Are the Shi'ah a Sufi sect?

Question:
Are the Shi'ah a sect or Sufis, or are they closer to that? And what are the foundations of this Shi'ah group?

Answer:
The Shi'ah may have some Sufism in them, or they may not. The Shi'ah are those who claim to follow the Ahl al-Bayt, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and his sons. They have specific terms and methods in this regard. They are not one single sect; they are many sects. The Shi'ah are many sects, not one single sect, but rather branching sects. Among them are the Ja'fariyyah, the Zaydiyyah, and others, but they are not all on the same level. Some are closer to the Sunnah than others, and some are further from the Sunnah. So they are many sects. Among them are the Isma'iliyyah, the Qaramitah, and so on. This is to be found in the books of sects, such as *Al-Maqalat* by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, and such as the book...
*Al-Milal wa al-Nihal* by al-Shahrastani, and *Al-Farq bayn al-Firaq* by al-Baghdadi, and others. Whoever wants to know about these sects should refer to these books.