After the death or Occultation of Muhammad ibn Imam Ismāʿīl in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismāʿīlīsm further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (bāṭin) of the Islamic faith. With the eventual development of Twelver Shīʿīsm into the more literalistic (zahīr) oriented Akhbari and later Usuli schools of thought, Shīʿīsm further developed in two separate directions: the metaphorical Ismāʿīlī group focusing on the mystical path and nature of God and the divine manifestation in the personage of the "Imam of the Time" as the "Face of God", with the more literalistic Twelver group focusing on divine law (sharī'ah) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) attributed to Muhammad and his successors (the Ahl al-Bayt), who as A'immah were guides and a light (nūr) to God.
after the death or occultation of muhammad ibn imam ismāʿīl in the 8th century ce the teachings of ismāʿīlīsm further transformed into the belief system as it is known today with an explicit concentration on the deeper esoteric meaning (bāṭin) of the islamic faith with the eventual development of twelver shīʿīsm into the more literalistic (zahīr) oriented akhbari and later usuli schools of thought shīʿīsm further developed in two separate directions the metaphorical ismāʿīlī group focusing on the mystical path and nature of god and the divine manifestation in the personage of the "imam of the time" as the "face of god" with the more literalistic twelver group focusing on divine law (sharī'ah) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) attributed to muhammad and his successors (the ahl al-bayt) who as a'immah were guides and a light (nūr) to god