Unit 2: The Arab World
Islam Splits
The caliph :
The caliph is a successor of the
prophet.
The more general meaning of caliph
refers to the successor of the prophet.
Each caliph was a close friend or
person close to the prophet in his
prophet hood.
The Death of Muhammad
• 632 AD: After Muhammad died, Muslims had to choose a new
leader.
• Muslims were split.
• Abu Bakr – Muhammad’s father-in-law and first caliph
• Caliph – means "successor”
• He was seen as the more capable leader.
• Ali – Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law
• He was followed by Muslims who believed that their next leader
should be a blood relative of Muhammad – a member of the
Family of the Prophet.
• The question was: Blood (Ali) or Capability (Abu Bakr)?
• This question eventually caused Muslims to split into two
groups: Sunnis & Shiites
• There has been great conflict between these two groups ever
since.
What did the “rightly guided” caliphs use as guides to leadership?
The Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions in life.
“Rightly Guided” Caliphs
• Abu-Bakr and the next three elected caliphs—Umar,
Uthman, and Ali—all had known Muhammad and
supported his mission.
• They used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions as
guides to leadership.
• For this, they are known as the “rightly guided” caliphs.
• The region ruled by a caliph was called a caliphate.
What is the meaning of the word “caliph?”
Caliph means “successor”
PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.
Sunni–Shi’a Split
• In the interest of peace, the majority of
Muslims accepted the Umayyads’ rule.
• A minority did continue to resist, and around some of
these groups an alternate view of the office of caliph
developed.
• In this view, the caliph—the person most responsible for
spreading Muhammad’s message—needed to be a
relative of the Prophet.
Sunni–Shi’a Split
• This group was called Shi’a, meaning
the “party” of Ali.
• Those who did not outwardly resist
the rule of the Umayyads later
became known as Sunni, meaning
followers of Muhammad’s example.
• Another group, the Sufi (SOO•fee),
reacted to the luxurious life of the
Umayyads by pursuing a life of
poverty and devotion to a spiritual
path.
Differences Between Shia and Sunni
• Shiites
• About 15% of all Muslims
• Islam’s leader should be a
descendant of Mohammad
• Qualified religious leaders have
the authority to interpret the
sharia (Islamic law)
• Sunnis
• About 85% of all Muslims
• Leaders should be chosen through
ijma, or consensus
• The sharia was codified and closed
by the 10th century
Sunni & Shiites Today
Sunni
Shi’a
Believers Called
Sunnis
Shiites, Shi’I
Meaning of Name
“well-trodden path” or
“tradition”
“party” or “partisans” of Ali
Estimated Followers
940 million
120 million
% of Muslim population
90%
10%
Primary locations
Most Muslim countries
Iran, Iraq, Yemen
True Successor of the
Prophet
Abu Bakr
Ali ibn Abu Talib
Qualifications for rule
Any qualified leader
Family of the Prophet
Historical Leaders
Caliphs
Imams
Concealing Faith for SelfProtection (taqiya)
Under special circumstances Emphasized
only
Frequency of Prayer
Five Times a Day
Five Times a Day although
prayer is sometimes altered to
3 times a day by combining the
morning and evening prayers
together.
Sunni
Sunnis believe
the true Caliph
should be chosen
by those close to
Muhammad; did
not have to be a
relative of
Muhammad. Most
Muslims (85%) are
Sunni.
Sunni Islam Today
 About 85-90% of today’s Islamic population of 1.5 billion is Sunni.
 Most of the controversial publicity that Sunni-Islam is receiving in today’s
world is because of the Sunni-Shia split that exists in the Middle East.
 Since the American invasion of Iraq in the 21st century, the Sunni-Shiite
conflict has been aggravated in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
 There has also been a sharp increase in the number of split mosques,
arguments over the population, discrimination against the Sunni in politics,
economy, media and education.
 Both groups have been launching terrorist attacks against one another and
this poses the biggest threat to the Islamic religion today.
Shiite
Shiites:
• The supporters of 'Ali, became
known as the Shiites, which
means "the supporters of 'Ali.“
Shiites started to loose political
power so they started looking
for religious power. Also
started to look for support from
people from de Islamic Empire.
Sufi
Sufi’s
The term comes from the Islam’s word, suf -the coarse
wool garment that is worn by Sufis.
Sufism strives to experience Allah as immanent dwelling within each worshipper.
The Sufi experiences oneness with Allah and gains
spiritual fortitude.
Sufis are not necessarily popular among Muslims.
Sufis live monastic lives with a shaykh as their head.
The Sufi
• They tried to achieve direct personal
contact with God through mystical
means, such as meditation and
chanting.
• In some ways they were similar to
Christian and Buddhist monks.
• The Sufis played an important role in
keeping Muslims focused on the
Qur’an and tradition.
The Sufi
• Later, they became very active as missionaries in
newly conquered lands.
• Another religious development was the growth of
scholarship in various branches of Islamic learning
and law.
• The study of the traditions of Muhammad, Arabic
language, and the development of schools of
shari’a established standards of Islamic conduct.
Despite the differences between the Sunni & Shiites, Islam spread very quickly . . .
. . . so that this is what the region looks like today. What issues/conflicts might occur as a result of this map?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNK_Uk0fw5A
I’m struggling insert this video, but will figure it out.