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| | About The Ismaili Imamat and Origins of Shiism |
 | | The Shia or "party" of Ali, already in existence during the lifetime of the Prophet, maintained that while the revelation ceased at the Prophet's death, the need for spiritual and moral guidance of the community, through an ongoing interpretation of the Islamic message, continued. |
 | | Led by mujtahids, the Ithna asharis are the largest Shia Muslim community, and the majority of the population in Iran. |
 | | Muslims need not be apprehensive, he said, of these continuing journeys of the mind to comprehend the universe of God's creation, including one's own self. |
| www.akdn.org /imamat/imamat.html (2435 words) |
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