Khalafiyya Shia
The Khalafiyya Shia were a subsect of the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam.
Beliefs
The Khalafiyya Shia had the following beliefs:- They believed that the Imams after Zayd ibn Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib are as follows :
- *Abd al-Samad, then
- *Khalaf ibn Abd al-Samad, then
- *Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn Abd al-Samad, then
- *Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn Abd al-Samad, then
- *The Khalafiyya Shia did not know the names of the Imams after Ahmad, but they believed that a descendant of Ahmad, still residing in the land of the Turks, would rise as the Mahdi.
- They believed the Imam’s knowledge comes to him by inspiration, not by acquisition.
- They believed the Imam understood all languages.
- They believed that Khalaf ibn Abd al-Samad left behind a book which he composed in letters of an alphabet unknown to anyone other than his successor Imams and that these Imams alone would be able to explain his book.
- They believed in a doctrine of Tawhid which denies that a person can describe or characterize God in any way. For example:
- *a person cannot say that God is knowing, or that God is not knowing.
- *a person cannot say that God is powerful, or that God is not powerful.
- *a person cannot say that God is a thing, or that God is not a thing.
- They also believed in a devotion to fives. For example :
- *5 primary angels; Mikha’il, Jibra’il, Izra’il, Mika’il and Israfil
- *5 chosen creatures on Earth; Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali
- *5 fingers
- *5 pillars of Islam; Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj
- *5 senses; hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste
- *5 prayer times; Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha'a
- *5 books of scripture; the Suhuf Ibrahim, the Tawrat, the Zabur, the Injil, and the Qur'an
- *5 things leading to salvation
- *5 special months of the year; Muharram, Rajab, Ramadan, Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah