The second largest religion in the world after Christianity is Islam. Islam means ‘submission to the will of God’. It believes in the oneness of God and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), being the messenger of Allah who received divine revelations from him through the angel Gabriel over 23 years. All the revelations received by the Prophet have been compiled in the holy book of Islam i.e. Quran. Islam has two major sects, Sunni and Shia, they both have the same fundamental beliefs and principles but the difference began from the succession after the death of the Prophet.
ORIGIN OF ISLAM
Prophet Muhammad was born in 571 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb were his parents. His parents died while he was young. He was brought up by Abu Talib his paternal uncle. Prophet Muhammad later spent his time praying and meditating in the caves of Hira. At the age of 40, he got divine revelations through an angel. In 613 AD, the Prophet began preaching the oneness of God and the messages received by him.
In 622 AD, he travelled from Mecca to Madina, his journey is known as Hijrat. It also marks the beginning of the Hijri calendar. His preachings were accepted by many tribes in Madina and his followers grew. Later he returned to Mecca with his companions and continued to preach until his death in 632 AD. His daughter Fatimah was married to Ali who was also his cousin. Hasan and Hussain were the two sons of Ali.
IMAMATE
After the death of Prophet Muhammad, Islam spread rapidly. A question of imamate (leadership), arose after his death. The political and religious leader was known as the Caliphs. There were disagreements among the disciples concerning the successor of the Prophet, which led to heated discussions and fights. There was a group that did not accept the authority of jamaat (community) to elect the chief while there was another sect that contended in the belief that the Prophet never indicated any leader so he should be elected, formerly came to be known as Shia, and the latter as Sunni. Ultimately the seed of division was sowed and split Islam into two sects namely Sunni and Shia
SUNNI AND SHIA
Sunnis insisted on election and elected Abu Bakr, the father-in-law of Muhammad as their leader. Abu Bakr became the first Caliph after the Prophet and reigned for two years and three. He was the first male disciple of the Prophet. Also, he was the one who started safeguarding the revelations received by Muhammad in the form of the Quran. He died in 634 CE, Umar ibn al-Khattab who was his most competent supporter was nominated by him to succeed. Umar added the title ‘commander of the faithful’ to his name. He was closely associated with Muhammad as his daughter Hafsa was married to Prophet. He recognized Abu Bakr’s capability and supported him. His military successes are notable but his administration during his period was also strengthened remarkably. Umar ruled for ten years till 644 AD.[1] Later, Uthman was elected as the next Caliph, there are various reasons behind his election. Some said he was selected because it was easy to manipulate him while others asserted that he promised to continue the policies of Abu Bakr and Umar which Ali denied to continue.[2] Uthman was considered gullible moreover, he was a very noble man. He was killed by his enemies in 656 AD.[3] Ali was the next chosen Caliph after Uthman.
The fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad was the only legitimate imam after the Prophet according to Shia.[4] They did not accept the first three Caliphs but Ali was the first hereditary successor of the Prophet’s family. Ali was raised by the Prophet after his father became impoverished, he is believed to be the second person to accept Islam. Ali was the constant companion of Muhammad while he received revelations. Both Shia and Sunni accepted that the Prophet said that ‘Ali was his inheritor and brother and that whoever accepted the Prophet as his mawla (master or friend), also should accept Ali as his mawla.’[5] Shia regarded these statements of Muhammad to expressly bestow the responsibility of succession after him while Sunni took them as the expression of his affection towards Ali being his cousin and son-in-law. Ali made Kufah, now in Iraq his capital. He ruled until he was attacked and died two days later in 661 AD.[6] His elder son Hasan was recognized as imam after Ali. Muaviyah, a relative of Uthman started a war against Hasan, who was bedevilled by him and abdicated the thrown to Muaviyah.[7] Further, Ali’s younger son Husayn refused to accept Muaviyah’s son and proposed successor Yazid.[8] Husayn was called to Kufah by the townsmen to revolt against Umayyad forces. During his journey to Kufah, the governor of Iraq sent troops to arrest him, he was trapped by them at Karbala, now in Iraq.[9] His army was assassinated while he was decapitated and his head was sent to Yazid in Damascus. Husayan’s martyrdom is commemorated yearly as Ashoura, the most solemn date on the Shia calendar.[10] After Husayn’s death, the Ummayad dynasty continued to rule till 750 AD, followed by Abbasid rule which continued till 945 AD.[11] Further, various dynasties continued to rule thereby, Islam continued to grow and became the second largest religion in the world with 1.8 billion people all over the world, among which 85% are Sunni while 15% are Shia.[12]
SOURCES OF ISLAMIC DOCTRINES
Islamic doctrine is based on four sources, the Quran, the Sunnah, the Ijma, and the Qiyas.
The Quran: The Quran is the compilation of divine revelations received by Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel sent by Allah. Its compilation was initiated by Abu-Bakr after the death of the Prophet. It holds the paramount status in the religion and contains very words of Allah no practices and beliefs can go beyond the Quran. It is considered Al-furan, which means one that differentiates truth from falsehood.
The Sunnah: It holds the second place after the holy Quran. Sunnah means words of the Prophet, model behaviour of the Prophet. Whatever he approved or disapproved either expressly or impliedly. Sunnah is often confused with Hadith which is the report of such narration.
The Ijma: Ijma means consensus of jurists among companions of the Prophet on any question of law. It should not conflict with the Quran and Sunnah.
The Qiyas: Analogical deductions based on the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Ijma. It gives logical reasoning based on already established principles.
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
There are certain basic features of Islam that Muslims have to follow they are termed as “Pillars of Islam.” They are as follows:
The Shahada: This pillar says that having faith is one God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
The Salat: This pillar says to pray five times daily, starting before sunrise, second in the noon, then in the late afternoon, after sunset, and before bed.
The Zakat: It means giving alms to those in need. It’s a belief such a deed makes the rest of one’s wealth pure.
The Sawn: It means fasting during the month of Ramadan is signified by this pillar.
The Hajj: This pillar talks about the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime, if he is financially able to do so.
Thus we see how Islam, the second-largest religion in the world has developed so far starting from the 7th century. It is a monotheistic religion and its followers are called Muslims. The only sacred book is the Quran which is the prime source of the revelation received by God. Those who have faith in religion adhere to five pillars and carry forward the legacy laid by Prophet Muhammad.
Author(s) Name: Meghna Gupta (CSJM University, Kanpur)
Reference(s):
[1] Syed Muhammad Khan, ‘Umar’ (World History Encyclopedia,23 January 2020) <https://www.worldhistory.org/Umar/> accessed 6 December 2023
[2] ‘Uthman’ (New World Encyclopedia) < https://www.newworlsencyclopedia.org/entry/Uthman> accessed 8 December 2023
[3] Ibid
[4] Andrew J Newman, ‘Shi’i’ (Britannica, 9 December 2023) < https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii> accessed 8 December 2023
[5] Asma Afsaruddin and Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ‘Ali’ (Britannica, 16 November 2023) <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ali-Muslim-caliph> accessed 9 December 2023
[6] Ibid
[7] The Editors of Encyclopedia of Britannica, ‘Hasan’ (Britannica, 7 December 2023) <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hasan> accessed 8 December 2023
[8] The Editors of Encyclopedia of Britannica, ‘al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali’ (Britannica,6 October 2023) <https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Husayn-ibn-Ali-Muslim-leader-and-martyr> accessed 8 December 2023
[9] Ibid
[10] Sarah Pruitt, ‘Islam’s Sunni-Shia Divide,Explained’ (History, 31 July 2019) <https://www.history.com/news/sunni-shia-divide-islam-muslim> accessed 9 December 2023
[11] Asma Afsaruddin, ‘Caliphate’ (Britannica, 14 November 2023) <https://www.britannica.com/place/Caliphate> accessed 9 December 2023
[12] Arfa Javaid, ‘Explained:What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims?’ (Jagran Josh, 12 September 2023) <https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/amp/difference-between-sunni-and-shia-muslims-1634720495-1> accessed 9 December 2023
