Ismailian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the branch of Shia Islam known as Ismailism and its adherents
2. Connected with the religious sect called Ismailism and the people who practice it
3. Associated with the Ismaili Muslim community and their specific doctrines and beliefs

Etymology: The word is a variant spelling of "Ismaelian," built from "Ismael," the English form of the Hebrew name Ismael (Ishmael in most English Bibles), plus the suffix "-ian," which turns a name into an adjective or noun meaning a follower of or relating to that person. The name is traced in the Bible to Abraham's son by Hagar, and the suffix has a long history of forming words for adherents of a figure, as in "Lutheran" or "Darwinian." The Ismaili community takes its name from Ismail ibn Jafar, the eldest son of the sixth Shia Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq, and the spelling of the community's name follows the Arabic "Isma'il." Because the Arabic and Hebrew forms descend from the same figure, English writers have sometimes used the biblical spelling, and "ismailian" is one of several variants used for the community and its doctrines.

Synonyms: ismāʿīlī, shiite, shi'a, zaidiyyah

Antonyms: sunni