Shi’ism: Origins and Jurisprudence

“[F]rom its inception Shi’ism functioned as an opposition party, challenging the performance of the government.”

Abuldaziz Sachedina, p. 70

It is, in my humble opinion, impossible to understand Shi’ite Islam without understanding the symbiotic relationship between Shi’ite jurisprudence and its revolutionary origins. It seems as though the Shi’ite position is indefensible from a historical perspective when rigorously investigated for its claims, and the justifications of its claims seem to be impossible to reconcile with the passages in the Qur’an that deal with the questions at hand. How would it be possible for a group to claim absolute authority and radical continuity with Muhammad’s line and yet have that claim to authority be in direct contrast to the words of Muhammad and the Qur’an?

The later discussion of jurisprudence seems to offer a plausible answer. The Shi’ite emphasis on rationality even over the Qur’an and the hadiths would provide a solid basis upon which one can build an argument for authority that would be considered revisionist by the majority of believers. The revolutionary nature of Shi’ism in opposition to the Sunni majority gives substantial basis and rise to the rationalistic jurisprudence that comes to be a Shi’ite hallmark.