Sign-In
Cart
Understanding the Shia: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why It Matters
Paperback
Series: The Living Shia Tradition
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jul 8 2026
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.72
Height: 0.55 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
What do Shia Muslims believe, and why does it matter today?
With nearly 300 million Shia Muslims across the world, Shia Islam remains one of the most influential yet widely misunderstood traditions in modern religion and politics.
Understanding the Shia is a clear, powerful, and accessible guide to the history, beliefs, spirituality, and lived experience of Shia Muslims. From the succession dispute after Prophet Muhammad to the tragedy of Karbala, from the doctrine of the Imamate to the modern Shia world, this book explains the ideas, events, and emotions that shaped a civilisation.
Written for Muslims, non-Muslims, students, researchers, and curious readers alike, this book moves beyond stereotypes and headlines to reveal a tradition built on memory, justice, sacrifice, scholarship, and hope.
Inside, you will discover:
- The origins of the Sunni-Shia divide
- Why Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, Hussain, and the Twelve Imams matter so deeply
- The meaning of Karbala, Ashura, and Arba'een
- The role of the Imamate in Shia theology
- Shia beliefs, rituals, mourning practices, and sacred spaces
- The place of Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, and the wider Shia world in modern politics
- Why Shia identity cannot be reduced to Iran, sectarianism, or geopolitics
- How a persecuted community preserved faith, scholarship, and moral courage across fourteen centuries
This is not a polemic. It is not a sectarian attack. It is an invitation to understand.
For anyone seeking a serious yet readable introduction to Shia Islam, Understanding the Shia offers the clarity, depth, and human insight needed to make sense of one of the world's most important religious traditions.
Read it to understand the history. Remember it to understand the world.
Also in
Islam
The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace
Moses, Paul
Hardcover
What Every American Needs to Know about the Qur'an: A History of Islam & the United States
Federer, William J.
Paperback
Malcolm in the Desert: Wisdom from the Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X
Shabazz, Ilyasah
Hardcover
Reclaim Your Heart: Personal Insights on breaking free from life's shackles
Mogahed, Yasmin
Paperback
Dala'il Al-Khayrat (Original Arabic, Transliteration and Translation to English)
Al-Jazuli, Imam Muhammad Ibn Sulayman
Paperback
The Talmud in English Complete: With Key Concepts, Historical Context & Spiritual Insights for Modern Readers
Krisce, Emmett
Paperback
Third Eye Awakening: Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Open Your Third Eye Chakra
Brisbane, Chloe
Paperback
The World's Religions: Completely Revised and Updated Edition of ``The Religions of Man''
Smith, Huston
Paperback
Miraculous Movements: How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims Are Falling in Love with Jesus
Trousdale, Jerry
Paperback
The Holy Quran - Arabic with English Translation of The Noble Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf
Can, Nadim
Paperback
The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary
Dagli, Caner K.
Dakake, Maria Massi
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein
Paperback
Al-Ghazali's Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (Al-Munqidh Min Al-Dalal) and Five Key Texts
Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid Muhammad
Paperback
After Beautiful Patience: Inspirational Islamic Reminders, Poems, and Reflections
Malik, Elias
Paperback
Fortress of the Muslim: Prophetic Invocations from the Quran & Sunnah
Al-Qahtani, Sa'id Bin Ali Bin Wahf
Paperback
Islam Explained: A Short Introduction to History, Teachings, and Culture
Salim, Ahmad Rashid
Paperback
Living with the Qur'an: A Yearlong Journey to Falling in Love with Allah's Words
Umm Raiyaan, Aliyah
Paperback
The Mysticism of Sound and Music: The Sufi Teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan
Khan, Hazrat Inayat
Paperback
The Holy Quran in English, Noble Quran English Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall: Premium Paperback Black Edition, Koran in English (annotated)
Pickthall, Marmaduke
Paperback
Seeratul Mujtabaa: BIOGRAPHY OF THE CHOSEN MESSENGER OF ALLAH, NABI MUHAMMAD MUJTABAA [PBUH] - The Life of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]
Kaandhlawi, Moulana Muhammad Idrees
Paperback
They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It
Gabriel, Brigitte
Paperback
Mukhtasar al-Akhdari: Summary on 'Ibadat according to the School of Imam Malik
Al-Akhdari, 'abd Ar-Rahman
Paperback
Religions of a Single God: A Critical Introduction to Monotheisms from Judaism to Baha'i
Xrook, Zeba A.
Paperback
The Book of Knowledge: Book 1 of the Revival of the Religious Sciences
Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid
Paperback
Malcolm in the Desert: Wisdom from the Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X (Large Print Edition)
Shabazz, Ilyasah
Paperback
The Book of Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad from the Mishkat Al Masabih
Eaton, Charles Le Gai
Paperback
Mukhtasar al-Akhdari: The Fiqh of the Acts of Worship According to the Maliki School of Islamic Law
Al-Akhdari, Abdur-Rahman
Paperback
How the Generation of Salah Al-Din Appeared and Jerusalem Recaptured
Al-Keylani, Majid Irsan
Paperback
The concept of Education in Islam: A Framework for an Islamic Philosophy of Education
Al-Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib
Paperback
Escape from Kabul: The Afghan Women Judges Who Fled the Taliban and Those They Left Behind
Bartlett, Karen
Hardcover
The Divine Reality: God, Islam and The Mirage of Atheism (Newly Revised Edition)
Tzortzis, Hamza Andreas
Paperback
Islam for Teenagers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Strengthening Your Faith, Overcoming Challenges, and Living as a Confident Young Muslim
Al Fakir, Muhammed
Paperback
Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the 99 Names of Allah
Muqaddam, Faisal
Meyer, Wali Ali
Hyde, Bilal
Paperback
Deep Knowledge: Ways of Knowing in Sufism and Ifa, Two West African Intellectual Traditions
Ogunnaike, Oludamini
Paperback
The Music of Life (Omega Uniform Edition of the Teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan)
Inayat Khan, Hazrat
Paperback
The Practical Guidebook of Essential Islamic Sciences: A Commentary on Ibn Ashir's al-Murshid al-Mu'in
Laraki, Ali
Paperback
Ramadan Reflections: A Guided Journal: 30 Days of Healing from Your Past, Being Present and Looking Ahead to an Akhirah-Focused Future
Umm Raiyaan, Aliyah
Paperback
Our Master Muhammad ﷺ the Messenger of Allah. His Sublime Character & Exalted Attributes. Volume 1.
Sirajuddin Al-Husayni, Imam ʿabdallah
Paperback
No God But One: Allah or Jesus?: A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity
Qureshi, Nabeel
Paperback
In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire
Holland, Tom
Paperback
My Name Is Mohamed: An Immigrant's Journey of Resilience, Identity, and Faith
Hammoud, Mohamed
Hardcover
Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care
Rahman, Samiha
Paperback
365 Wisdoms of the Prophet Muhammad: Authentic Texts from the Hadith and Sunnah on the Family, Health, Success and Spiritual Growth (Collection - Isla
Al-Abadi, Ibrahim
Way, Islam
Paperback