Introduction to Shi`i Islam

Shoghi Effendi states that the Bahá'í Faith started as “a heterodox and seemingly negligible offshoot of the Shaykhi school of the Ithna-‘Ashariyyih sect of Shi‘ah Islam” (God Passes By xii). He also says that Bahá'ís “must strive to obtain, from sources that are authoritative and unbiased, a sound knowledge of the history and tenets of Islam--the source and background of their Faith” (The Advent of Divine Justice 75: 74). In this course we will focus on Shi‘ism and, especially, on the Ithna-‘Ashariyyih (or Twelver) school of Shi‘ah Islam. We will also examine the history of this sect and its distinctive teachings. In particular, we will look at the split into Sunni and Shi‘ah in Islamic history, the history and doctrine of the Imamate, the Twelfth Imam, and the developments in Shi‘ism (especially the Shaykhi movement) that led to the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths. The primary text for this course is Moojan Momen, Introduction to Shi‘i Islam (George Ronald or Yale University Press, 1985); new and second-hand copies can be obtained from Amazon, and second-hand copies, from ABEbooks and AddALL.com.

Join Our Online Learning Community

You may join our online learning community either as an individual or as part of a study group (2 to 20 people). In either case, you can do all your work at home at any time of the day or night. We assign mentors to individuals and to groups to advise, encourage, assist, and answer questions. Groups are expected to meet every week or two for group discussions. Web-based forums connect all learners—individuals and members of a group--to the insights and perspectives of fellow students from all over the world.

To form a group, ask some friends whether they'd like to take the course with you. If at least one other agrees, go into the registration system, establish a group, and pay for it. Be sure to select “group” rather than “individual” on the first screen. Then follow the guidance here: Study Alone or in a Group on how to add additional study group members, and to manage the payments, which can now be done individually.

Tuition support is available for all who need it. See the Wilmette Institute's Tuition Support Policy, then email learn@wilmetteinstitute.org to join the support program.

Note: All our courses are "asynchronous," which means there is no work that has to be done at a particular time. You can do everything at any time. For more information, go to http://wilmetteinstitute.org/ourcourses/frequently-asked-questions/.