religion safi of persia
Shia (" Shah ", from " Shatu Al ", followers of Ali ) is a branch of ___MASK59___ which holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor ( Imam ). Shia ___MASK59___ primarily contrasts with Sunni ___MASK59___ , whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor . Instead they consider Abu Bakr ( who was appointed Caliph through a Shura , i . e . consensus ) to be the correct Caliph . Twelver ( Athn ' ashariyyah or Ithn ' ashariyyah ) Shia ___MASK59___ or Imamiyyah is the largest branch of Shia ___MASK59___ . Twelver belief is based on the Quran and the message of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad attested in hadith , and on hadith taught by their Imams . The term " Twelver " refers to its adherents ' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders , known as the Twelve Imams , and their belief that the last Imam , Muhammad al - Mahdi , lives in occultation and will reappear as the promised Mahdi . According to Shia tradition , the Mahdi ' s tenure will coincide with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (" Isa "), who is to assist the " Mahdi " against the " Masih ad - Dajjal " ( literally , the " false Messiah " or Antichrist ). Sam Mirza ( 1611 -- 12 May 1642 ) , ( Persian :     ) , better known by his dynastic name of Shah Safi ( Persian :     ) was Shah of Iran from 1629 to 1642 . He was the sixth ruler of the Safavid dynasty . The Safavid dynasty (" Dudmn e Safavi ") was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran , often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history . The Safavid shahs ruled over one of the so - called gunpowder empires . They ruled one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th - century ___MASK33___ conquest of Iran , and established the Twelver school of Shia ___MASK59___ as the official religion of the empire , marking one of the most important turning points in ___MASK33___ history .