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THE SUNNISHIAH SPLIT IN
ISLAM
BEGINS WITH
PASSING OF
MUHAMMAD IN
632 CE
ACCORDING to a Shi'ite tradition, while
Muhammad was enroute back from
Mecca to Medina after His 'farewell
pilgrimage', He stopped at a watering
place and called 'Ali to Him. 'Then it was
that he took Ali's hands and raised them'
saying, ''Whoever has me as his master
has Ali as his master. Be a friend to his
friends, O Lord, and be an enemy to his
enemies. Help those who assist him and
frustrate those who oppose him.''
The Shi'ite Religion by Dwight M. Donaldson, London: Luzac & Company, 1933, p. 5.
ACCORDING to some traditional
accounts Muhammad called for
writing materials and ink to
record His will and testament. In
one account 'Umar—who was to
become Islam's third Caliph—
refused Muhammad's request.
See The Life of Mahomet by Emile Dermenghem, translated by
Arabella Yorke, New York: The Dial Press, MCMXXX
Muhammad bequeaths to
Muslims His family and the
Qur’an
"Verily, I leave amongst you My
twin weighty testimonies: The
Book of God and My Family.“
–Kitab-i-Iqan, 201
SHORTLY before His death Muhammad found that He was
too ill to lead the now traditional Friday congregational prayer
in the mosque. A widely respected tradition states that
Muhammad deputized Abu-Bakr to lead the prayers on His
behalf. If true, this did much to strengthen Abu-Bakr's claim
to be Muhammad's successor. Another incident … has AbuBakr making the public announcement of Muhammad's
death, saying: 'Whoever worshipped the person of
Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad hath
died; and whoever worshipped God, let him know
that God doth not die.'
Muhammad and The Course of Islam, p. 165.
Mourning for
the Passing of
Muhammad
The word 'Caliph' is the
English form of the Arabic
word 'Khalifa,' which is short
for Khalifatu Rasulil-lah. The
latter expression means
Successor to the Messenger
of God
CALIPHS (SUCCESSORS)
FIRST FOUR CALLED
‘RIGHTLY GUIDED’ CALIPHS
THESE FOUR
WERE ELECTED
— AS ARE ALL
THE CALIPHS OF
SUNNI ISLAM
1
ABU BAKR
632-634 CE
2
‘UMAR
634-644 CE
3
‘UTHMAN
644-656 CE
4
‘ALI
656-661 CE
Sunnites regard the first Caliphs as
legitimate successors of
Muhammad and accept the 'six
authentic' books of tradition. They
believe the Caliph must be elected
and must be a member of the
Quraysh—the Prophet's tribe.
Shi’ites – on the other hand –
believe that the successor must be a
descendant of Muhammad through
Fatima and ‘Ali and be designated
an Imam by the Imam that
immediately preceeded him
The infallibility assigned to
the 12 Shite Imams closely
parallels that proclaimed by
Pope Pius IX in 1870
Shi’ites —‘partisans of ‘Ali —
maintain that ‘Ali should have
been appointed Caliph after
Muhammad. They do not
recognize any of the Caliphs
except for ‘Ali, the 4th Caliph.
Thirteen hundred years had to elapse from
the death of the Prophet Muhammad ere the
illegitimacy of the institution of the Caliphate,
the founders of which had usurped the
authority of the lawful successors of the
Apostle of God, would be fully and publicly
demonstrated.
-Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha’u’llah,
178
Shi’ites followed a series of
Imams who appointed
successors. There were 12 of
these altogether.
Shi’ahs & Bahá’ís Believe in the 12 Imams
1
‘Ali
7
MUSA KAZIM
2
HASSAN
8
IMAM RIDA
3
HUSAYN
9
MUHAMMAD TAQI
4
‘Ali
10
‘ALI-NAQI
5
ABU-BAKR
11
HASAN-I-ASKARI
6
JA’FAR-I-SADIQ
12
MUHAMMAD
12 Imams
To the five pillars Shi’ahs add the belief in
the 12 Imams.
THE TWELVE IMAMS OF SHIAH ISLAM
656 CE
MUHAMMAD
KHADIJIH
874 CE
228
THE first 11
Imams were
murdered.
The 12th
Imam
disappeared in AH 260
/ 874 CE.
FATIMIH
HASSAN
2
‘Ali
1
HUSAYN
3
‘Ali
4
ABU BAKR
5
JA’FAR-I-SADIQ
6
DIED
661 CE
THE TWELVE IMAMS OF SHIAH ISLAM
MUSA KAZIM
7
IMAM RIDA
8
MUHAMMAD-TAQI
9
656 CE
874 CE
228
AH 260
874 CE
ALI-NAQI
10
HASAN-I-ASKARI
11
MUHAMMAD
12
SHIAH ‘TWELVERS’ – THE MAJORITY OF SHIAHS – BELIEVE THE
12TH IMAM LIVES & WILL REAPPEAR
THE MARTYRDOM OF HUSAYN
Yazid I – the second Umayyad Caliph -- attacked Husayn
at Karbila, Iraq at midday on Friday, the tenth of
Muharram. The tragic circumstances of Husayn's
martyrdom have become the most passionately
commemorated event in all of Shi'ah Islam.
The line of Imams lasted only 228 years, (656
AD-874 AD. The 12th Imam, Abu'l-Qasim
Muhammad ibn Hasan, disappeared in AH
260/874 AD. Shi'ah Muslims believe he didn't
die but went into 'Occultation', a mystical state
in which he continued to guide the faithful until
his promised 'return'. Another description of
this state is that of the 'Hidden Imam.'
THESE Imams, or descendants
of the Prophet, came in time to
be regarded by Shiah Islam as
saints and martyrs. Although
Shiah Islam began among the
Arabs, it reached its greatest
influence in Persia.
TODAY the Islamic Republic of
Iran is the only government in
which Shiah Islam is the state
religion.
The first two Sunni dynasties,
the Umayyads and the
Abbasids, saw the Imams as a
challenge to their own
legitimacy.
UMAYYAD CALIPHATE
661-744
SPAIN
DAMASCUS
CALIPHATE MOVED FROM DAMASCUS TO
SPAIN IN 724
UMAYYAD CALIPHS
661 - 750
MIUAWIYA
661-680
YAZID I*
680-683
MUAWIYA II
MARWAN I
684-685
ABD AL-MALIK
685-705
AL-WALID I
705-715
SULAIMAN
715-717
UMAR II
717-720
YAZID II
720-724
HISHAM
724-743
AL-WALID II
* HAD THE IMAM HUSAYN
KILLED
683-684
743-744
YAZID III
744
MARWAN II
744-750
DOME OF THE ROCK
COMPLETED BY CALIPH
ABD AL-MALIK 685-705
IN 691 CE
EARLIEST MUSLIM SITES
IN THE HOLY LAND
UMAYYAD PALACES
ABBASID PERIOD
WOODEN DOORS
ABBASID CALIPHS
AS-SAFFAH
AL-MANSUR
749-756
754-775
AL-MAHDI
775-785
AL-MADI
785-786
HARUN AR-RASHID
749 - 1258
MONGOLS SACKED
BAGHDAD IN 1258 AND
THE ABBASIDS
ESCAPED TO EGYPT
786-809
AL-AMIN
809-813
AL-MAMUN
813-833
AL-MUTASIM 833-842
AL-WATHUQ
842-847
AL-MUTTAWWAKKIL
847-861
BAGHDAD
The Abbasids in Cairo
(1261-1517) under the
Mameluke Sultans
UMAYYAD SPAIN
929-1301
TWO RIVAL
CALIPHATES
FATIMID (Shiites)
909-1172 Overthrown
by Saladin
CALIPHATE FORMALLY
ABOLISHED BY THE
TURKISH NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY IN MARCH, 1924
OTTOMAN
TURKS
1300-1922
THE SUNNI EXPECT TWO FIGURES
I- THE MAHDI “the divinely Guided One” – a
savior to the Sunni – He is to be a descendant
of Muhammad and will establish peace and
justice in the world.
II- HADHRAT ISA “Jesus Christ” is also to
appear shortly after the Mahdi
These two Figures are to appear before the promised
“Day of Judgement”
(Not all Sunnis believe in the Mahdi.)
THE SHI’AH EXPECT TWO FIGURES
I- THE TWELFTH IMAM
He is also called the Qa'im (caw'em). He is the ‘Hidden Imam’ who
went into Occultation in AH 260.
II- THE THIRD IMAM
Third Imam (eh-mom), the Imam Husayn
(ho-sane).
An international Muslim congress held in Cairo
in 1926 to choose an acceptable successor to the
caliphate proved abortive, resulting only in an
appeal to the Muslims of the world to work
together to reestablish a caliphate. Ever since
World War II, however, the preoccupation of
Muslim nations has been with national
independence and economic problems. Recently
the restoration of the caliphate is again under
discussion.
This program was
researched, designed and
produced by
Dr. Duane K. Troxel of
www.digital-transformations.com
www.DuanesWorldTravel.com
THE ENDS THE
SHI’AH – SUNNI
SPLIT PROGRAM
This program was created by Dr. Duane K. Troxel