Friday, October 1, 2010

COMPARISION CHART

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

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