And most surely Abraham (A.S) was among the Shi'ah of him (Qur'an 37:83)
And he (Moses) went into the city at a time when people (of the city) were not watching, so he found therein two men fighting, one being of his Shi'ah and the other being his enemy, and the one who was of his Shi'ah cried out to him for help against the one who was of his enemy (Qur'an 28:15)
In the history of islam, shiah has been especially used for the followers of Imam 'Ali (A.S).
This phrase is not something invented later! The first individual who used this term was the Messenger of Allah himself. When the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed:
(As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of creatures
(Qur'an 98:7)
The Prophet (s) said to Ali: "It is for you and your Shi'ah."
He further said: "I swear by the one who controls my life that this man (Ali) and his Shi'ah shall secure deliverance on the Day of Resurrection."
q . Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur, (Cairo) vol. 6, p. 379
q Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tafsir Jami' al-Bayan, (Cairo) vol. 33, p. 146
q Ibn Asakir, Ta'rikh Dimashq, vol. 42, p. 333, p. 371
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, (Cairo) Ch. 11, section 1, pp 246-247
