Zaidis in Yemen.

Question: Are all Shi'as one or they too have sects like Sunnis? Niaz Ahmad Khan, Indiana.

Answer: Because of abandoning the Qur’an, there are such a large number of sects and sub-sects among Muslims that a Turkish scholar of Istanbul counted 191 sects at the beginning of the 21st century! Following are just a few of the Shi'a sects:

(i) Athna Ashree Shias - Those who acknowledge 12 Imams.

(ii) Kaisania - These regard Muhammad bin Hanfia, (d. 84 AH) as the rightful Imam and the promised Mahdi. He was the son of Hanfia, another wife of Hazrat Ali, besides Fatima. Mukhtar Thaqafi belonged to this sect.

(iv) Ismailis - Imam Zainul Abedin, the fourth Imam had two sons Baqir and Zaid. The latter did not accept the former as Imam.

(iii) Zaidis - They recognize Zaid son of Imam Zainul Abedin (d.125 AH 739 CE) as the last Imam. Thus these may be called as "Five Imami" Shi'as as against the
"Twelve Imami" Shi'as:

The sixth Imam Jafar Sadiq had two sons Musa Kazim and Ismail.

Those who accept Ismail and his progeny as Imams are called Ismailis. Prince Karim Agha Khan is their 49th Imam.

On the other hand, those accepting the Imamate of Musa Kazim are called 12 Imamites or Asna Ashris. Apart from these, there are other sects such as Fatimi, non-Fatimi, Alavi, Khariji, Bohra, Khoja, Sheikhia, Durooz, Jabria, Qadaria, Tawwabin and so on.

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Dr Shabbir, Florida.

The Zaidis also do not believe in Kerbala, neither do they abuse the first 3 Caliphs (Tabbarra). They also stay away from 'Matam'