Who are the Zaydis?

The Zaydiyyah is a general name for those who ascribe to the Greatest Imam, Zayd ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon them all). They are the Imams from the People of Ahl al-Bayt after him and their followers. Among them are the Hādawiyyah, who are those who ascribe to the Imam, the Reviver of the Religion, al-Hādi ilā al-Haqq al-Mubīn (the Guide to the Manifest Truth), Yahya ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Qāsim ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Ismā’īl ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan al-Sibt ibn the Commander of the Believers, Ali ibn Abi Tālib (peace be upon them all).

There is no difference between them, nor any disagreement among them regarding the system of governance or any issue from the principles of religion (Usul al-Din).

The Zaydiyyah are named as such because of their agreement with the Imam of Imams, Zayd ibn Ali (peace be upon them), concerning Tawhid (Monotheism), Justice (al-‘Adl), Imamah (Leadership), Commanding the Good, Forbidding the Evil, and rising against unjust and oppressive rulers. As Imam Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah (peace be upon them) said: “By Allah, Zayd ibn Ali revived the neglected practices of the Messengers, and he straightened the pillar of the religion when it had become crooked. We will not follow except his path, and we will not seek illumination except from his light. Zayd is the Imam of the Imams and the first to call to Allah after al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon them).” This was reported by Imam Abi Tālib in his “Amali” (page 186).

The glad tidings concerning him from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny), the Commander of the Believers, Imam Ali, and al-Husayn the Grandson (peace be upon them) are too numerous to mention here. They are detailed in the “Amaliyat,” the “Kitab al-Shafi,” “Al-Minhaj al-Jali,” “Qawa’id Aqa’id Al Muhammad,” and others. His virtues are like the sun in its brightness; no scholar of Islam doubts this.

The People of Ahl al-Bayt and their followers (may Allah be pleased with them) chose to ascribe to him because he opened the door of jihad in the way of Allah the Exalted, revived His religion, and renewed His law. After the martyrdom of the Master of the Youth of Paradise, the Grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) and his sweet basil, al-Husayn ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), tribulations intensified, the ordeal became great, darkness became entrenched, and gloom accumulated upon this nation. Innovations and tribulations appeared, and the clear signs and practices were effaced. So when the Proof, the Imam of Imams Zayd ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), made the truth clear and illuminated the path, they made him a distinguishing banner between them and the [rest of the] nation, to inform them from the very outset what they were calling them to, as indicated by the statement of Imam Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him).

And as his father, Alkamel (the perfect) Abdullah ibn al-Hasan (peace be upon them), said: “The banner between us and The Generality [Sunnis] is Ali ibn Abi Tālib, and the banner between us and the [other] Shi’a is Zayd ibn Ali.”

This is wise and correct speech. For if he had said, “The banner is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny),” or “Following the Book and the Sunnah,” it would not have been a sufficient distinction, because every claimant to Islam from every sect claims that. And since the claimants to following the Commander of the Believers, Imam Ali a.s were multiple sects, he distinguished with the second banner, for only the choicest of the elite ascribe to him.

Upon this principle, the Prophetic Sunnah came for the purpose of distinction. Do you not see the saying of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his progeny) regarding the Commander of the Believers Imam Ali a.s: “None loves him except a believer, and none hates him except a hypocrite”? He repeated and established this with many wordings and in numerous situations. This became well-known, to the point that some of the Companions said: “We used to recognize the hypocrites by their hatred for Ali ibn Abi Tālib.”

If he had said, “None loves me except a believer, and none hates me except a hypocrite,” it would not have been a complete distinction, because everyone who claims Islam claims to love him, unlike the case with Imam Ali (peace be upon him).

Consider the “Hadith al-Thaqalayn” (Tradition of the Two Weighty Things) narrated in Sahih Muslim and other books of Sunnah from more than twenty Companions. I have clarified the discussion on it in “Lawami’ al-Anwar” and in “Sharh al-Zulf” (page 223, first edition, and page 321, second edition), with the wording: “The Book of Allah and my progeny, the People of my Household.”

In Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, from ‘Abd ibn Humayd, and others: “I remind you of Allah concerning my Household” three times.

The majority [of scholars] diverted from this sound, established wording to the wording “and my Sunnah,” which is a anomalous (Shadhdhah) narration, not found in Sahih al-Bukhari or any of the Six Canonical Books except in “Al-Muwatta'” as a Mursal (disconnected) report.

You will not see them mentioning that well-known, sound narration reported through many channels in any mention—not in writing, not in speech, nor in any situation. Rather, they turned away from it, ignored it, and made it a forgotten thing, because by mentioning it, the matter becomes clear and confusion is dispelled. As for “the Sunnah,” it is a shared claim that anyone who claims Islam can make.

Truly, there is no contradiction between the two narrations, for the ultimate meaning of the Book and the Sunnah is one. Therefore, he sufficed with mentioning it in the sound, rather Mutawatir (massively transmitted), narration. Whoever relies on the narration “and my Sunnah” with the intent of nullifying the narration “and my progeny” has certainly opposed the Sunnah without doubt and abandoned what is known to be from the Sunnah by consensus. We seek refuge in Allah from deviation and caprice.