ABSTRACT
The Shiʿa, or "party," of 'Ali consisted of those who defended his right to rule the early community in the civil war with Muawiya. Most significant in the stance of the Shiʿa, vis-a-vis their origins, is their general acceptance of the text of the Quran virtually intact, in line with the Sunnis. Ja’far al-Sadiq appears to have been the pivotal figure through whom the Shiʿa actually came into existence as a religious movement. The presence of the Imam as a "proof" and a "guidance" was deemed essential and was the major element in a polemic against the Sunni schools, whom the Shiʿa felt were adrift with no guidance. The Isma'ilis are particularly noted for their "inner" interpretations of much of Muslim practice, looking to make the point that the law was to benefit the soul as well as the body. The origins of Shiism are, like other aspects of the beginnings of Islam, topic of extensive scholarly investigation and dispute.
