Transcript File - World Religions

Islam Continued
Mythic and Historical
Islam was founded by Muhammad (c. 570-632).
– Member of the majority Grew up in
– A respected businessman in Mecca Arabia received revelations from God
– Preserved in the Qur'an and Sunnah
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The heart of this revealed message is the affirmation that "there is no god but Allah
(The God), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
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The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,”
Fundamental idea of Islam: the believer accepts surrender to the will of Allah
Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world.
The will of Allah,is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Qurʾān Allah
revealed to Muhammad.
In Islam Muhammad is considered the last of a series of prophets (including Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and Jesus),
Muhammad’s message simultaneously consummates and completes the “revelations”
attributed to earlier prophets.
Islam acquired its characteristic ethos as a religion uniting spiritual and
temporal aspects of life
The faith sought to regulate the individual’s relationship to God but human
relationships in a social setting
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Mythic and Historical
• In Islam Muhammad is considered the last
of a series of prophets (including Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and
Jesus),
• Muhammad’s message simultaneously
consummates and completes the
“revelations” attributed to earlier prophets.
• Islam acquired its characteristic ethos as a
religion uniting spiritual and temporal
aspects of life
• The faith sought to regulate the
individual’s relationship to God but human
relationships in a social setting
• Consequently, there are Islamic religious
institutions but also Islamic law, state, and
other institutions governing society.
• Not until the 20th century were the
religious and the secular separated by
some Muslim thinkers See map
Circa 2015
Mythic and Historical Notable
Muhammad the Prophet Leaders Early
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• Four Rightly Guided Caliphs
– Abu Bakr
– Uthman ibn Affan
– Umar ibn al-Khattab
– Ali ibn Abi Talib
• The assisination of
Uthman led to a civil war
within the early Islamic
state
– Resulted in the overthrowing of the
Rashidun caliphs
– The establishment of the Umayyad
dynasty.
– Creation of Sunni and Shi'ite sects in
Islam
Mythic and Historical
• 570 C.E. Muhammad is born in Mecca.
– Comes from Quraysh the ruling tribe of Mecca. There were 10 main clans
in the family
– Early leaders in Islam came from these clans:
• Hāshim, the clan of the Prophet himself link to Ishmael son of Abraham;
• Zuhra, that of his mother; and
• Taim and ʿAdī, the clans of the first and second caliphs, Abū Bakr and
ʿUmar I, respectively;
• Umayya, the clan of the third caliph, ʿUthmān, and his relatives, the
dynasty of the Umayyad caliphs.
• 582 CE: Muhammad's journey to Syria with his uncle Abu Talib. Meets with
Bahira, a Christian monk. Bahira has him discover the "mark of prophets," a
mark believed to be carried by all of the prophets of the Abrahimic faiths.
• 610 C.E. According to Muslim belief, at the age of 40, Muhammad is visited by
the angel Gabriel while on retreat in a cave near Mecca.
• The angel recites to him the first revelations of the Quran and informs
him that he is God's prophet.
Mythic and Historical
– 622 C.E. After enduring persecution in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers
migrate to Medina,
– The "emigration," marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar in Medina,
– Muhammad establishes an Islamic state based on the laws revealed in the
Quran and the inspired guidance coming to him from God.
– 630 C.E. Muhammad returns to Mecca with a large number of his followers.
– He converts city and establishes a city state for Islam
– He clears the idols and images out of the Kaaba and rededicates it to the
worship of God alone.
• 633 C.E. Muhammad dies
– The Muslim community elects, Abu Bakr, as caliph, or successor.
• 634 C.E. Death of Abu Bakr Umar ibn al-Khattab assumes power as the second
caliph.
• 638 C.E. Muslims enter the area north of Arabia, known as "Sham," including
Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. Conquest of other lands through battles.
• 641 C.E. Muslims enter Egypt and rout the Byzantine army.
• 655 C.E. Islam begins to spread throughout North Africa.
Mythic and Historical
• 656 C.E. Uthman is killed. Ali ibn Abi Talib becomes the fourth caliph
• 661 C.E. Imam Ali is killed, bringing to an end the rule of the four "righteous
caliphs": Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. This also marks the beginning of the
Umayyad rule.
• 670-710 C.E. Islam spreads via conquest and some sectarian disputes.
• 711 C.E. Muslims enter Spain in the west and India in the east. Eventually
almost the entire Iberian Peninsula is under Islamic control.
• 732 C.E. Muslims are defeated at Potiers in France by Charles Martel.
• 750 C.E. The Abbasids take over rule from the Umayyads, shifting the seat of
power to Baghdad. The Golden Age of Islam begins ending with the sack of
Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258.
• 991-1031 C.E. Caliph al-Qadir codified Sunni doctrine.
• 1000 C.E. Islam continues to spread through the continent of Africa, including
Nigeria, which served as a trading liaison between the northern and central
regions of Africa.
• 1099 C.E. European Crusaders take Jerusalem from the Muslims. Eventually
Muslims defeat the Crusaders and regain control of the holy land.
Mythic and Historical
• 1120 C.E. Islam continues to spread throughout Asia. Malaysian traders
interact with Muslims who teach them about Islam.
• 1148 C.E. End of the Zirid rule' in North Africa. Siege of Damascus
repulsed, thus effectively winning the Second Crusade
• 1187 C.E. Saladin recaptures Jerusalem from the Christians, third
crusade
• 1245 C.E. The Muslims reconquer Jerusalem
• 1258 C.E. The Mongols sack Baghdad. The Mongols under Hulagu
Khan establish their rule in Iran and Iraq
• 1299 C.E. to Twentieth Century Islam spreads to other continents and
countries. See maps
• 1299 C.E. The earliest Ottoman state is formed in Anatolia, Turkey.
• 1327 C.E. The Ottoman Turks capture the city of Nicaea.
• 1365 C.E. In the Ottoman Empire, The Turks defeat a Christian army at
the battle of Maritza (Sirp Sindigi). The Byzantine ruler becomes a
vassal of the Turks.
Mythic and Historical
• 1371 C.E. In the Ottoman Empire, Invasion of Bulgaria, Bulgarian
territory up to the Balkans annexed by the Turks.
• 1448 C.E. The Ottomans are victorious at the Second Battle of Kossova.
Serbia is annexed and Bosnia is made a vassal
• 1453 C.E. Ottomans conquer the Byzantine seat of Constantinople and
change its name to Istanbul.
• 1475 C.E. The Khanate of Crimea is conquered and made a vassal
state. Venice is defeated and the Ottoman Empire becomes master of
the Aegean Sea.
• 1492 C.E. Granada is captured by Spain, ending 800 years of Muslim
rule in Spain.
• 1501 C.E. Ismail I establishes the Safavid dynasty, and the TwelveImam Shi'ism becomes the state religion in Persia (modern Iran).
• 1507 C.E. The Kingdom of Portugal under Alfonso d'Albuquerque
establishes trading outposts in the Persian Gulf
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1516 C.E. Selim I defeats the Mamluks at the Battle of Merc-i Dabik and kills Sultan
Kansu Gavri; Syria is conquered by the Ottomans.
1517 C.E. The Ottoman army crosses the Sinai desert, defeats the new Mamluk
Sultan Tomanbai at the Battle of Ridaniye and Battle of Cairo and conquers Egypt.
The Sharif of Mecca presented keys to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to
Selim I and is declared their hereditary ruler. Al-Mutawakkil, the last Abbasid caliph,
formally surrenders the title of caliph to Selim I.
1520 C.E. Selim I dies and the reign of Suleiman I, the Magnificent begins.
1521 C.E. Suleiman I conquers Belgrade.
1522 C.E. Suleiman I defeats the Knights Hospitaller and drives them from the
island of Rhodes.
1526 C.E Suleiman I defeats the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohács, where
Louis II of Hungary dies. Buda and Pest are taken by the Ottomans and Hungary is
declared a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire.
1534 C.E. Suleiman I conducts a military campaign against Safavid Shah Tahsmab
and conquers Van, Baghdad, and Tabriz.
1538 C.E. The Ottoman navy under the command of Barbarossa Khayreddin wins
a naval victory against a combined Christian fleet at the Battle of Preveza.
1550 C.E. The architect Mimar Sinan builds the Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul.
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1565 C.E. The Ottomans are defeated by the Knights Hospitaller during the Siege of
Malta.
1566 C.E. The Ottomans gain control of the Aegean islands and Suleiman I dies and is
succeeded by Selim II.
1571 C. E. The Ottomans are defeated at the naval Battle of Lepanto, and their
dominance in the Mediterranean is brought to a close.
1683 C.E. The Ottomans put Vienna under siege and are defeated in the Battle of
Vienna, marking the end of the Turkish advance into Europe.
1711 C.E. War between Ottoman Empire and Russia (Russo-Turkish War, 1710-1711).
Russia defeated at the Battle of Pruth and Treaty of Pruth signed.
1715 C. E. In Ottoman Empire the peninsula of Morea and other Adriatic fortresses that
had been ceded to Venetian Republic are reconquered.
1716 C.E. Defeat of Ottoman Empire armies by the Austrians under Prince Eugene of
Savoy at Battle of Peterwardein and loss of strategic fortress of Temesvar.
1718 C.E. In the war against Austria, Ottoman Empire suffers continuing defeat and loss
of fortress of Belgrade. By the Treaty of Passarowitz, Ottomans lost Hungary.
1744 C.E. Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the al-Saud dynasty, joined forces with the
religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi movement in
Nejd.
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1768 C.E. Start of the war between Ottoman Empire-Russia (Russo–Turkish War,
1768–1774) and defeats of Ottoman land armies at various battles.
1770 C.E. : Burning of the Ottoman fleet at Naval Battle of Chesma by a Russian
fleet that has come from Baltic Sea.
1771 C.E. : Conquest of the Crimean Peninsula by Russian forces and the end of
Ottoman dominance over Khanate of Crimea.
1774 C.E. : Defeat of the Ottoman armies by Russians. Signing of the Treaty of
Kuçuk Kainarji to end the Ottoman-Russian war (Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)).
Khanate of Crimea nominally gained independence but in fact became a
dependency of Russia.
1779 C.E. : Signing of Aynalikavak Accord between Ottoman Empire and Russia.
1783 C.E. : End of Kalhora rule in Sind. Russia occupies and annexes the Crimean
Peninsula and ends the rule of Khanate of Crimea.
1787 C.E. : In Ottoman Empire start of war against Austria and Russia (Russo–
Turkish War (1787–1792)).
1791 C.E. : Signing of the Treaty of Sistova that ends the war between Austria and
Ottoman Empire.
1792 C.E. : War between Ottoman Empire and Russia (Russo–Turkish War (1787–
1792)) ends with signing of the Treaty of Jassy.
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1798 C.E. Landing of the armies of French Republic under the command of Napoleon
Bonaparte in Ottoman Province of Egypt. Defeat of the Ottoman provincial army of
Mamluks at Battle of Pyramids. Defeat and burning of French Fleet at naval Battle of
Aboukir by the British fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson. Alliance of Ottoman Empire –
Great Britain – Russia against France.
1799 C.E. Defeat of the French expeditionary force from Egypt under Napoleon
Bonaparte at Siege of Acre by the Ottoman defenders and retreat of the French back to
Egypt. Ranjit Singh declared himself Maharajah of Punjab defeating Afghans. Khoqand
declared independent Islamic State. Death of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Kingdom of
Mysore in India.
Circa 1800 C.E. Approximately 30 percent of Africans forced into slavery in the United
States are Muslim.
1827 C.E. Malaya became a preserve of the British according to Anglo-Netherland treaty
in 1824.
1828 C.E. Russia declared war against Ottoman Empire.
1829 C.E. Treaty of Adrianople ends the war Russo Turkish war 1828
1830 C.E. French forces landed near Algiers and occupied Algeria ending 313 years rule
of Turks.
1832 C.E. Turks defeated in the battle of Konya by Egyptian forces.
Mythic and Historical
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1853 C.E. After a series of intrigues ostensibly designed to enable it to act as protector of Orthodox
Christians in Ottoman territories failed, Russia occupied the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and
Wallachia in March. The Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia in October beginning the Crimean
War. Great Britain and France would declare war on Russia the following March.
1856 C.E. Hatt-ı Hümâyûnu (the Reform Edict of 1856)
– Constitutes the most important Ottoman reform measure of the nineteenth century.
– Guaranteed the lives and property of Christians, replaced the heads of churches with a national
synod, provided full freedom of conscience and civil participation for adherents to all religions.
– The edict was forced on the sultan by the British, French and Austrians to forestall a Russian
intervention.
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1856 C.E. Treaty of Paris (March 30) ends Crimean War, and admits Turkey into the European
concert, whereby its independence and imperial integrity was guaranteed. Russia ceded the mouths
of the Danube and Bessarabia, returned Kurs, relinquished its claim as protector of Christians in the
Ottoman Empire and agreed to the neutralization of the Black Sea.
1857 C.E. British captured Delhi and eliminated Mughal rule in India after 332 years. Last Mughal
Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon in Burma. This was also the end of 1000
years of Muslim rule over India.
1858 C.E. Feudal holdings abolished in the Ottoman Empire.
Mythic and Historical
• 1860 C.E. Masjid-e-Abu Hurairah, established in Cardiff, ist the first mosque in Britain.
• 1860 C.E. Civil War between Syrian Druzes and Marionite Christians erupted.
Authorized by the European Powers, France sent expeditionary force which restored
order by June 1861.
• 1861 C.E. Sultan Abdülaziz whose reign (1861-1876) is notable for the rapid spread of
western influence (particularly Great Britain and France, allies of the Ottoman Empire
during the Crimean War), as evidenced by the first foreign loans, railroad construction,
and public debt administration, and the rise of secular liberalism, shown by literary
revival, translation of Western literature, rise of Turkish journalism and establishment of
universities.
• 1863 C.E. Banque Impériale Ottoamane established to function as Turkey's central
bank.
• 1873 C.E. Emirate of Bukhara and Khanate of Khiva made protectorates by Russia.
Mythic and Historical
• 1876 C.E. Britain purchased shares of Khediv Ismail in the Suez canal and got involved
in Egyptian affairs.
• 1876 C. E. Constitutional monarchy in Ottoman Empire (Turkey)(first phase)
• 1878 C.E. Conference of Berlin. Ottoman Empire loses territories to Russia or Balkan
countries
• 1878 C.E. Ottoman Empire handed over Cyprus to Britain.
• 1879 C.E. Treaty of Berlin. Ottoman lost 4/5 th of its territory in Europe.
• 1882 C.E. Egypt came under British military occupation.
• 1895 C.E. Afghanistan got Wakhan Corridor by an understanding with Russia and
British India making Afghan border touch China.
• 1908 C.E. Constitutional monarchy in Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
• 1911 C.E. War of Tripolli between Ottoman Empire and Italy. Treaty of Ouchy (1912).
Mythic and Historical
• 1912 C.E. Balkan wars. The coalition of four Balkan countries defeat Ottoman Empire
(Turkey).
• 1912 C.E. Treaty of Fez makes Morocco a French and Spanish protectorate, triggering
the Fez riots.
• 1913 C.E. Putsch by the Committee of Union and Progress ("CUP") faction of the Young
Turks, known as the Raid on the Sublime Porte, results in resignation of Grand Vizier. In
control of the government, CUP withdraws from the London Peace Conference and
moves the empire close to Germany in the approach to war.
• 1914 C.E. Under Ottoman rule, secret Arab nationalist societies are formed. World War I
begins. The Ottoman Empire enters the war allied with Germany.
• 1916 C.E. By the Sykes–Picot Agreement Britain and France plan post-war division of
their post-war spheres of influence following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1917 C.E. Britain issues the Balfour Declaration pledging British support for the creation
of a Jewish national homeland.
Mythic and Historical
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1870-1924 C.E. Muslim immigrants from the Arab world voluntarily come to the United States until
the Asian Exclusion Act is passed in 1924.
• 1922 C.E. Armistice of Mudanya. Turkish nationalists under the
leadership of Mustafa Kemal seize control of Turkey and
abolish the Ottoman Sultanate, prompting Sultan Mehmed VI to
flee Turkey; the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire officially ceases
to exist.
• 1926 C.E. Abd al-Aziz Ibn Saud assumes title of King of Najd
and Hejaz.
• 1926 C.E. Lebanon proclaimed a parliamentary republic under
French protectorate.
• 1928 C.E. Turkey is declared a secular state.
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1930 C.E. The Nation of Islam is created in the U.S. by W. D. Fard. It is based on some Islamic
ideas, but contains innovations, such as the appointment or declaration of Elijah Muhammad as a
prophet.
1939 C.E. Start of World War II.
1945 C.E. End of World War II. Indonesia declares independence from the Netherlands. New leader
Sukarno decides not to implement sharia law nationwide.
1945 C.E. League of Arab States formed at meeting in Cairo.
Mythic and Historical
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1946 C.E. Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria are granted independence from Britain and
France.
1947 C.E. India gains independence from Britain, and Pakistan is created from the
region's Muslim-majority areas under the Leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Disputes over the status of Kashmir leads to the first Indo-Pakistani War; Kashmir is
divided between India and Pakistan.
1948 C.E. The state of Israel is created. Some Palestinian and Lebanese refugees
flee to the United States, among them, Muslims and Christians.
1948 C.E. Arab countries attack the new state of Israel and suffer defeat in war with
Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are displaced,Quaid-e-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah was killed in Karachi during the War of Kashmir.
1952 C.E. The McCarren-Walter Act relaxes the U.S. ban on Asian immigration.
Muslim students come to the U.S. from many nations.
1965 C.E. Revisions of immigration law further open the doors for Muslim
immigration.
1975 C.E. Wallace D. Muhammad, the son of Elijah Muhammad, takes over
leadership of the Nation of Islam after his father's death and brings most of his
followers into mainstream Islam. He later creates the Muslim American Society,
which attracts many members, most of whom are African-American.
1979 C.E. The Iranian Revolution results in the establishment of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, the first attempt at an Islamic state in the modern era.
Mythic and Historical
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1979 C.E. The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
1980 C.E. Iraq invades Iran, beginning the 8-year Iran–Iraq War.
1980 C.E. In a move not recognized internationally, Israel confirms its capital as the
united Jerusalem.
1981 C.E. The 444-day Iranian hostage crisis comes to an end. Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat is assassinated by militants opposed to his autocratic policies and
recognition of Israel Succeeded by Muhammad Hosni Mubarak.
1983 C.E. Second Sudanese Civil War breaks out after central government
attempts to impose shariah law on non-Muslims. Two million would die in the course
of the 22-year war, which resulted in the grant of automy to the southern part of the
state.
1987 C.E. First Intifada begins as Palestinians engage in widespread civil
disobedience and strikes. The uprising lasts until 1993.
1988 C.E. The Iran–Iraq War comes to an end following much loss of life.
1989 C.E. On June 3 Ayatollas Kohmeini dies and is succeeded by Ali Khamenei as
the Supreme Leader of Iran.
1989 C.E. The Soviet Union withdraws the last of its forces from Afghanistan.
Afghan mujahedeen factions begin fighting each other.
Mythic and Historical
• 1990 C.E. Iraq invades Kuwait.
• 1991 C.E. A coalition of United States-led forces attacks Iraq and
reverses its attempted military annexation of Kuwait. US-backed
economic sanctions are imposed on Iraq. The sanctions are widely
blamed for subsequent dramatic increases in famine, birth defects, and
infant mortality amongst Iraqis.
• 1991 C.E. The Soviet Union collapses. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, all predominantly
Muslim former Soviet republics, become independent. Armenian military
occupies one-sixth of Azerbaijani territory expelling over 800,000 ethnic
Azerbaijanis from the occupied lands and Armenia proper.
• 1992 C.E. The 400-year-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India is destroyed
by Hindu extremists, sparking widespread religious rioting across India.
• 1993 C.E. Oslo I Accord between Israel and PLO signed.
• 1994 C.E. Jordan becomes the second of Israel's Arab neighbors to
recognize Israel.
• 1994 C.E. First war between Russia and Chechen Republic begins.
Mythic and Historical
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1995 C.E. Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by right-wing orthodox Jew
over Oslo Accord.
1996 C.E. Taliban forces seize control of most of Afghanistan and declare the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan.
1998 C.E. Bombing of US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam engineered by AlQaeda.
1999 C.E. Kargil war breaks out between Pakistan and India. Pakistan's Army captured
strategic points in Indian administered Kashmir
2000 C.E. Russia occupies Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, in Second Chechen War
2001 C.E. Over several weeks beginning on March 2, the Taliban began the systematic
shelling and dynamiting of two giant sixth century Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff
in the Banyam valley in central Afghanistan
2001 C.E. On September 11 members of the Al Qaeda Terrorist organization attacked
the United States by hijacking commercial airliners and flying them into the World Trade
Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, killing upwards
of three thousand.
Mythic and Historical
• 2011 C.E. Tunisian Revolution, an intensive campaign of civil disobedience and
protests begun in December 2010, ousts long-time President Zine El Abidine
Ben Ali—the first of a series of upheavals known as Arab Spring.
• 2011 C.E. January 25 Revolution, a series of demonstrations, civil disobedience
and strikes in Egyptian urban areas, part of the Arab Spring movement, resulted
in the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who turned power over to a
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
• 2011 C.E. Crack down in Syria on protests inspired by Arab Spring leads to
Syrian Civil War. The opposition rebels are largely Sunni Muslims while loyalists
are largely Alawites. A refugee crisis ensued with over 2 million Syrian refugees
fleeing to Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
• 2011 C.E. Militant uprising of the professional class, defecting soldiers and
Islamists later backed by French, British and US airpower topple administration
of Muammar Gaddafi (who is captured and executed), the power of which was
assumed by the rebels' organization the National Transitional Council.
• 2011 C.E. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden killed by US Special Forces
inside Pakistan.
• 2014 C.E. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant invades Northern Iraq.
• 2014 C.E. Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram kidnaps 276 female students, 16
to 18 years old in northeast Nigeria
Branches /Sects/Schools
Distribution of Sunnis and
Shias in the Middle East
Continuing
source of
tension
among
Muslim
groups
Branches
/Sects/Schools-Sunni
Sunni Muslims
• Largest denomination of Islam
• Also known as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’lJamā‘h
• Sunni comes from the word sunnah, -means the teachings and actions or
examples of, Muhammad.
• "Sunni" refers to those who follow or
maintain the sunnah of the prophet
Muhammad.
• Sunnis believe that Muhammad did not
specifically appoint a successor to lead
ummah (community) before his death
• First caliph (successor) was elected-Abu Bakr Siddique, Muhammad's
father-in-law.
• Sunnis regard the first four caliphs (Abu Bakr, `Umar ibn al-Khattāb, Uthman Ibn Affan and Ali
ibn Abu Talib) as "al-Khulafā’ur-Rāshidūn" or "The Rightly Guided Caliphs".
• Sunnis believe that the position of caliph may be attained democratically, on gaining majority
votes
• After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, there has never been another caliph as widely
recognized in the Muslim world.
Shia Islam Branches/Sects
Branches /Sects/Schools-Shia
• Shia Islam is the second-largest denomination of Islam,
• Shia Muslims, though a minority in the Muslim world, constitute the majority of the
populations in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iran, and Iraq, as well as a plurality in Lebanon.
• Shia believe
– the authority of the Qur'an and teachings of Muhammad,
– Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt (the "People of the House"), including his
descendants known as Imams, have special spiritual and political rule over the
community
– believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of
these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad, and thus reject the
legitimacy of the first three Rashidun caliphs.
– that during the 10th century, the 12th Shiite Imam went into occultation or hiding
and he the Mahdi or Messiah will come back at the end of time.
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Those who believe in the Hidden Imam are known as Twelver Shiites. They are the
majority of the Shiites in the world today.
Branches /Sects/Schools-Shia
• Shia identity emerged soon after the martyrdom of Hussain son of Ali (the grandson
of the prophet Muhammad)
• Shia theology was formulated in the second century and the first Shia governments
and societies were established by the end of the ninth century.
• By the year 1500, Persia was a seat of Sunni Islamic learning, but all that was about
to change with the arrival of Azeri conquerors.
• Azeris established the Safavid dynasty in Persia — modern-day Iran — and made it
Shiite.
– Turkic dynasty, one of the leftovers of the Mongol invasions that had disrupted
the Middle East for a couple of centuries.
– The Safavid dynasty made it its political project to convert Iran into a Shia
country
• Shiites gradually became the power in Persia
• The Sunnis became the power in the Ottoman Empire to the west of Persian and to
the east, the Mughal Sunni Muslims controlled India
• Theological and societal differences continue to inform the disputes in the Middle
East today
Summary of Other Branches and Beliefs for Islam