ASCRIBED TO: They are ascribed to Kaysaan who is the mawlaa of Ali (radiallaahu anhu), and also the student of Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah (son of Ali).
BELIEF: The core belief of this sect is that Ali (radiallaahu anhu) encompassed all the divine knowledge, and he knows all the secret hidden ta'weels (explanations, exegesis), and that he alone has the right to make interpretations of the Shariah texts, and obedience to this Imaam is the very essence of the religion (and which in turn invalidates the necessity of the legislated actions).
Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah freed himself from these people openly, however when he died, they claimed he is still living and that he will be given the permission to return. To the Kaysaaniyyah, Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah is the awaited Mahdi. Note the diffrence between this sect and others in that they only said Ali (radiallaahu anhu) possessed the divine knowledge, but did not actually deify him.
2. ZAYDIYYAH
ASCRIBED TO: They ascribe to Zayd bin Ali bin al-Husayn bin Ali bin Abi Talib.
BELIEF: Whilst they believe in the superiority of Ali (radiallaahu anhu), they also accept the principle that a person of lesser rank is able to take leadership despite the presence of the one with higher rank due to some considered beneficial interest which needed to be attained on account of the situation of presence of factors. This is how they view the rulership of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (radiallaahu anhum).
When the Shias of Kufah heard of this position and that they do not free themselves of the two Shaykhs (Abu Bakr and Umar), they rejected them and so the Zaydiyyah labelled them "Raafidah." The Zaydiyyah are the most moderate and closest to Ahl al-Sunnah.
Zayd bin Ali bin al-Husayn studied with Wasil bin Ataa (founder of the Mu'tazilah), there were elements of i'tizaal (rationalism) as well as aspects of khurooj (revolt of the Kharijites), although he was not upon the actual core usool of the Mu'tazilah and Kharijites, and for this reason, traces of these influences are found in the Zaydee fiqh and manhaj.
3. IMAAMIYYAH
GENERAL BELIEF: These are of numerous sects as we shall see, but they carried the right of Imaamah (leadership) from Ali to his son Hasan, to his brother Husayn to his son Zayn al-Aabideen and then to his son Muhammad al-Baaqir, then to his son Ja'far al-Saadiq (may Allaah be pleased with them all). From here, they divided into two categories:
A) ISMAA'EELIYYAH
The first are those who then gave the right of Imaam to the son of Ja'far, Ismaa'eel, and they became known as the Ismaa'eeliyyah. This group in turn split into many groups, but three of them remain today and they are:
* Ismaa'eeliyyah Musta'liyyah (Bohrahs),
* Ismaa'eeliyyah Nizaariyyah (Agha Khanis),
* Druze.
B) ITHNA ASHARIYYAH / JA'FARIYYAH
The second are those who gave the right of Imaamah to Musa al-Kadhim, and these are known as the Ithna Ashariyyah (the Twelvers), and they are also referred to as the Ja'fariyyah. They are the most important of the sects of the Shia and most of the Shia of today are from this group and they are found in Iran, Iraq, Arabia, Pakistan, Lebanon and elsewhere. It is from this group that the Nusayriyyah (a very extreme sect) splintered off from.
It is this last group that is associated with the label of Shia today and they are referred to by many different names such as "Shiah" (those siding with Ali), or "Raafidah" (those rejecting the two Shaykhs, Abu Bakr and Umar) or "Ithna Ashariyyah" (those believing in the twelve Imaams) or "Imaamiyyah" (those believing in leadership being a pillar of Islam), and all these BELIEF: They claim Allaah indwelled in Ali (radiallaahu anhu), they also believe in the transmigration of souls (tanaasukh al-arwaah) and also believe in secret esoteric interpretations of the Qur'an. The entire set of beliefs they hold are an amalgamation of idol-worship, Magian paganism, and Jewish and Christian doctrines. They conceal their doctrines from those outside of their circles, and historically have killed those who dared to leak their secrets.
All above are sects that are existing today. Below are a list of extinct Shia sects:
1. GHULAT SECTS
* Bazighiyya - who believed that Ja'far al-Sadiq was God.
* Dhammiyya - who believed that Ali was God and Muhammad was his appointed Messenger and Prophet.
* Ghurabiyya - who believed the angel Gabriel was mistaken when passing on the prophecy to Muhammad instead of Ali.
* Ya'furiyya - who believed in reincarnation and that a man named Mu'ammar al-Kufi was their Lord.
2. ISMAA'EELIYYAH SECTS
* Hafizi - who believed the ruler of the Fatimid Empire, Al-Hafiz, was also the Imam of the Time.
* Qarmatians - who believed in a world view where every phenomenon repeated itself in cycles, where every incident was replayed over and over again.
* Sevener - who believed Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Maktum, the son of Isma'il ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq, would return as the Mahdi.
3. ZAYDIYYAH SECTS
* Dukayniyya - who believed Muhammad's followers fell into unbelief after his death because they did not uphold the Imamate of Ali.
* Jarudiyya - who believed the companions were sinful in failing to recognise Ali as the legitimate Caliph. They became extinct in Iran and Iraq but still survive in Yemen under the Hadawi sub-sect.
* Khalafiyya - who believed in a unique line of Imams after Zayd ibn Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali, starting with a man named Abd al-Samad and continuing with his descendants.
* Khashabiyya - who believed that the Imamate must remain only among the descendents of Hasan and Husayn, even if that Imam is ignorant, immoral and tyrannical.
* Tabiriyya/Butriyya/Salihiyya - who believed the companions, including Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, had been in error in failing to follow Ali, but it did not amount to sin.
4. OTHER SECTS
* Fathites - who believed Abdullah al-Aftah was the succeeding Imam after his father Ja'far al-Sadiq's death.
* Hurufites - who believed God is incarnated in every atom.
* Kaysanites - who believed in the Imamate of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah after the death of Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib.
* Khurramites - who believed that the spirit of God had existed in Muhammad, Ali and Abu Muslim Khorasani.
* Muhammadites - who believed that Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi was the true 11th Imam, rather than Hasan al-Askari.
* Nuqtavites - who believed in a cyclical view of time, reminiscent of the Isma'ili Shia.
* Soldiers of Heaven - who believed that their former leader Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim (died 2007 CE) was the Mahdi and reincarnation of Ali ibn Abi Talib.
* Tawussites - who believed that Ja'far al-Sadiq was the Mahdi and that he was alive and did not die.
* Waqifites - who believed in the Imamate of Musa al-Kadhim but refused to accept the Imamate of his successor Ali ar-Ridha.
You can find below the Family tree on how the Shia's divert from their Imamate.
Origin: http://mysteryvoodoo.blogspot.com
