Download Session 3 – Division in Islam

Session 3 - Division in Islam
In this session we will be looking at the
different divisions within Islam that have
come about since the death of
Muhammad
We will see why the divisions took place,
what the difference in beliefs are, and what
the agreements in beliefs are
Two three primary divisions within Islam
Sunnis
Shiite
Sufi
The difference between these different sects
of Islam is great in many cases
It is like the doctrinal differences between
Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox,
Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses (all of which
people call Christian)
After Muhammad died, Islam continued to
grow very quickly in that region of the world
This caused the need for laws to be made
that address many different situations, and
the Qur’an and Hadith was not detailed
enough to answer all these questions
In the 8th century A.D., there arose a school
of legal experts who interpreted and
applied Islamic principles to different
situations throughout the Empire.
However, different scholars disagreed with
these experts in various areas. This led
to a variety of legal schools of
thought within Islam.
This caused many of the divisions that we
have today within the religion of Islam
While we named the three big groups, there are
actually many others: Hanifa, after Abu Hanifa;
Maliki, after Malik ibn Anas; Shafi'i, after
Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i; Zaydi, after Zayd
ibn Ali; the Nusayri, Ismaili, Murji'ah, etc.
The most notable split (Sunni vs. Shiite) came
about over a dispute of who would be the
successor of Muhammad
The majority, who would go on to
become known as the Sunnis, backed Abu
Bakr, a friend of the Prophet and father
of his wife Aisha.
Other did not agree with Abu Bakr taking
over after Muhammad
They claimed the Prophet had anointed Ali,
his cousin and son-in-law—they became
known as the Shia, a contraction of "shiaat
Ali", the partisans of Ali.
In the end, Abu Bakr’s group (Sunnis) won
the battle for successor, although Ali
(Muhammad's son in law) did rule for a
short time period as the fourth Caliph
Two of the earliest caliphs were murdered.
War erupted when Ali became caliph, and he
too was killed in fighting in the year 661 near
the town of Kufa, now in present-day Iraq.
The war continued with Ali's son, Hussein
stood up to the sunni caliph's very large
army on the battlefield. He and 72 members
of his family and companions fought against
a very large Arab army of the caliph. They
were all massacred in that battle.
Hussein was decapitated and his head carried
in tribute to the Sunni caliph in Damascus. His
body was left on the battlefield at Karbala.
Later it was buried there.
It is the symbolism of Hussein's death that is
important to the Shiites.
They see it as an innocent figure being slain
by a far greater, unjust force. Hussein
becomes the figure that inspires the Shiites
The Sunnis continued to monopolize political
power of the Islamic state, and the Shiites
lived in the shadows looking to their Imams
(twelve in number) who are the direct
descendants of Ali, for wisdom and advice
In the Shiite worldview, Ali is the first Imam,
Hussein is the third Imam, and there are nine
more after them
The idea of these Imams is one big
difference between the groups (Sunni/Shiite)
The Imams have authority in Shiite Islam
that no one has in Sunni Islam
Sunnis claim Shiites associate divine qualities
to these Imams, which makes it heresy
The Twelfth Imam
According to the Shiites, in the 10th Century
the 12th Imam went into occultation and
became known as the hidden Imam
Shiites believe that Allah took him into
hiding and he will return at the end times
The twelfth Imam is also known as the
Mahdi or the Messiah
Shiites who believe in the Hidden Imam are
known as Twelver Shiites. They are the
majority of the Shiites in the world.
Over the next centuries,
Islam clashed with the
European Crusaders, with
the Mongol conquerors
from Central Asia, and was
spread farther by the
Ottoman Turks.
Around the year 1500, the Safavid dynasty
gain control of Persia (modern day Iran). They
support the Shiite groups which gradually
became the glue that held Persia together
This caused Persia to become distinct from
the Ottoman Empire to its west, which was
Sunni, and the Mughal Muslims to the east
in India, also Sunni.
Shiites went a long time without
having much political power
Information about the Sunnis:
80% of the Muslim population belong
to this sect of Islam
Sunnis emphasizes the authority of the
written traditions, including the Koran & the
Hadith. The Sunna fills in areas where the
Koran is silent.
Guidance comes from the elders and the
religious scholars (Ulama)
Information about the Shiites:
Authority oriented (not consensus oriented)
they believe that God spoke through the
Imam, equivalent to the Catholic Pope
In the 9th Century, the 12th Imam occultated
(Became hidden) Authority then went to
the Ulama (Different from Sunnis group),
who are considered to collectively be the
general representatives of the hidden Imam
Which Muslims are where?
The Shiites are concentrated in Iran,
southern Iraq and southern Lebanon. But
there are significant Shiite communities in
Saudi Arabia and Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan
and India as well.
Islam is the
Dominating religion
in 50 countries, 35
countries of
populations over
87% Muslim.
Sufism is a mystical third wing of Islam
The Sufi are a mystical tradition where the
followers seek inner mystical knowledge of
God. This sect "officially" developed around
the 10th century and has since fragmented
into different orders
the Sufi believe their roots can be traced
back to the inception of Islam in the early
7th century.
The Sufi mystic must follow a path of
deprivation and meditation. There are
various forms of abstinence and
poverty. Worldly things are renounced, and a
complete trust in God's will is taught.
The goal is to attain to a higher knowledge
and experience of Allah
The Sufi interpret the Qur’an very differently,
saying there is mystical meaning behind the
things said in it
They often times have a very pantheistic
worldview, the idea that all is God and God is
all (the creation)
Other sects of Islam (Sunni/Shiite) outright
reject Sufi beliefs for many reasons
In part, Sufism arose as a reaction to the
growing Islamic materialism that had
developed in the Empire. Islam had achieved
great power, and with it, the material
gain was great.
So there is great division within Islam
The Qur’an says this shouldn’t happen:
"The same religion has He established for you
as that which He enjoined on Noah--the [sic]
which we have sent by inspiration to thee--and
that which we enjoined on Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus: namely, that ye should remain
steadfast in religion and make no divisions
therein: to those who worship other things
than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou
callest them." (Surah 42:13)
What do Sunni and Shiite Muslims
(and most others) have in common?
They hold to the five pillars
1. Affirmation (Shahada): "There is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." This is
recited constantly by devout Muslims.
2. Prayer (As-Salah): Muslims are required
to pray five times a day, kneeling and
facing Mecca.
3. Almsgiving (Zakah): A worthy Muslim must
give 2.5 percent of his income to the poor.
4. The Fast (Siyam): Faithful Muslims fast from
dawn to dusk every day during the ninth month
of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan.
5. The Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj): Muslims are
expected to journey to Mecca at least once in
their lifetime.
They agree on core beliefs
The Prophets
Angels
God
The Holy Books
The Day of Judgment
The Decree of God
While they do share many core beliefs, they
also have things (some we’ve already seen)
that they disagree about
As seen before they have a different opinion
on who should be leading the Islamic religion
Different collection of Hadith (Important)
Shiites and Sunnis share the Quran but have
different collections of the hadith. Shiites
believe that the imams are the source for
the hadith. Sunnis believe the hadith come
from the Prophet's companions.
The two groups have different ways to settle
matters not addressed in the Qur’an or
the Hadith literature
The Sunnis weigh community consensus; the
Shiites rely on the infallibility of the imams.
The radical nature of the groups vary
Shiites represent most radical Islamic groups
(Iran & Iraq are examples of this). And while
this isn’t true of all Sunnis, they do tend to
be the more peaceful group worldwide
Are Muslims supposed to be aggressive
and kill the infidels?
Many want to know what the Qur’an
actually says about this topic, so we will
look at it briefly
The Qur'an does tells Muslims to kill and
go to war to fight for Islam: Quran,
chapters (Surahs) 9:5; 2:191; 2:193;
3:118; 4:75,76; 5:33, 8:12; 8:65; 9:73,
123; 33:60-62.
Here are a few examples:
Fight for Allah: "And kill them wherever you
find them, and drive them out from whence
they drove you out, and persecution is
severer than slaughter, and do not fight
with them at the Sacred Mosque until they
fight with you in it, but if they do fight you,
then slay them; such is the recompense of
the unbelievers, (Quran 2:191).
Muslims are to battle for Allah: "Those who
believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and
those who disbelieve do battle for the cause
of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo!
the devil's strategy is ever weak," (4:76).
Allah urges war: "O you who believe! fight
those of the unbelievers who are near to you
and let them find in you hardness; and know
that Allah is with those who guard (against
evil)," (Quran 9:123).
Kill those against Islam: "The only reward of
those who make war upon Allah and His
messenger and strive after corruption in the
land will be that they will be killed or
crucified, or have their hands and feet on
alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out
of the land. Such will be their degradation in
the world, and in the Hereafter,"
(Quran 5:33).
Beheading: "When thy Lord inspired the
angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those
who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into
the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then
smite the necks and smite of them each
finger. 13That is because they opposed Allah
and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah
and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is
severe in punishment," (Quran 8:12).
There are many other examples
Some Muslims take this to be a physical and
spiritual war, some take it to be only spiritual
(and tend to be more peaceful)
Why are some willing to die (suicide bombing)
for the Islamic faith?
Remember, in Islam you have no guarantee
if you will go to heaven or not, your good
and bad deeds will be compared on the day
of judgment, and whichever one weighs
more determines where you go
Look what the Qur’an says:
Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will
be (found) heavy, Will be in a life of good
pleasure and satisfaction. 8 But he whose
balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light,
Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit.
(Surah 101:6-9)
According to the Qur’an and the Hadith, the
only way you have assurance of going to
heaven is dying in Jihad (Holy war)
"Let those fight in the
cause of Allah Who sell
the life of this world for
the hereafter. To him
who fighteth in the
cause of Allah,-whether he is slain or
gets victory--Soon shall
We give him a reward
of great (value)." (4:74,
Yusifali).
"Allah's Apostle said, "Allah guarantees (to
the person who carries out Jihad in His
Cause and nothing compelled him to go out
but Jihad in His Cause and the belief in His
Word) that He will either admit him into
Paradise (Martyrdom) or return him with
reward or booty he has earned to his
residence from where he went out,"
(Hadith Vol. 9, Book 93, # 555).
It makes sense if they believe it’s the only
way to have eternal security
Memory Verse
Psalm 86:15: ”But you, O Lord, are a
God merciful and gracious, slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness.”