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Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunni? Shiite? Confused?
Sunni? Shiite?
Now I know, and you can, too.
Source:Religionfacts.com
Now I know, and you can, too.
| Sunnah | Shia (or Shi'ah) | |
| adherents called | Sunnis | Shiites, Shi'i |
| meaning of name | "well-trodden path" or "tradition" | "party" or "partisans" of Ali |
| current adherents | 940 million | 120 million |
| percentage of total Muslims | 90% | 10% |
| primary locations | most Muslim countries | Iran, Iraq, Yemen |
| subsects | none, but four major schools of Muslim law are recognized | Ithna 'Ashariyah (Twelvers; the largest), Isma'iliyah and Zaydiyah |
| origins | c. 632 CE; theology developed especially in 10th cent. | c. 632-650 CE; killing of Ali's son Husayn in 680 CE is major event |
| did Muhammad designate a successor? | no | yes |
| true successor of the Prophet | Abu Bakr, father of the Prophet's favoured wife, 'A'ishah (elected by people of Medina) | 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, husband of the Prophet's daughter Fatimah (designated by the Prophet) |
| qualifications for ruler of Islam | tribe of the Prophet (Quraysh); later, any qualified ruler | family of the Prophet |
| current leaders | imams | mujtahids |
| identity of imams | human leaders | infallible manifestations of God and perfect interpreters of the Qur'an |
| Al Mahdi | will come in the future | was already on earth, is currently the "hidden imam" who works through mujtahids to intepret Qur'an; and will return at the end of time |
| religious authority other than the Qu'ran | ijma' (consensus) of the Muslim community | infallible imams |
| concealing faith for self-protection (taqiya) | affirmed under certain circumstances | emphasized |
| temporary marriage (mut'ah) | practiced in the Prophet's time, but now rejected | still practiced |
| holy cities | Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem | Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Najaf, Karbala |
| major holidays | Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Ashura |
Source:Religionfacts.com
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