▁in ▁its ▁interpretation ▁of ▁key ▁ideas ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁times ▁and ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁res urre ction , ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁juris pr ud ential ▁authority , ▁and ▁the ▁proper ▁herm ene ut ic ▁to ▁be ▁employed ▁in ▁interpre ting ▁prop he cy ▁through ▁the ▁myst ical ▁writ ings ▁of ▁the ▁Tw el ver ▁Im ams . ▁These ▁diver gen ces ▁resulted ▁in ▁controvers y ▁and ▁on going ▁accus ations ▁of ▁her es y ▁from ▁orth odox ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Sh i ʻ i ▁ul ama . ▁ ▁Today ▁Sh ay k hi ▁populations ▁retain ▁a ▁minor ity ▁following ▁in ▁Iran ▁and ▁Ira q . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁many ▁Sh ay kh is ▁converted ▁to ▁B áb ism ▁and ▁Bah á ʼ í ▁Fa ith , ▁which ▁regard ▁Sh ay kh ▁A hm ad ▁and ▁his ▁successor ▁Kaz im ▁Ras ht i ▁highly . ▁ ▁Sh ay kh í ▁teach ings ▁ ▁E sch at ology ▁▁ ▁The ▁primary ▁force ▁behind ▁Sh ay kh ▁A hm ad ' s ▁teach ings ▁is ▁the ▁Tw el ver ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁Occ ult ation ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elf th ▁Im am . ▁Tw el vers ▁believe ▁there ▁were ▁twelve ▁Im ams , ▁starting ▁with ▁Ali ▁and ▁ending ▁with ▁Muhammad ▁al - M ah di . ▁While ▁the ▁first ▁eleven ▁Im ams ▁died , ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁disappeared , ▁to ▁return ▁" before ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁judgment " ▁and ▁"