Hidden Imam

Submitted by Lou (United States), Jan 11, 2006 at 16:14

The concept of the Hidden Imam, like many Shiite customs, originates with concepts derived from Zoroastrianism. Indeed, many of the concepts that separate (and the division itself) Shiites and Sunnis predate Islam and are derived from pre-Islamic customs (Persian/Zorastrianism for Shiites and Arabian tribes for Sunnis).

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".