Muslim Diversity

Muslim Unity ► Muslims make a strong claim to universal unity. ► “And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with Allah, and do not draw apart from one another.” (Sura, 6:159) ► Unity in customs, values. ► Most Muslims have Arab names (Abdsammad in Kyrgystan) ► Celebrate the same feasts, recite the same prayers

Muslim Unity ► There is Dar as-Salaam (“house of Islam/Peace”) or the present Muslim community. ► Dar al-Harb (“land of the ignorant or disbelief”) or those outside of Islam. ► Generally, Sunnis and Shi’is regard one another as brothers.

Muslim Diversity ► Muhammad (hadith) predicted sects within Islam: ► “Verily, it will happen to my people even as it did to the children of Israel. The children of Israel were divided into seventy-two sects, and my people will be divided into seventy-three. Every one of the sects will go to hell, except one sect.”

Q: Cause for diversity? ► Historical developments (i.e. choice of caliph; see Braswell, 89) ► Reform movements (i.e. Wahhabis)

Sunni Islam ► The majority Muslim group— 85-90% of all Muslims ► Regarded as the orthodox group. ► Originated with the death of Muhammad and choice of Abu Bakr to be the caliph.

Sunni Islam ► A decision for Abu Bakr was made by consensus (ijma)—the community should select the new leader. ► The “rightly guided” caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali) led from Medina ( ) ► These caliphs administered the sunna (hadith) ► Sunni’s developed the comprehensive system of law (sharia)

Shia (Shiite) Islam ► The Shi’is were birthed with the succession of the caliphate. ► Sunni’s believed the caliph was a decision of the community (umma)

Shia (Shiite) Islam ► Shi’is insisted that the caliph should be taken from the “house” or blood line of Muhammad. ► Shi’is claim tradition that Muhammad wanted to appoint Ali as his successor. ► Formed the Shiat Ali (“party of Ali”) ► Of course disputed by Sunnis. ► See

Shia (Shiite) Islam ► Ali was murdered  His tomb is in Najaf near Kufa, Iraq (map)  For Shi’is, a pilgrimage to Najaf is worth 100,000 martyrdoms and forgiveness of past and present sins. ► After Ali’s murder, his son Hassan was briefly named caliph  Abdicated to Mu’awwiyah and then was poisoned in Medina

Shia (Shiite) Islam ► Hussein, Hassan’s brother also was in Medina ► Hussein sends a delegation to Kufa to sound his support as the caliph—they were killed. ► Hussein and left with his family and followers to Kufa— they were surrounded and killed at Kerbala on the 10th day of Muharram.

Shia (Shiite) Islam ► Now Kerbala is a key Shi’a place for pilgrimage worth a thousand pilgrimages to Mecca, a thousand martyrdoms, a thousand days of fasting ► 10th of Muharram (celebrates Hussein’s martyrdom)  There are sermons, special stories, and prayer meetings about Hussein.  Also passion plays (taziyahs).  Men don white cloths and beat their chests to the point of shedding blood

Shi’a Doctrinal Distinctives ► The Shi’a Quran has a few variants in it not used by the Sunnis. ► Shi’a have their own collections of hadith collected in the 10th century. ► Shi’a Islam stresses the imamate (succession of prayer leaders) more than the caliphate.

Shi’a Doctrinal Distinctives ► In the Shia version of the shahadah, an additional phrase is added that Ali is the commander of true believers and the friend of God. ► Light (nur)  A divine light is passed from imam to imam; a near sinlessness and infallibility.

Shia Splinter Groups ► Twelvers (Ithna Ashariya) ► Seveners (Ismailis) ► Khariji (“Seceders”) ► Mutazilites ► Ahmadiyans

Twelvers (Ithna Ashariya) ► Make up the majority Shi’is ► 90% of all Twelvers live in Iran ► They accept the line of twelve imams from Ali to Muhammad al-Muntazzar (b. 878) of Samarra (modern Iraq) ► Al-Muntazzar’s father declared him to be the mahdi (“messiah”) ► At the age of 9, he disappeared and during the “concealment” the Muslim community was to be led by guides (ayatollah) ► At the end of the world, he will appear and convert the world to Islam.

Seveners (Ismailis) ► Accept the first seven imams in the house of Ali to Ismail ibn Jafar ► Tend to be more radical and secretive in their activities ► They helped the Fatimid Empire in Egypt ( ) to come to power through being revolutionaries

Seveners (Ismailis) ► Helped to found Al-Azhar University in Cairo ► Seveners split into two groups:  Nazaris who look to a modern imam known as the Aga Khan  Mustalis (Bohoro Muslims) who believe in a hidden imam not descended from Hassan or Hussein.

Khariji (“Seceders”) ► Initially favored Ali, then broke with him. ► Ali was murdered by a member of the Khariji ► Distinctives:  The caliph and all Muslims must be pure  Equality among believers is stressed ► Historically a large presence in North Africa where the corrupt Arab leadership was opposed.

Mutazilites ► Arose opposing the fanaticism of the Kharijites ► Defended free will and moral responsibility ► Denied forgiveness for repeated sinners

Mutazilites ► Incorporated Greek metaphysics into their thought  Resisted attributing human characteristics to God  Insisted on the unity of God  Opposed the idea of an uncreated Quran  Provoked thoughtful reflections among Muslims ► Al-Ashari (d. 935)  Initially a Mutazilite, later a Sunni  He elevated revelation over reason then later used reason to support revelation

Ahmadiyans ► Founded in India in the late 19th century ► Founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, declared himself the imam of Islam ► Regarded as heretical by other Muslim groups ► 500,000 mostly living in Pakistan ► Yet very missionary oriented (i.e. Ahmad Deedat) 

Ahmadiyan Distinctives ► No verse in the Qu’ran can be abrogated ► Jihad is no more (no coercion in religion)  Caner and Deedat ► To say that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets does not make him the last one ► Jesus is dead and did not ascend to heaven  very anti-Christian ► Hell is not eternal

Ahmadiyan Distinctives ► Apostasy is not punishable by death ► Innovation in worship is forbidden, including worshipping saints ► Consensus was limited to Muhammad’s companions ► Belief in Ahmad is obligatory  that he is the mahdi ► Spirituality is more important than legalism

Sufis ► Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam stressing emotions, the personal attributes of God, personal relationship with God, love and heartfelt religion ► Means “wool” or “purity”  Possibly because of garments worn by early mystics ► Developed as a reaction to  Islamic legalism (law, ritual, duty) and focus on the intellect; A direct experience with God was desired over ritual  The worldliness of Ummayad leaders in Damascus

Sufis ► How to find God? ► Through introspection and inward experiences ► God is a light that burns through the lamp (man) ► Enabled through prayer, fasting, self- denial, discipline ► Dhikr sessions or constantly repeated the name of God

Sufis ► Muhammad’s night journey is interpreted allegorically to mean the ability of the soul to rise to God through prayer and discipline and to be unified with God.

Sufis ► Some Sufis see the Qu’ran as an allegory for the soul’s quest to be united to God  Could this be “sonic?” ► Consider an 8th century Sufi woman:  Against worshipping God out of fear of hell or the promise of paradise  “If I worship you for your own sake, withhold not your everlasting beauty”

Al-Ghazali (d. 1111) ► Most famous Sufi thinker ► A professor of Islam in Baghdad, he began to have doubts about his faith ► Trying Sufism, he had a personal experience with God ► He taught that  Religious certainty could only be found through religious experience  The love of God, more than union with God, was the key to religion ► A moderate Sufi who combined Quranic and traditional study with mysticism

Sufis ► Orders and brotherhoods were formed ► Jalal ad-Din Rumi ( ) found the “whirling dervishes”  Devotees whirl or dance while repeating the name of God  ► Music and poetry is an important part of Sufi worship  As music was not allowed in the mosque, Sufis have built their own lodges  “House of blessing” in Tunis

Wahhabis ► A reform movement that began in Saudi Arabia in the late 17th century. ► Eventually the house of Saud, the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, adopted Wahhabi thought. ► Strict legal interpretation of Islamic law ► Similar ideologies in Libya, Saudi, Iran, and Pakistan have created an environment for Islamic fundamentalism.

Wahhabi Distinctives ► Against veneration of saints, folk Islam. ► Doctrine must only come from the Quran and Hadith. ► Mosques must be simply adorned. ► No music. ► No smoking. ► No bad language. ► Men must have a beard. ► Jihad is an obligation.

Nation of Islam ► Founded by Elijah (Poole) Muhammad in the 1930s ► Mixed African American liberation with Islam ► Has never been accepted by orthodox Muslims ► Made famous by Malcolm X ► Presently led by Louis Farrakhan

Q: Reasons for Muslim Diversity? ► Political discord (Kharijis, Shi’is) ► Theological differences (Mutazalites)  They surely occur in a large religious movement  More tolerance has been shown to non-Muslim thought than to inter-Muslim thought (Akther) ► Mystical movements (Sufis) ► Reform movements (Wahhabis) ► Advent of charismatic leaders (Ahmad)