Definition
"Shiite Muslim" refers to a follower of Shia Islam, one of the two main branches within Islam. Shia Muslims believe that Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, was the rightful successor to Muhammad. It is essentially a more descriptive version of the term 'Shiite.' Think of it as specifying 'chocolate chip cookie' instead of just 'cookie'. It highlights both the religious affiliation (Muslim) and the specific branch (Shiite).