Zaydi Shiʿism
Branches of Islam · The branch closest to Sunni practice
The Zaydīs are a branch of Shiʿism, named for Zayd ibn ʿAlī, whose doctrine of leadership stands closer to Sunni practice than that of the other Shiʿi branches.
At a glance
| Arabic | الزيدية |
|---|---|
| Named for | Zayd ibn ʿAlī (d. 740) |
| Distinctive | The imam as a qualified, activist leader — not infallible |
| Historic centre | Yemen |
The Zaydīs take their name from Zayd ibn ʿAlī, a grandson of al-Ḥusayn who led a revolt against Umayyad rule and was killed in 740. In their doctrine of the imamate they part company with the Twelvers and Ismāʿīlīs: the imam is not a designated, infallible figure but any qualified descendant of ʿAlī and Fāṭimah who rises to claim leadership and is capable of defending it. This more activist and less metaphysical conception, together with a law close to Sunni practice, makes Zaydism the Shiʿi branch nearest to the Sunni mainstream.
Zaydi communities long sustained an imamate in the highlands of Yemen, which endured in one form or another into the twentieth century, and Zaydīs remain a major community there.
Related in Chronicle
Curated reference on Islamic belief and thought. On matters where traditions differ, positions are attributed rather than adjudicated; verify points of doctrine with qualified scholars.