of Practice of the faith, including the obligatory and optional practices and all other injunctions that have reached us through the holy Prophet. We are determined to abide by them and to perform them to the best of our capacity. And we refrain from all sins, large or small, like drinking, gambling, fornication, sodomy, usury, murder, tyranny, which have been forbidden in the Holy Qur'an and hadith.

BELIEF IN IMAMS

We Shias also believe that, just as there is a messenger from Allah who conveys to us orders and injunctions, and who is elected and introduced to us by Allah, there is also a successor, caliph or protector of religion, who is appointed by Allah, and is introduced to us through the Prophet of Allah. Accordingly, all prophets of Allah introduced their successors to their umma (followers). The last of the holy prophets, who was the most perfect and most exalted of all prophets of Allah, left for his followers guides to help the people avoid confusion. According to the established hadith, he introduced to the people his twelve successors, the first: Ali Bin Abi Talib. The last Imam, the Mahdi, who is present in the world but is in occultation, will appear at an unknown time in the future, when he will fill the seething world with justice and peace.

The Shia Imamiyyas also believe that these twelve Imams have been ordained by Allah and have been introduced to us through the last Holy Prophet. The last of the holy Imams has vanished from sight (by divine command), just as other Imams disappeared, during the time of previous prophets, as stated in many books written by your ulema.

This sacred being has been preserved by Allah Almighty so that he may one day fill the world with justice. In short, the Shia believe in all that is contained in the Holy Qur'an and in authentic hadith. I am grateful to Allah that I have adopted these beliefs, not merely in blind imitation of my parents but through logical reasoning and study.