Twelver Shia

There are at least 255 million Twelver Shia Muslims worldwide, making them one of the largest and most significant Islamic traditions. They form an overwhelming majority in Iran and Azerbaijan, while constituting a majority in Iraq and making up nearly half of the population of Lebanon and Bahrain. Substantial Twelver Shia population are also present in Turkey, Yemen, Syria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Nigeria, Chad, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and other countries around the globe. Iran is the only country in the world where Twelver Shia Islam is the state religion. Sunnis and Twelver Shia Muslims share the fundamental foundations of Islam, including belief in the oneness God (Tawhid), the Quran, and Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets (Khatam an-Nabiyin). They also share the Five Pillars of Islam, which are profession of faith (Shahada), daily prayer (Salah), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting in the month of Ramadan (Sawm), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). The Twelve Imams are also revered in Sunni Islam as family members of the Prophet Muhammad and as highly important figures in Islamic history, and Sunnis visit their shrines out of veneration.