شيعة

Compare شَاعَ (šāʕa, “to spread (intransitive), to become known”). Cognate with Hebrew סיעה (si'a, “party, faction”).

• IPA^(key): /ʃiː.ʕa/

شِيعَة • (šīʕa) f (plural شِيَع (šiyaʕ) or أَشْيَاع (ʔašyāʕ))

1. cult, sect
2. (collective) followers, assistants
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 28:15:

     فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ وَهَٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ ۖ فَٱسْتَغَاثَهُ ٱلَّذِي مِن شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى ٱلَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ

     fawajada fīhā rajulayni yaqtatilāni hāḏā min šīʕatihi wahāḏā min ʕaduwwihi fastaḡāṯahu llaḏī min šīʕatihi ʕalā llaḏī min ʕaduwwihi fawakazahu mūsā faqaḍā ʕalayhi

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. (collective) adherents, disciples, partisans
4. faction, party
5. (definite) the Shi'a

• الشِّيعَة (aš-šīʕa, “the Shi'a”)
• شِيعِيّ (šīʕiyy, “Shiite”)

• سُنِّيّ f (sunniyy)
• طَائِفَة f (ṭāʔifa)
• فِرْقَة f (firqa)