Sunni and Shi'a

From Wikiversity

The major schools of thought are Sunni and Shi'a. According to most sources, present estimates indicate that approximately 90% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 5% are Shi'a. There are a number of other Islamic sects however they constitute a minority of Muslims today.

[edit] Sunni

The Sunni, the largest group in Islam. In Arabic, as-Sunnah literally means "principle" or "path." The sunnah, or exemplary behavior of Muhammad is described as a main pillar of Sunni doctrine. They believe...

• The first four caliphs (leaders) of the Muslim community were the rightful successors to Muhammad.
• That God has not specified the leaders of the Muslim community after Muhammad, and that the leader has to be elected.

• Sunnis recognize four major legal traditions, or madhhabs: Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, and Hanbali. All four accept the validity of the others and a Muslim might choose any one that he/she finds agreeable to his/her ideas.

[edit] Shi'a

Shi'a Muslims, the second-largest branch of Islam, differ from the Sunni by rejecting the authority of the first three caliphs as some of them believe that the Muslims had no right to elect the leader of the Khilafah. They honor sometimes different accounts of Hadith and have their own legal tradition which is called Ja'fari jurisprudence which most Shi'a Muslims follow.

The concept of Imamah, or leadership, plays a central role in Shi'a doctrine. Shi'a Muslims view the Muslim community as primarily a spiritual community. They preferred to use the word "Imam" rather than "Caliph" believing that the leader of the Muslim community should be a spiritual leader and then a governor. They hold that leadership should not be passed down through elections in a caliphate, but rather, divinely appointed infallible descendants of Muhammad through Ali and his progeny should be given this right as Imams or Caliphs. They believe that their first Imam, Ali ibn Abu Talib, was explicitly appointed by Muhammad by divine command.

There are Shi'a Muslims who believe that there were twelve Imāms, First one Being Ali ibn Abu Talib and last of them is Mahdi who is in occultation and will return before the end of time. Approximately 80% of Shi'a are Twelvers and they are the largest Shi'a school of thought, predominant in Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bahrain. In short their philosophy states that the 12th Imam left earth and exists in another plane waiting to come back.