Theological Foundations of the Zaydi School

Zaydis are estimated to make up some 40-45% of the Yemeni population and approximately 5-6% of Shi'as in the world. Despite being a significant minority among Shi'as, the Zaydi school remains both an understudied and commonly misunderstood school among laymen and scholars. The purpose of the presentation is to bring light to the five foundations of Zaydi theology shared by all Zaydi Imams and explain them in a concise and clear manner. In order to do that with the historical context in consideration, the presentation will analyze the relationship between Zaydi and Mu'tazilite theology and the ways in which they co-evolved. Additionally, the presentation will bring light to the Zaydi positions on contentious matters like the succession of Abu Bakr, the sources of Zaydi fiqh, the different branches of the Zaydi school, the conditions of political leadership, and the meaning of Imamate.

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