What are the main things a shiite Muslim does?

Answer 1

shia and sunni have mostly same beliefs and both believe in fundamental beliefs of Islam. today there is up to 260 sect in Islam that are in two category of shia and sunni.

shia believes in Allah, prophet and all fundamentals of Islam.

shia believe after death of prophet God selects the successive for prophet who is the leader of Muslim community and people can not select it.

shia believe the Caliph (Representative of God in earth after prophet) is appointed only by God and can not be selected by people because God said in Koran: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." (Quran 2:30)

this means only God can select an Islamic leader.

in shia they are only fourteen infallible (12 Imams and prophet and his daughter Fatimah Zahra (sa))

and all of them are the same and have no mistake and have the knowledge of everything (this knowledge is from God and by permission of God and is not absolute knowledge. absolute knowledge is only for God and they still do not know many things. but they know anything human may need to know.) and they never die and they hear all sayings and even thinks of all humans after their death by permission of God and they are intermediates between God and human.

and shia Muslims always support them and forgive their lives for them.

shia Muslims do not consider selection of Abubakr as Caliph valid because God did not select him. they believe God ordered prophet to declare Ali is selected as successor of prophet (Quran 5:3) and prophet did this mission in Ghadir event that was in last Hajj of prophet in his life and prophet did a speech for 120,000 Muslims participating that Hajj with prophet. the famous shia book Al-Ghadir is a collection of evidences and proofs for Ghadir Hadith from 100,000 sunni references and read all of 10,000 sunny books. one sunni scholar said if we want to reply Al-Ghadir book (by Allameh Amini) we should first destroy all our books.

Answer 2

Shia sect claims to follow the Holy Prophet (pbuh), and His holy progeny, and their teachings. Shias believe the Holy Prophet (pbuh) left a successor for the Muslim nation for after His passing away, as the teachings of Islam were not to be limited to just His lifetime, as Islam is the completion of God's message to mankind, and is to last till the day of Judgement. Just like every other Prophet, Like Haroon (as) was appointed Prophet Musa (a.s)'s divinely chosen successor, Shias believe Imam Ali (a.s) was appointed the successor, and the Imam of the Muslim nation after the passing away of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) publicly announced Imam Ali ibn abu talib (as) as His successor on His farewell Hajj, at Ghadeer e Khum. This event is narrated in Sahih traditions and hadith narrations from all schools of thought in Islam, including the Sunni Mainstream Islam. However, after the Prophet (pbuh) passed away, an event was held at Saqifa, in which people decided to choose the next ruler after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s passing away. Hence Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen as the Caliph after the Prophet (pbuh). Shias claim to be loyal to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), and claim to follow Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) after the passing away of the Holy Prophet, and claim to be followers of Imam Ali (as) and the Imams, who they deem to be the divinely chosen guides of Islam, just like Prophets.

While the mainstream Sunni Islam doesn't deem anyone to be infallible after Prophets.

Through centuries, Shia sect further divided into many sects, like fivers, sixers & twelvers.

Twelver sect believes in 12 Imams, the last they call Imam Mahdi (a.s), who they think is present and living Imam, and is also known in them as the saviour in Islam, who will rule the earth, and establish justice, before the Day of Judgement.

(While Sunni mainstream Islam followers believe in Mahdi; The guided one, whose name will be Muhammed ibn AbduLLah, progeny of Rasool Allah (salaLLAhu alehi WA alhi wassalam) through Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him), his emergence in end times as a leader of Ummah & his removal of injustice from the whole wide world. Believing in his natural birth in those times - they don't believe in his retuning from a cave though.)