The largest Shia branch, which follows twelve Imams and awaits the twelfth, the Mahdi, in occultation, under the guidance of its scholars in the meantime.
Twelver Shi'ism is the Shia Islam of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Bahrain. Its scholars, the ulama, guide the community during the Hidden Imam's absence, and its devotions center on Karbala and the martyrdom of Husayn.
Twelver Shia Islam across the site
Sources
Primary
- Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, al-Kafi.
Secondary
- Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam (1985).