Transcript Branches of Islam

Branches of Islam
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Muhammad died without a
hereditary male successor
– His sons died in infancy
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Muhammad apparently never
appointed anyone to succeed him
The result was confusion and an
unclear line of succession
– This created a division in Islam
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Muhammad had asked Abu Bakr to
be the principal leader of prayer
– He was his friend and the father of
his youngest wife
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Abu Bakr was recognized as
Muhammad’s first successor
Caliph means successor
After the death of the fourth Caliph,
Islam was taken over by its
opponents
– This period marks the division of
Islam- which broke into two factions:
1) Shiite and 2) Sunni
Shiites
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The division began as a political
argument over who should
succeed Muhammad
10-15% of Islam is Shiite
From shia meaning faction
– The faction/party of Ali, the
son-in-law and cousin of
Muhammad
– Some early Muslims held that
Muhammad had assigned Ali
to be his first successor
Hereditary succession
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Shiite Islam believes that the legitimate succession
was hereditary, descending from the immediate
family of Muhammad
– A God-given hereditary spiritual power called
the Light of Muhammad
– It is thought to have passed to a total of 12
successors, or Imams
• The imam is believed to have special spiritual
insight, and is revered as the true earthly
authority
– Ali was the first Imam and the line ended with
the disappearance of the last Imam
• According to traditions, the last Imam
(Muhammad al-Mahdi) did not die but
entered a hidden realm from which he
works by guiding Shiite scholars and
leaders
• Shiites believe that he will emerge from
this state in the future to help restore
Shiite Islam
• His reappearance in the world will bring on
the Day of Judgment
• For Shiites, their religious leaders possess great
authority because are guided by the last Imam
Sunnis
• From sunna meaning tradition
and example
• It refers to the entire body of
traditional teachings that are
based on the life and teachings
of Muhammad
– Sunnis follow the established
custom, or sunna, meaning the
Sunna of the prophet
• Sunni Islam developed in
response to the claims of Shiite
Islam
• 85-90% of Islam is Sunni
Jihad
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Literally means struggle
Referred as the sixth pillar of Islam
On the personal level (greater jihad),
jihad refers to the individual’s spiritual
struggle against anything that detracts
from venerating Allah and from acting in
accordance with the divine will
On the social level (lesser jihad), jihad
refers to the preservation of the order
that Allah has willed for the world
Jihad is also used in a more
controversial way
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It refers to armed struggle
It is sometimes thought of as meaning
“holy war”
The Koran supports armed struggle for
the sake of Islam only if it is carried out
in self-defense
Become martyrs and go strait to heaven
JIHAD