Zaydism
A calligraphic logo used by the Houthis, a Zaydi revivalist and Islamist political and military organization in Yemen, with Arabic text reading: "Oh ye who believe, be supporters of God" (Quran 61:14) | |
| Founder | |
|---|---|
| Zayd ibn Ali | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| North-western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia |
| Part of a series on Shia Islam |
|---|
| Shia Islam portal |
Zaydism (Arabic: الزَّيْدِيَّة, romanized: az-Zaydiyya), also referred to as Fiver Shi'ism, is a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali's unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. Zaydism is one of the three main branches of Shi'ism, the other two being Twelverism and Ismailism.
Zaydism is typically considered the Shia branch that is closest to Sunni Islam, although the "classical" form of Zaydism (usually referred to as Hadawi) historically changed its stance on Sunni and Shia traditions multiple times, to the point where Zaydis' simply accepting Ali as a rightful successor to Muhammad was enough to consider them Shia.
Zaydis regard rationalism as more important than Quranic literalism and historically were quite tolerant towards Shafi'i Sunnism, the jurisprudential school of about half of the Yemenis. Most of the world's Zaydis are located in northwestern Yemen and Najran in Saudi Arabia.