Download Subdivisions of Islam

Islam
Key Questions
• How did Islam come to be?
• What are the key ideas of Islam?
• What are the sects of Islam, and what are they
based on?
• Is Islam a religion of terrorism or of peace?
Pre-Islamic World
Pre-Islamic World
• Arabs = Semitic-speaking people of SW Asia
• 106 B.C. – Roman conquest
• Under Roman rule:
– nomadic tribes (Bedouin Arabs)
– tribal gov’t. : leader = sheikh, council of elders = majlis
– economy: shepherding, caravan trade from Persian
Gulf to Mediterranean
– religion: polytheism, w/ Allah as supreme god (Ka’aba
in Mecca)
How did Islam come to be?
• Muhammad (570-632)
• 610 – Angel Gabriel tells Muhammad to preach.
• 622 – hejira – Muhammad and followers forced
out of Mecca (went to Medina). Begin expansion
of Islam.
• 630 – Muhammad and followers conquer Mecca.
• Expansion continues after Muhammad’s death.
What are the key ideas of Islam?
• 5 Pillars
1. belief in 1 God (Allah)
2. prayer (5 times/day)
3. zakat – charity to poor
4. fasting during Ramadan
5. hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
• jihad
SUBDIVISIONS OF ISLAM
Subdivisions of Islam
A Blogger’s Commentary:
Opinions on Divisions
• One hadith (saying of Muhammad) states
“Differences of opinion among my community
are a blessing.” A degree of diversity among
Muslims has therefore been seen as good and
even divinely sanctioned.
• Another tradition predicts that Islam will
subdivide 73 times but also states that there is
only one right path. Some Muslims, declaring
their version of Islam to be the correct one,
condemn other Muslims as apostates (people
who abandon their faith).
The Major Subdivisions
Question of who should be caliph (Muhammad’s successor)?
• Sunnis
– Answer: anyone
– majority (85-93.5%)
• “sunna” = “the acts of the
Prophet Muhammad”
• Shiites
– Answer: only
descendants of Ali,
Muhammad’s cousin &
son-in-law
– minority (6.6-15%)
• “Shia” = “followers
Sunnis and Shiites are very similar.
Examples of a few differences:
• Shiites add to the standard declaration of faith
“There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
the messenger of God,” the phrase, “Ali is the
friend of Allah, the successor of the
messenger of God and the first caliph.”
• Shiites and Sunnis have their own hadiths
(sayings of Muhammad)
• Most Shia reject predestination
Only countries with a Shia majority are:
Iraq (60-65%), Iran (89%), Azerbaijan (80%)
Why is Iran Shiite?
Persia became Shiite with the rise of the Safavids
(founded in 1501)
Some scholars speculate that the Safavids chose Shia
Islam to distinguish themselves from the
neighboring, Arab-dominated Sunni regimes and
because Persia had a history of investing authority in
ancient priestly families that it had inherited from
the Zoroastrian past. In contrast, Arab tribes were
traditionally led by chiefs who regularly consulted
tribal elders, with the result that leadership was
more collegial.
Sufis
• seek union with God – notion of hubb, the
love b/t the “beloved” (Allah) & the “lover”
• seek God through inner experience rather
than through scripture … solitary prayer,
meditation, chanting
• bridge between Sunni and Shiite
• emphasis on humanitarianism – helping
others decreases self-centeredness
• often condemned for not following rituals
Sufis
• Origins: In existence since the time of
Muhammad – even emphasize Muhammad’s
own experience w/ meditation. Formalized
through writings in 11th-12th c.
• Not all Sufis belong to Sufi orders. Many
Sunnis and Shiites practice Sufi-style devotion.
Sufis: “Whirling Dervishes”
Islamism
•
•
•
•
•
•
political Islam
emphasis on enforcement of Sharia
anti-Western
literal interpretation of the Qur’an
support of social programs helps their appeal
aka Islamic fundamentalism
Modern Islamist Subdivisions
•
•
•
•
•
Muslim Brotherhood – Egypt
Hezbollah – Lebanon
al-Qaeda
Jaamati-i-Islam – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
Wahhabis – Saudi Arabia
Wahhabism
• Saudi Arabia’s dominant faith for >2 centuries
• strict Wahhabis believe that those who don't
practice their form of Islam are heathens and
enemies
• Wahhabism's explosive growth began in the
1970s when Saudi charities started funding
Wahhabi schools (madrassas) and mosques
from Islamabad to Culver City, California
Are there any modernizers?
Yes, there have been important individuals, ex.
Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) and
Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938). Modernizers
look to reform Islam; they look to the future,
and argue that Islam should change with the
times. No large organization of modernizers has
formed, in contrast to the proliferation of
Islamist groups.
Sources
Islamic Beliefs, Practices and Cultures (Marshall
Cavendish, 2011), Google Books