An introduction to Zaydism, its origins, and the issues surrounding it

A. Who are the Zaydis?

The Zaydis are a group of people who adhere to the school of thought of the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt), whom God and His Messenger commanded them to follow in well-known verses and hadiths, including the verse: “Say, ‘I do not ask you for any reward for it except affection for [my] near relatives’” [Ash-Shura: 23]. Affection implies following them. Similarly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: “I have left among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray after me: the Book of God and my family, the people of my house. The All-Subtle, the All-Aware has informed me that they will never separate until they meet me at the Pool (of Kawthar).”

B. Who are the Ahl al-Bayt to whom the Zaydis belong?

They are the People of the Cloak and their descendants until the Day of Resurrection. Among them are Zain al-Abidin, Zaid bin Ali, al-Baqir, al-Sadiq, al-Qasim bin Ibrahim, al-Hadi ila al-Haqq Yahya bin al-Hussein, al-Mansur Billah Abdullah bin Hamza, up to the Imam who revived the religion in the fourteenth century, Majd al-Din bin Muhammad bin Mansur al-Muayyidi, and his student, the learned scholar, the proof, al-Hussein bin Yahya al-Houthi, peace be upon them. And they are represented in our day by our master, the learned scholar, the proof, Muhammad bin Abdullah Awad al-Muayyidi (may God protect him).