ABSTRACT
Currently, around 15 per cent of the Muslim population of the world belongs to various communities of Shi'i Islam, with the Sunni Muslims accounting for the remaining 85 per cent. The Shi'i Muslims themselves are comprised of a number of major communities, including the Ithna'asharis or Twelvers, who account for the largest numbers, the Ismailis and the Zaydis. The early Muslims were confronted by many gaps in their religious knowledge and understanding of the Islamic revelation, which revolved around issues such as the attributes of God, the nature of authority and the definitions of true believers and sinners, amongst other theological concerns. The Fatimid phase represents the 'golden age' of Ismaili Shi'ism, when the Ismailis possessed a state of their own and Ismaili scholarship and literature attained their summit. Tayyibi Ismailism found its permanent stronghold in Yemen, where it received the initial support of the Sulayhid dynasty. The Nizari Ismailis have had their own complex history and distinctive doctrinal development.
