1/ This week @UniofOxford we explored the origins of Shīʿism. One of the most interesting but little known forms is Zaydism, which began with the revolt of Zayd ibn ʿAlī in 740. Read on for more about this unique Zaydī coin and what it says about the doctrine of the Zaydī imamate 
2/ Zaydīs believed that the imam had to be a descendant of ʿAlī through his sons al-Ḥasan or al-Ḥusayn. Among Shīʿīs, they were unique for also believing that the imam proved himself by his ability to lead a revolt (khurūj) against an unjust power
4/ The coin includes the following verse from #Quran 22:39: "Permission is granted to those who fight because they have been wronged" quran.com/22/39
5/ The coin nicely expresses a key obligation of the imam, namely, military activism in the face of tyranny. It's perhaps no surprise that Zaydīs enjoyed their greatest success in the mountainous periphery of the Islamic world, far away from powerful lowland empires
6/ You can read about the coin via this great article by Samuel Stern (pg. 211): jstor.org/stable/4266447…
7/ Those interested in the history of Zaydī Shīʿism, this book by @nhaider74 makes for a great primer: amazon.co.uk/Shii-Islam-Int…
