Perhaps no religion in its history has escaped a split, which led to the formation of new movements within a single teaching. Islam is no exception: currently there are about half a dozen of its main directions, which arose in different eras and under different circumstances.
In the 7th century, two doctrines split Islam: Shiism and Sunnism. This happened due to contradictions regarding the transfer of supreme power. The problem arose almost immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, who did not leave any orders in this regard.
A question of power
Muhammad is considered the last of the prophets sent down to people, who established the connection between heaven and earth, God and man. Since in early Islam secular power was practically inseparable from religious power, both of these spheres were regulated by one person - the prophet.
After the death of the prophet, the community split into several directions, which resolved the issue of transfer of power in different ways. Shiism proposed a hereditary principle. Sunnism is the right to vote for the community, which elects a religious and secular leader.
Shiism
The Shiites insisted that power should pass by right of blood, since only a relative could touch the grace sent down to the prophet. Representatives of the movement elected Muhammad's cousin as the new imam, pinning hopes on him to restore justice in the community. According to legend, Muhammad called those who would follow his brother Shiites.
Ali ibn Abu Talib ruled for only five years and was unable to achieve noticeable improvements during this time, since the supreme power had to be defended and defended. However, among Shiites, Imam Ali enjoys great authority and honor: adherents of the movement add a sura dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali (“Two Lights”) to the Koran. One of the Shiite sects directly deifies Ali, the hero of many folk tales and songs.
How else do Sunnis and Shiites differ?
Sunnis and Shiites have other differences, but they are less fundamental. So, for example, the shahada, which is a verbal expression of the first pillar of Islam (“I testify that there is no God but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah”), sounds somewhat different among the Shiites: at the end of this phrase they add “... and Ali - friend of Allah."
There are other differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam:
- Sunnis exclusively revere the Prophet Muhammad, while Shiites, in addition, glorify his cousin Ali. Sunnis revere the entire text of the Sunnah (their second name is “people of the Sunnah”), while Shiites only respect the part that concerns the Prophet and his family members. Sunnis believe that strictly following the Sunnah is one of the main duties of a Muslim. In this regard, they can be called dogmatists: the Taliban in Afghanistan strictly regulate even the details of a person’s appearance and behavior.
- If the largest Muslim holidays - Eid al-Adha and Kurban Bayram - are celebrated equally by both branches of Islam, then the tradition of celebrating the day of Ashura among Sunnis and Shiites has a significant difference. For Shiites, this day is a memorial day.
- Sunnis and Shiites have different attitudes towards such a norm of Islam as temporary marriage. The latter consider this a normal phenomenon and do not limit the number of such marriages. Sunnis consider such an institution illegal, since Muhammad himself abolished it.
- There are differences in the places of traditional pilgrimage: Sunnis visit Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and Shiites visit Najaf or Karbala in Iraq.
- Sunnis are required to perform five namaz (prayers) a day, while Shiites can limit themselves to three.
However, the main thing in which these two directions of Islam differ is the method of electing power and the attitude towards it. Among Sunnis, an imam is simply a clergyman who presides over a mosque. The Shiites have a completely different attitude to this issue. The head of the Shiites, the imam, is a spiritual leader who governs not only matters of faith, but also politics. He seems to stand above government structures. Moreover, the imam must come from the family of the Prophet Muhammad.
What do Shiites believe?
After the assassination of the first Shiite imam, power was transferred to the sons of Ali from the daughter of Muhammad. Their fate was also tragic, but they marked the beginning of the Shiite dynasty of imams, which lasted until the 12th century.
Sunni's opponent, Shi'ism, had no political power, but was deeply rooted in the spiritual sphere. After the disappearance of the twelfth imam, the doctrine of a “hidden imam” arose, who would return to earth like Christ among the Orthodox.
Currently, Shiism is the state religion of Iran - the number of followers is approximately 90% of the total population. In Iraq and Yemen, approximately half of the inhabitants adhere to Shiism. The influence of Shiites is also noticeable in Lebanon.
Sunnism
Sunnism is the second option for resolving the issue of power in Islam. Representatives of this movement, after the death of Muhammad, insisted that control of both the spiritual and secular spheres of life should be concentrated in the hands of the ummah - a religious community that elects a leader from among its ranks.
Sunni ulema - the guardians of orthodoxy - are distinguished by their zealous adherence to traditions and ancient written sources. Therefore, along with the Koran, the Sunnah, a set of texts about the life of the last prophet, plays great importance. Based on these texts, the first ulema developed a set of rules, dogmas, following which meant moving along the right path. Sunnism is a religion of bookish tradition and submission to a religious community.
Currently, Sunnism is the most widespread denomination of Islam, covering about 80% of all Muslims.
Distribution and development
Islam is today the second largest world religion. Historically, Sunni Islam rapidly expanded and spread as a military and political force, allowing the Sunni faith and legal traditions to spread.
Spread through conquest
The first Muslim conquests created the center of Islam - Syria, Egypt and Persia. In the second half of the seventh century AD. North Africa was conquered. In the West, the Arabs entered Spain from North Africa in 711. In the East, Arab conquerors crossed the Indus River and conquered the Indian subcontinent. By the end of the 17th century, the Muslim Mughals ruled most of India.
Meanwhile, in the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks conquered much of the Balkans in Eastern Europe. Over the next two centuries, the Ottoman Empire expanded into Egypt, North Africa, and the Middle East, extending northwest almost to Vienna, Austria, and northeast almost to Kyiv, Ukraine.
Challenges and changes
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Sunni Islam (like other branches of the faith) was challenged by far-reaching changes occurring throughout the world, including increased globalization, the influence of Western culture and values on traditional societies, the rise of mass communications, increased opportunities for travel and social mobility, dramatic developments in science, and so on. In short, modernity is accompanied by secularization, in which certain aspects of social, cultural and political life become less dominant in relation to traditional religious ideas. Today, Sunnis and other Muslims face real challenges to their concept and practice of Islam in the modern world.
Sunnah
It will be easier to understand what Sunnism is if you understand the origin of the term. Sunnis are followers of the Sunnah.
Sunnah is literally translated as “model”, “example” and is fully called “Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah”. It is a written text consisting of accounts of the deeds and words of Muhammad. Functionally, it complements the Qur'an, since the true meaning of the Sunnah is an illustration of the customs and traditions of noble antiquity. Sunnism is precisely the adherence to pious norms established by ancient texts.
The Sunnah is revered in Islam along with the Koran, and its teaching plays an important role in theological education. Shiites are the only Muslims who deny the authority of the Sunnah.
The First Steps of Theology
The Mu'tazalites - the breakaways - arose from the Murjiite movement and were the first in the process of forming Islamic theology. The bulk of the followers were well-educated Muslims.
The Mu'tazalites concentrated their main interest on the difference in interpretations of certain provisions of the Koran concerning the nature of God and man. They dealt with the issue of human free will and predestination.
For the Mu'tazilites, a person who has committed a grave sin is in an average state - he is neither a true believer, nor an infidel. It was this conclusion of Vasil ibn Atu, a student of the famous theologian in the 8th century, that is considered the beginning of the formation of the Mu'tazilite movement.
Modern practices
The majority of Muslims in the modern world are Sunnis. They make up about 85% (1.36 billion) of the 1.6 billion Muslims today. For Sunnis and other Muslims, there are a number of different approaches to expressing the Islamic faith in the modern world.
Radicalism
Radical Islamists make a distinction between modernization and Westernization. In their view, Islam can modernize without compromising with Western influences, which are seen as alien to the fundamentals of Islam. Islam, as defined by radical Islamists, can and does provide a comprehensive system for living in the modern world. Today, the so-called Islamic State, which has established its “caliphate” in vast conquered territories in Syria and Iraq, where Sharia law applies, is a prime example of radical Islamism in practice.
Traditionalism and neo-traditionalism
Islamic traditionalism is conservative in nature. In countries such as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, traditionalism typically characterizes the worldview of religious leaders and other traditional elites, as well as rural, less educated and poor populations. Traditionalists generally do not distinguish between historical facts and core Islamic values. The way Islam has been practiced, as a time-tested tradition, is what is most valued. Therefore, any proposed change to Islamic traditions is seen as a challenge, if not a threat, to the Muslim way of life. Minority religions, although tolerant, enjoy limited freedoms and generally have second-class status.
Neotraditionalism selectively reworks Islamic traditions into new forms that correspond to modern social conditions. Neotraditionalism recognizes the need for modern technologies, but is selective in its development. Therefore, neo-traditionalism can be seen as a transitional stage leading to Islamic modernism (or even Islamic secularism).
Modernism and secularism
As a reaction against the Islamic worldview, which they consider authoritarian, Islamic modernists give priority to principles over practice when they see the need to reform certain requirements of the Sharia.
Islamic secularism limits sharia, keeping Islam purely religious and not political. While some Islamic laws may apply, they are tempered by overarching social principles that are inherently secular, or non-religious, in nature. In many cases, Islamic states have adopted and adapted European legal codes that have supplanted traditional sharia, as in the case of the Republic of Turkey.
Sunnism and Shiism: differences
The main difference between Shiites and Sunnis is the question of the source of power. The former rely on the authority of the person overshadowed by the divine will by right of kinship, the latter - on tradition and the decision of the community. For Sunnis, what is written in the Koran, Sunnah and some other sources is of paramount importance. On their basis, the basic ideological principles were formulated, fidelity to which means following the true faith.
Shiites believe that the will of God is accomplished through the imam, just as Catholics personify it in the image of the Pope. It is important that power is inherited, since only those who are related by blood to the last prophet Muhammad bear the blessing of the Almighty. After the disappearance of the last imam, power was transferred to the ulema - scholars and theologians who act as the collective representative of the missing imam, expected by the Shiites like Christ among the Christians.
The difference in direction is also manifested in the fact that for Shiites, secular and spiritual power cannot be divided and is concentrated in the hands of one leader. Sunnis advocate the separation of spiritual and political spheres of influence.
Shiites deny the authority of the first three caliphs - the companions of Muhammad. The Sunnis, for their part, consider them for this to be heretics who worship twelve imams less familiar with the prophet. There is also a provision of Islamic law according to which only the general decision of authority figures is decisive in religious matters. This is what the Sunnis rely on when they elect the supreme ruler by community vote.
There is also a difference in the practices of Shiites and Sunnis. Although both pray 5 times a day, the position of their hands differs. Also, Shiites, for example, have a tradition of self-flagellation, which is not accepted among Sunnis.
Sunnism and Shiism today are the most widespread sects of Islam. Sufism stands apart - a system of mystical and religious ideas, formed on the basis of asceticism, rejection of worldly life and strict adherence to the precepts of faith.
Religious directions and principles of faith
Modern, like traditional, Sunnism is a religious movement built on complete subordination to the community and the provisions of the Sunnah and the Koran. Today, Sunnis make up the overwhelming majority of devout Muslims around the world. Only in some countries do Shiites occupy a predominant position (Azerbaijan, Iran, Bahrain, Lebanon, etc.).
The principles of the movement were formed back in the Middle Ages, at the stage of formation of the doctrine. They haven't changed since then. The main provisions of Sunnism are recognitions:
- The legality of the rule of the caliphs.
- Authenticity of six sets of hadiths.
- Dogmatic schools.
- Schools of Sharia law - madhhabs.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali were the first four rulers who ruled the Great Caliphate. Sunnis believe that all supreme power should be concentrated in the hands of caliphs elected by the community.
As you know, Sunni Muslims claim that Islam rests on five pillars and two foundations - the Koran and the Sunnah, which is a set of hadiths - these are stories about the Prophet Muhammad. About his actions and words concerning the life of the community in a legal, social or religious context.
Initially, such legends were spread only orally - they were told to each other without writing them down. The compilation of written hadith began later, during the early emergence of Sunnism. And the main sets of rules based on hadiths appeared no less than 200 years after the death of the Prophet.
All these rules were combined into six collections, collectively called Qutub al-Sitta. However, it should be noted that religious and theological disagreements are so great that even on this issue, the views of researchers regarding the acts of the Prophet and all of Islam do not always agree. Not all hadiths included in this collection are considered authentic.
Today there are three known dogmatic schools. These include:
- Asarites;
- Asharites;
- Maturidites.
The Asarites adhere to rigid traditions in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. For them, the very idea that the Koran can be interpreted in any allegorical way is considered impossible. If any provisions in them remain unclear, then the Asarites do not seek to understand their meaning. However, they do not take them literally.
If any place in the Sunnah or the Quran remains not too clear for them, they do not explain it and do not look for any separate meaning in the message, leaving this to the discretion of Allah. In the eyes of the Asarites, the Almighty knows everything, but as for people, they should simply take revelations for granted.
Asharism is the second direction of Sunnism, it deviates somewhat from the views professed by the Asarites. Ash'arites believe that religious dogmas should not be followed thoughtlessly, and the approach to interpreting their truth is quite rational. At the same time, they believe that there cannot be a cause-and-effect relationship between various phenomena. Unlike the Asarites, they do not recognize authoritarianism in their faith, approaching religious positions philosophically and trying to comprehend them.
The Maturidites are in many ways similar in views to the Ash'arites. This current formed later than the others. Its founder is Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, who called for a reasonable attitude towards various phenomena and to comprehend them. However, the Maturids, like the Asarites, believe that the commands of Allah cannot be rationalized and must be obeyed without hesitation.
Another principle of Sunni teaching is the presence of four theological and legal schools. These are the so-called madhhabs:
- Shafi'i;
- Hanbali;
- Maliki;
- Hanafi.
Each of them is based on the dogmas of the Koran and Sunnah, but the Hanbali madhhab firmly takes the position of not accepting innovations in Islam, and the source of law here, in addition to the holy books, is also the decisions of the companions of the Prophet.
The Hanafi madhhab, in addition to the Sunnah, the Koran and the decisions of the Companions, also recognizes local customs. Thus, many Sunnis living in Russia (mainly in the North Caucasus) are Hanafis - these are Abazas, Circassians, Nogais, Kabardians, Bashkirs, Tatars.
