I don't want to divert the thread down a sectarian angle - but any users well versed in early islamic history and have a reasonable grounding I would suggest looking at the Zaidi school for an academic interest. They are only really found in Yemen, in fact the Houthis are Yemeni, they have some beliefs contrary to Ahle Sunnah but they are a school that is overall accepted by Sunnis and also by a Shia.
Let's not debate it in this great thread but something for those that are interested to look into in their own time.
Yemeni People and Tolerance:
This brings us to an interesting point about Yemen. For the past three to four decades, news coverage has portrayed Yemen mainly through the lens of sectarianism, intolerance, and communal conflict. But this image does not fully reflect the reality of Yemeni society.
While disputes do exist, they are largely political. Much of the sectarian tension has been fuelled deliberately, driven by millions of dollars spent by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and more recently the UAE, each backing factions for strategic reasons.
From an Islamic perspective, Yemeni society has traditionally been divided into several main groups, most of them coexisting peacefully for centuries. The key groups are:
- Sunni Shafi‘i: Historically the majority; many follow Sufi traditions.
- Sunni Ahl-e-Hadith: The Ahl-e-Hadith tradition in India and Pakistan owes much of its scholarly foundation to Yemen. Its curriculum is heavily influenced by Yemeni scholars, most notably Imam al-Shawkani (RA).
- Shia Zaydi: The Zaydis are doctrinally the closest Shia group to Sunnis. They reject the infallible “Imam” doctrine and do not curse the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- Imam Shawkani (RA) was a Zaydi Shia who converted to Sunni'ism and then refuted the Shia Madhab
- Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (in India) was a Shia who was inspired, converted to Sunni'ism and wrote prolific works refuting Shia'ism in the Indian context
- Sunni Madkhali-Salafi: A later development that emerged after the establishment of Saudi Arabia, strongly aligned with Saudi religious authority.
3.1 converted to Sunni'ism so went out of their way to write books against Shia'ism while 3.2 converted to Sunni'ism from Ithna-Ashari Shia which is the common form in India/Pakistan/Iran/Afghanistan and different to Zaydi Shia.
Despite these differences, in Sana’a and within the Yemeni diaspora in the West, these groups often live side by side with little friction. They mix socially, attend the same spaces, and interact without tension.
