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Succession

Muhammad

570-632 CE

Ruled and lived in Arabia.

Abu Bakr

First Caliph, principle leader of prayer selected by Muhammad, friend and father of Muhammad’s youngest wife, assassinated.

Umar

Second Caliph, assassinated.

Uthman

Third Caliph, assassinated.

Ali

Fourth Caliph, ruled for 7 years, Muhammad’s cousin, husband of his favorite daughter Fatima.

Hasan

Eldest son of Ali, renounced his rights to the caliphate but was poisoned anyway

Enemies were those who founded the Umayyad dynasty.

Husayn

Second son of Ali, fought against Umayyad control, was beheaded after loosing battle of Karbala (680 CE), considered heroic martyr by Shia Muslims.

Shia Faction of Islam

Sunni Faction of Islam

Sufis/Sufism

10-15% of all Muslims

Majority of Muslims

Shia means “faction,” refers to “faction of Ali.”

Sunni means “tradition,” adheres to orthodox tradition

Suf means “wool,” a “devotional movement,” considered the Mystics of Islam.

Iran center and home of most Shia, 88% of Iranians are Shia (Shi’i), In Iraqi 96% are Muslim and over 50% of them are Shia (Shi’i), though Iraq was, until the 2nd Gulf War, ruled by the minority Sunnis. President Saddam Husayn was a Sunni.

Grew out of Umayyad dynasty. World-wide most Muslims are Sunni.

Developed in reaction against the excesses of the Sultans and Caliphs (who wore silks, satins), specifically the Caliphate of Damascus in the Umayyad dynasty, Sufis wore course wool garments in protest.

Succession and Leadership

Believe in Ali and the Imams as rightful successors of Muhammad, but not in first 3 Caliphs (listed above). Ali was first of 12 successive legitimate Imams. Succession was to be hereditary.

Acknowledge each of the first four Caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad.

Value deliberate simplicity, sought involvement of the emotions rather than just a formalistic following of the rules.

Look forward to Messianic return of the last recognized Imam. Muhammad al-Mahdi, last Imam, disappeared 900 CE, went into “hidden realm”, was sinless. Ayatollah Khomeini (1900-1989) believed by many to be the return of the last Imam.

Through the ages, Caliphs rule “in God’s name.”

Sufis gathered around shaikhs (masters) and formed faqirs (orders or communities). Rabi’a (1717-1801 CE) was a Sufi poet whose poetry spoke of God’s Love as the center of the universe and God as her Lover. Rumi, another Sufi poet. Al-Ghazzali (1058-1111) first Sufi to bring the faction into mainstream Islam.

Imam holds an exalted position, Ayatollah refers to most important Imams.

Imam is a prayer leader. Sunnis approach God directly, there is no clerical hierarchy.

Sufi Shaikhs are the masters.

Teachings and Scripture

Characteristic is the continual exposition and reinterpretation of doctrine by the clerics.

Believe in entire body (canon) of life and teachings of Muhammad as found in Qur’an and hadiths (sayings and traditions of Muhammad). Sayings and traditions are interpreted by scholars in Islamic schools.

Qur’an is full of symbolism, each verse has from 7 to 70 meanings. Believe in three approaches to the divine: mysticism of Love (heart knowledge), Ecstatic (visionary knowledge) and intuitive discernment (mental knowledge)

Both Sunni and Shia factions believe in the Sharia, the comprehensive law derived from the Qur’an (revelations of Muhammad) and the Sunnah (sayings or interpretations of Muhammad).

Believe in fana (extinction) of separateness from God and “remembering” that “there is nothing but God.”

Scholars carry on debate in Islamic Schools. Science of Tradition refers to Islamic scholarship and the determination of the value of specific writings (rated sound, good, weak, or infirm)

Influenced by Gnosticism (life is a spiritual journey—want to know God/Allah now not just after death), The Enneads (from Egypt, e.g. believed the Cosmos emerged from the One and life is the Soul’s journey back), and Hindu Mysticism

Shia Faction of Islam

Sunni Faction of Islam

Fufis/Sufism

Fundamentalist approach to Islam, interpretation by clerics

Qur’an applies to everyday life, public life is shaped by the Qur’an. Saudi Arabia considered model of proper Islamic state

Called “the Heart of Islam,” highest experience in life is experience with Allah, can get face to face with Allah/God