Preface to the Second Edition

رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَصۡلِحۡ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِيٓۖ إِنِّي تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims.[1]

This second edition of the treatise: Zaidism, its origins and beliefs, was necessitated by the urgent need for a revised and expanded reprint. This was in response to the aspirations of those lovers of knowledge and seekers of understanding who read it and requested further elaboration on its contents; to clarify what I summarised and to expand upon what I had condensed in the first edition. This includes providing more examples, evidences, arguments, and documented references to ensure the accuracy of its contents and for it to serve as a resource for those seeking more knowledge about Zaidism. I acceded to the wishes of these individuals, who have thought well of me, thanking them for their praise of the issuance of the treatise on Zaidism and praying for guidance and success in speech and action for them and myself.

As for those who were not pleased with what I wrote about Zaidism, when I clarified its reality and explained its position among the Islamic sects and schools of thought, I hoped that they would refute what they objected to with compelling arguments and clear evidences that negate the validity of what I presented about it, to reinforce their argument with action so that both align, lest they be among those of whom Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? How despicable it is in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do![2]

so that their argument becomes stronger and more indicative of the truth of their claim. As for them merely objecting for the sake of objecting, while persistently practicing on actions contrary to their statements, as I have mentioned in the treatise, this is an argument against themselves. Those who doubt or are sceptical about the accuracy of what I have written about Zaidism in Yemen today need only to attend the gatherings, congregations, assemblies, and lessons of these critics and their allies to assure themselves that what I have written about Zaidism is not baseless speculation but rather reflects the reality in its most evident manifestations and prominent features.

What is happening today on the Yemeni scene and the bloody events in Sa’dah, funded by some regional powers and religious positions therein, is the greatest testimony to the witnessed shift of some followers of this sect towards the Twelver Shia sect, unfortunately.[3]

وإن خالها تخفى على الناس تعلم

ومهما تكن عند امرىء من خليقة

No matter what characteristic a person possesses,

It is always known, even if he thinks it to be hidden from people.

Allah is the bestower of success and He is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, his family, all his Companions, and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.

San’a’, 21 Jumada al Akhirah 1417 AH, corresponding to, 2 November 1996.

Ismail ibn ‘Ali al Akwa’

NEXT⇒ Introduction

[1] Surah al Ahqaf: 15.

[2] Surah al Saff: 2-3.

[3] I added this sentence in the introduction to show the importance of what is transpiring today in Sa’dah and its surrounds.

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