Shia Muslim
1
4.1
- noun
- /ˈʃiːə ˈmʌzlɪm/
:
musulmán chiíta
- Despite the fact that 40,000 Shia Muslims live in Malaysia, the country banned Shia Muslim practices in 1996.
Examples
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As a Shia Muslim, she participated in the rituals of Ashura each year.
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More than one-third of the Muslim population worldwide are Shia Muslims.
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He was a devout Shia Muslim and observed all the holy days of his community.
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The region has a large population of Shia Muslims who celebrate different religious festivals.
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A Shia Muslim believes in the teachings of Ali.
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Many Shia Muslims gather to celebrate Ashura each year.
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During a religious mourning ceremony in December, police detained more than 200 Shia Muslims.
Synonyms
40
7.9
A Muslim who follows the group that accepts Ali as Muhammad's successor
5
4.9
A Muslim who believes Ali was the rightful leader after Muhammad
2
7.2
A person who follows the branch of Islam that sees Ali as Muhammad's next leader
A Muslim who believes Ali was the rightful leader after Muhammad
A Muslim who follows the group that believes Ali and his family should lead after Muhammad
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a direct noun–noun combination: 'Shia' names a branch/belief about succession and 'Muslim' denotes a follower of Islam, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it means a Muslim who follows Shia beliefs. The composition is literal and cross-linguistically regular rather than idiomatic, so it is immediately comprehensible to learners who know the parts.
Etymology
Shia Muslim comes from an Arabic word that means 'followers' or 'party'. It began when a group said Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, should be the leader after him, so Shia Muslims are the people who follow that belief.