CDZ Islam and Muslims

[DarkFury]

SIKH MEN commonly wear a peaked turban that serves partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut out of respect for God’s creation. Devout Sikhs also do not cut their beards, so many Sikh men comb out their facial hair and then twist and tuck it up into their turbans along with the hair from their heads. Sikhism originated in northern India and Pakistan in the 15th century and is one of the youngest of the world’s monotheistic religions. There are an estimated 18 million Sikhs in the world, with some 2 million spread throughout North America, Western Europe and the former British colonies.
MUSLIM RELIGIOUS ELDERS, like this man from Yemen, often wear a turban wrapped around a cap known in Arabic as a kalansuwa. These caps can be spherical or conical, colorful or solid white, and their styles vary widely from region to region. Likewise, the color of the turban wrapped around the kalansuwa varies. White is thought by some Muslims to be the holiest turban color, based on legends that the prophet Mohammed wore a white turban. Green, held to be the color of paradise, is also favored by some. Not all Muslims wear turbans. In fact, few wear them in the West, and in major cosmopolitan centers around the Muslim world, turbans are seen by some as passé.
AFGHAN MUSLIM MEN wear a variety of turbans, and even within the Taliban, the strict Islamic government that controls much of the country, there are differences in the way men cover their heads. This Taliban member, for example, is wearing a very long turban — perhaps two twined together — with one end hanging loose over his shoulder. The Taliban ambassador to Afghanistan, on the other hand, favors a solid black turban tied above his forehead. And some men in Afghanistan do not wear turbans at all, but rather a distinctive Afghan hat.
IRANIAN MULLAHS wear black or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style shown in this image of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The word turban is thought to have originated among Persians living in the area now known as Iran, who called the headgear a dulband.
ARAB MUSLIM KAFFIYEH is not technically a turban. It is really a rectangularpiece of cloth, folded diagonally and then draped over the head — not wound like a turban. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has made the kaffiyeh famous in recent times. However, the kaffiyeh is not solely Palestinian. Men in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Persian Gulf states wear kaffiyehs in colors and styles that are particular to their region. Jordanians, for example, wear a red and white kaffiyeh, while Palestinians wear a black and white one. And a man from Saudi Arabia would likely drape his kaffiyeh differently than a man from Jordan. The black cord that holds the kaffiyeh on one’s head is called an ekal.
DESERT PEOPLES & MUSLIM TERRORISTS have long used the turban to keep sand out of their faces, as this man from Africa is likely doing. Members of nomadic tribes have also used turbans to disguise themselves. And sometimes, the color of a person’s turban can be used to identify his tribal affiliation from a distance across the dunes. This man’s turban is a very light blue. In some parts of North Africa, blue is thought to be a good color to wear in the desert because of its association with cool water.

SIKH vs MUSLIM HEADGEAR: Understand the differences

 

[Sunni Man]

Another thing I noticed over there was Arabs and Turks don't mix.

The thing is both the Turk's and the Persians (Iranians) have very sophisticated and ancient cultures; and do not speak using arabic.

Then along comes the Arabs, who are basically desert rednecks, all at once become mega wealthy because they are found to be setting on an ocean of oil. (kinda like Jed Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies tv show)

So there is a lot jealousy directed towards the Arabs and they are looked down on. ......

 

[Sunni Man]

Is there a way to know who is Sunni and who is Shiite by just appearances?
edit; I asked because if Sunni's are discriminated against in Iran how do you know who is which?

I've never been to Iran but sure there are differences in the cut and color of clothes, style of facial hair, head gear and hats, etc.

I do know that Sunni and Shia name their children differently. .....

 

[320 Years of History]

For the purpose of providing context, to save you from feeling the need to reply with information that is utterly basic to a good understanding of Islam, and to establish the foundation from which we might agree upon, or clarify as needed, a common understanding for any discussion that may ensure, let me first share what broadly is my understanding of Islam. There's more detail to what I currently understand about Islam and Muslim, but for now, I'll not go in that much detail. Also, since you've stated you'll be replying from a Sunni standpoint, I'll refrain from asking you to speak to or for Shia perspectives.

Basic History:
The differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects are rooted in disagreements over the succession to the Prophet Muhammad, who died in 632 AD, and over the nature of leadership in the Muslim community. The historic debate centered on whether to award leadership to a qualified, pious individual who would follow the customs of the Prophet or to transmit leadership exclusively through the Prophet’s bloodline. The question was settled initially when community leaders elected a companion of the Prophet’s named Abu Bakr to become the first Caliph (Arabic for “successor”). Although most Muslims accepted this decision, some supported the candidacy of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, husband of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima. Ali had played a prominent role during the Prophet’s lifetime, but he lacked seniority within the Arabian tribal system and was bypassed.

This situation was unacceptable to some of Ali’s followers, who considered Abu Bakr and the two succeeding caliphs (Umar and Uthman) to be illegitimate. Ali’s followers believed the Prophet Muhammad himself had named Ali as successor and that the status quo was a violation of divine order. A few of Ali’s partisans orchestrated the murder of the third Caliph Uthman in 656 AD, and Ali was named Caliph. Ali, in turn, was assassinated in 661 AD, and his son, Hussein (680 AD), died in battle against forces of the Sunni caliph. Ali’s eldest son, Hassan (d. 670 AD), is also revered by Shiite Muslims, some of who claim he was poisoned by the Sunni caliph Muawiyah.

Those who supported Ali’s ascendancy became later known as “Shi’a,” a word stemming from the term “shi’at Ali,” meaning “supporters” or “helpers of Ali.” Others respected and accepted the legitimacy of his caliphate but opposed political succession based on bloodline to the Prophet. This group, who constituted the majority of Muslims, came to be known in time as “Sunni,” meaning “followers of [the Prophet’s] customs [sunna].”

The caliphate declined as a religious and political institution after the thirteenth century, although the term “caliph” continued to be used by some Muslim leaders until it was abolished in 1924 by Turkey’s first President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The decline and abolition of the caliphate became a powerful religious and political symbol to some Sunni Islamic activists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These activists argued that leaders in the Islamic world had undermined the caliphate by abandoning the “true path” of Islam. Inspired by these figures, some contemporary Sunni Muslims, such as Osama bin Laden and others, advocate the restoration of a new caliphate based on “pure” Islamic principles.

Core Beliefs:
Although there are considerable differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam, the two Islamic sects share common traditions, beliefs, and doctrines. All Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah (the Arabic word for God). All believe that they must abide by the revelations given to the Prophet by Allah (as recorded in the Quran) and by the hadith (sayings of the Prophet and his companions). The concepts of piety, striving for goodness, and social justice are fundamental to Islamic belief and practice. Additionally, all Muslims are expected to live in accordance with the five pillars of Islam:

1. shahada -- recital of the creed “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”;
2. alat -- five obligatory prayers in a day;
3. zakat -- giving alms to the poor;
4. sawm -- fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan; and
5. hajj -- making a pilgrimage to Mecca once during a lifetime if one is physically and financially able.

The basic sources for Islamic jurisprudence, be it Sunni or Shiite, are the Quran, the sunna (customs of the Prophet Muhammad) as relayed in the hadith, qiyas (analogy), ijma’ (consensus), and ijtihad (individual reasoning). The primary function of the learned religious leaders is the interpretation of Islamic law (shari’a). There are no codified laws in either Sunni or Shiite Islam. Rather, there are sources for the interpretation of law, and these sources are similar among Shiites and Sunnis. Shiite hadith differ from Sunni hadith, mainly in that they include the sayings of the Shiite imams who are considered to have been divinely inspired. Shiite legal interpretation also allows more space for human reasoning than Sunni interpretation does.

Basic Sunnism -- Religion and Religious Law:
The majority of Muslims today are Sunnis. They accept the first four Caliphs (including Ali) as the “rightly guided” rulers who followed the Prophet. In theory, Sunnis believe that the leader (imam) of the Muslim community should be selected on the basis of communal consensus, on the existing political order, and on a leader’s individual merits. This premise has been inconsistently practiced within the Sunni Muslim community throughout history. Sunni Muslims do not bestow upon human beings the exalted status given only to prophets in the Quran, in contrast to the Shiite veneration of imams. Sunnis have a less elaborate and arguably less powerful religious hierarchy than Shiites. In contrast to Shiites, Sunni religious teachers historically have been under state control. At the same time, Sunni Islam tends to be more flexible in allowing lay persons to serve as prayer leaders and preachers. In their day-to-day practices, Sunnis and Shiites exhibit subtle differences in the performance of their obligatory prayers. Both groups share a similar understanding of basic Islamic beliefs.

Within Sunni Islam, there are four schools of jurisprudence that offer alternative interpretations of legal decisions affecting the lives of Muslims. The four schools of jurisprudence rely mostly on analogy as a way to formulate legal rulings, and they also give different weight to the sayings of the Prophet and his companions (hadith) within their decisions. In some secular countries, such as Turkey, the opinions issued by religious scholars represent moral and social guidelines for how Muslims should practice their religion and are not considered legally binding.

The four legal schools, which vary on certain issues from strict to broad legal interpretations, are:

1. Hanafi: this is the oldest school of law. It was founded in Iraq by Abu Hanifa (d. 767 AD). It is prevalent in Turkey, Central Asia, the Balkans, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh;
2. Maliki: this was founded in the Arabian Peninsula by Malik ibn Anas (d. 795 AD). It is prevalent in North Africa, Mauritania, Kuwait, and Bahrain;
3. Shaf’i: this school was founded by Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (d. 819 AD). It is prevalent in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, parts of Yemen, Indonesia, and Malaysia; and
4. Hanbali: this was founded by Ahmad Hanbal (d. 855). It is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, parts of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

Divisions within Sunnism:
Sunni Islam has had less prominent sectarian divisions than Shiite Islam. The Ibadi sect, which is centered mostly in Oman, East Africa, and in parts of Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, has been sometimes misrepresented as a Sunni sect. Ibadi religious and political dogma generally resembles basic Sunni doctrine, although the Ibadis are neither Sunni nor Shiite. Ibadis believe strongly in the existence of a just Muslim society and argue that religious leaders should be chosen by community leaders for their knowledge and piety, without regard to race or lineage.

The Sunni puritanical movement called “Wahhabism” has become well known in recent years and is arguably the most pervasive revivalist movement in the Islamic world. This movement, founded in Arabia by the scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1791 AD), is considered to be an offshoot of the Hanbali school of law. Abd al-Wahhab encouraged a return to the orthodox practice of the “fundamentals” of Islam, as embodied in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. In the eighteenth century, Muhammad ibn Saud, founder of the modern-day Saudi dynasty, formed an alliance with Abd al-Wahhab and unified the disparate tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. From that point forward, there has been a close relationship between the Saudi ruling family and the Wahhabi religious establishment. The most conservative interpretations of Wahhabi Islam view Shiites and other non-Wahhabi Muslims as dissident heretics.

Following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Shiite Islamic revolution in Iran, Saudi Arabia’s ruling Sunni royal family began more actively promoting Wahhabi religious doctrine abroad and Saudi individuals and organizations since have financed the construction of Wahhabi-oriented mosques, religious schools, and Islamic centers in dozens of countries. The content of Saudi funded religious programs ranges from apolitical to activist depending on its sources and sponsors within the kingdom.​

My Questions:
If you find that my broad understanding (to the extent depicted above) of Islam is awry, please let me know what I'm misunderstanding.

In your opinion:

• What are the religious, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors within the global Muslim community that for the key challenges to the reemergence of a centralized, pan-sectarian, and widely recognized (cross-sect) Islamic religious leadership?
• Islamic culture long ago exhibited a reasonable degree of tolerance for non-Muslim cultures. What catalyzed the departure from that general worldview toward others?
• What do you see as the set of viable -- fully or partially fair -- solutions to present day dissensus within Islam?
• What strikes you as a reasonable set of compromises that Muslims and non-Muslims should be willing to make in order to achieve peace, both globally and within the Middle East/Near East Asia?

 

[Sunni Man]

So it would be back to the woman identifies the tribe?

Muslim women in each country wrap and tie their scarves in different ways. Also the color and pattern of the scarf is unique to the various countries.

Most of the time I can identify where a muslim woman is from by her head wear and clothes. ......

 

[Sunni Man]

For the purpose of providing context, to save you from feeling the need to reply with information that is utterly basic to a good understanding of Islam, and to establish the foundation from which we might agree upon, or clarify as needed, a common understanding for any discussion that may ensure, let me first share what broadly is my understanding of Islam. There's more detail to what I currently understand about Islam and Muslim, but for now, I'll not go in that much detail. Also, since you've stated you'll be replying from a Sunni standpoint, I'll refrain from asking you to speak to or for Shia perspectives.

Basic History:
The differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects are rooted in disagreements over the succession to the Prophet Muhammad, who died in 632 AD, and over the nature of leadership in the Muslim community. The historic debate centered on whether to award leadership to a qualified, pious individual who would follow the customs of the Prophet or to transmit leadership exclusively through the Prophet’s bloodline. The question was settled initially when community leaders elected a companion of the Prophet’s named Abu Bakr to become the first Caliph (Arabic for “successor”). Although most Muslims accepted this decision, some supported the candidacy of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, husband of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima. Ali had played a prominent role during the Prophet’s lifetime, but he lacked seniority within the Arabian tribal system and was bypassed.

This situation was unacceptable to some of Ali’s followers, who considered Abu Bakr and the two succeeding caliphs (Umar and Uthman) to be illegitimate. Ali’s followers believed the Prophet Muhammad himself had named Ali as successor and that the status quo was a violation of divine order. A few of Ali’s partisans orchestrated the murder of the third Caliph Uthman in 656 AD, and Ali was named Caliph. Ali, in turn, was assassinated in 661 AD, and his son, Hussein (680 AD), died in battle against forces of the Sunni caliph. Ali’s eldest son, Hassan (d. 670 AD), is also revered by Shiite Muslims, some of who claim he was poisoned by the Sunni caliph Muawiyah.

Those who supported Ali’s ascendancy became later known as “Shi’a,” a word stemming from the term “shi’at Ali,” meaning “supporters” or “helpers of Ali.” Others respected and accepted the legitimacy of his caliphate but opposed political succession based on bloodline to the Prophet. This group, who constituted the majority of Muslims, came to be known in time as “Sunni,” meaning “followers of [the Prophet’s] customs [sunna].”

The caliphate declined as a religious and political institution after the thirteenth century, although the term “caliph” continued to be used by some Muslim leaders until it was abolished in 1924 by Turkey’s first President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The decline and abolition of the caliphate became a powerful religious and political symbol to some Sunni Islamic activists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These activists argued that leaders in the Islamic world had undermined the caliphate by abandoning the “true path” of Islam. Inspired by these figures, some contemporary Sunni Muslims, such as Osama bin Laden and others, advocate the restoration of a new caliphate based on “pure” Islamic principles.

Core Beliefs:
Although there are considerable differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam, the two Islamic sects share common traditions, beliefs, and doctrines. All Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah (the Arabic word for God). All believe that they must abide by the revelations given to the Prophet by Allah (as recorded in the Quran) and by the hadith (sayings of the Prophet and his companions). The concepts of piety, striving for goodness, and social justice are fundamental to Islamic belief and practice. Additionally, all Muslims are expected to live in accordance with the five pillars of Islam:

1. shahada -- recital of the creed “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”;
2. alat -- five obligatory prayers in a day;
3. zakat -- giving alms to the poor;
4. sawm -- fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan; and
5. hajj -- making a pilgrimage to Mecca once during a lifetime if one is physically and financially able.

The basic sources for Islamic jurisprudence, be it Sunni or Shiite, are the Quran, the sunna (customs of the Prophet Muhammad) as relayed in the hadith, qiyas (analogy), ijma’ (consensus), and ijtihad (individual reasoning). The primary function of the learned religious leaders is the interpretation of Islamic law (shari’a). There are no codified laws in either Sunni or Shiite Islam. Rather, there are sources for the interpretation of law, and these sources are similar among Shiites and Sunnis. Shiite hadith differ from Sunni hadith, mainly in that they include the sayings of the Shiite imams who are considered to have been divinely inspired. Shiite legal interpretation also allows more space for human reasoning than Sunni interpretation does.

Basic Sunnism -- Religion and Religious Law:
The majority of Muslims today are Sunnis. They accept the first four Caliphs (including Ali) as the “rightly guided” rulers who followed the Prophet. In theory, Sunnis believe that the leader (imam) of the Muslim community should be selected on the basis of communal consensus, on the existing political order, and on a leader’s individual merits. This premise has been inconsistently practiced within the Sunni Muslim community throughout history. Sunni Muslims do not bestow upon human beings the exalted status given only to prophets in the Quran, in contrast to the Shiite veneration of imams. Sunnis have a less elaborate and arguably less powerful religious hierarchy than Shiites. In contrast to Shiites, Sunni religious teachers historically have been under state control. At the same time, Sunni Islam tends to be more flexible in allowing lay persons to serve as prayer leaders and preachers. In their day-to-day practices, Sunnis and Shiites exhibit subtle differences in the performance of their obligatory prayers. Both groups share a similar understanding of basic Islamic beliefs.

Within Sunni Islam, there are four schools of jurisprudence that offer alternative interpretations of legal decisions affecting the lives of Muslims. The four schools of jurisprudence rely mostly on analogy as a way to formulate legal rulings, and they also give different weight to the sayings of the Prophet and his companions (hadith) within their decisions. In some secular countries, such as Turkey, the opinions issued by religious scholars represent moral and social guidelines for how Muslims should practice their religion and are not considered legally binding.

The four legal schools, which vary on certain issues from strict to broad legal interpretations, are:

1. Hanafi: this is the oldest school of law. It was founded in Iraq by Abu Hanifa (d. 767 AD). It is prevalent in Turkey, Central Asia, the Balkans, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh;
2. Maliki: this was founded in the Arabian Peninsula by Malik ibn Anas (d. 795 AD). It is prevalent in North Africa, Mauritania, Kuwait, and Bahrain;
3. Shaf’i: this school was founded by Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (d. 819 AD). It is prevalent in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, parts of Yemen, Indonesia, and Malaysia; and
4. Hanbali: this was founded by Ahmad Hanbal (d. 855). It is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, parts of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

Divisions within Sunnism:
Sunni Islam has had less prominent sectarian divisions than Shiite Islam. The Ibadi sect, which is centered mostly in Oman, East Africa, and in parts of Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, has been sometimes misrepresented as a Sunni sect. Ibadi religious and political dogma generally resembles basic Sunni doctrine, although the Ibadis are neither Sunni nor Shiite. Ibadis believe strongly in the existence of a just Muslim society and argue that religious leaders should be chosen by community leaders for their knowledge and piety, without regard to race or lineage.

The Sunni puritanical movement called “Wahhabism” has become well known in recent years and is arguably the most pervasive revivalist movement in the Islamic world. This movement, founded in Arabia by the scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1791 AD), is considered to be an offshoot of the Hanbali school of law. Abd al-Wahhab encouraged a return to the orthodox practice of the “fundamentals” of Islam, as embodied in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. In the eighteenth century, Muhammad ibn Saud, founder of the modern-day Saudi dynasty, formed an alliance with Abd al-Wahhab and unified the disparate tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. From that point forward, there has been a close relationship between the Saudi ruling family and the Wahhabi religious establishment. The most conservative interpretations of Wahhabi Islam view Shiites and other non-Wahhabi Muslims as dissident heretics.

Following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Shiite Islamic revolution in Iran, Saudi Arabia’s ruling Sunni royal family began more actively promoting Wahhabi religious doctrine abroad and Saudi individuals and organizations since have financed the construction of Wahhabi-oriented mosques, religious schools, and Islamic centers in dozens of countries. The content of Saudi funded religious programs ranges from apolitical to activist depending on its sources and sponsors within the kingdom.​

My Questions:
If you find that my broad understanding (to the extent depicted above) of Islam is awry, please let me know what I'm misunderstanding.

In your opinion:

• What are the religious, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors within the global Muslim community that for the key challenges to the reemergence of a centralized, pan-sectarian, and widely recognized (cross-sect) Islamic religious leadership?
• Islamic culture long ago exhibited a reasonable degree of tolerance for non-Muslim cultures. What catalyzed the departure from that general worldview toward others?
• What do you see as the set of viable -- fully or partially fair -- solutions to present day dissensus within Islam?
• What strikes you as a reasonable set of compromises that Muslims and non-Muslims should be willing to make in order to achieve peace, both globally and within the Middle East/Near East Asia?

Your post is basically correct and highlights the main theological points and history of Sunni Islam.

I mainly started this thread as a forum to answer questions from people who knew little about Islam, have never talked to a muslim, but just needed to clarify certain aspects about the religion and satisfy their curiosity about muslims.

So I am keeping my answers non technical and in everyday parlance.

But when I have time to stop and think. I'll try to answer your very detailed questions. ......

 

[320 Years of History]

For the purpose of providing context, to save you from feeling the need to reply with information that is utterly basic to a good understanding of Islam, and to establish the foundation from which we might agree upon, or clarify as needed, a common understanding for any discussion that may ensure, let me first share what broadly is my understanding of Islam. There's more detail to what I currently understand about Islam and Muslim, but for now, I'll not go in that much detail. Also, since you've stated you'll be replying from a Sunni standpoint, I'll refrain from asking you to speak to or for Shia perspectives.

Basic History:
The differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects are rooted in disagreements over the succession to the Prophet Muhammad, who died in 632 AD, and over the nature of leadership in the Muslim community. The historic debate centered on whether to award leadership to a qualified, pious individual who would follow the customs of the Prophet or to transmit leadership exclusively through the Prophet’s bloodline. The question was settled initially when community leaders elected a companion of the Prophet’s named Abu Bakr to become the first Caliph (Arabic for “successor”). Although most Muslims accepted this decision, some supported the candidacy of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, husband of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima. Ali had played a prominent role during the Prophet’s lifetime, but he lacked seniority within the Arabian tribal system and was bypassed.

This situation was unacceptable to some of Ali’s followers, who considered Abu Bakr and the two succeeding caliphs (Umar and Uthman) to be illegitimate. Ali’s followers believed the Prophet Muhammad himself had named Ali as successor and that the status quo was a violation of divine order. A few of Ali’s partisans orchestrated the murder of the third Caliph Uthman in 656 AD, and Ali was named Caliph. Ali, in turn, was assassinated in 661 AD, and his son, Hussein (680 AD), died in battle against forces of the Sunni caliph. Ali’s eldest son, Hassan (d. 670 AD), is also revered by Shiite Muslims, some of who claim he was poisoned by the Sunni caliph Muawiyah.

Those who supported Ali’s ascendancy became later known as “Shi’a,” a word stemming from the term “shi’at Ali,” meaning “supporters” or “helpers of Ali.” Others respected and accepted the legitimacy of his caliphate but opposed political succession based on bloodline to the Prophet. This group, who constituted the majority of Muslims, came to be known in time as “Sunni,” meaning “followers of [the Prophet’s] customs [sunna].”

The caliphate declined as a religious and political institution after the thirteenth century, although the term “caliph” continued to be used by some Muslim leaders until it was abolished in 1924 by Turkey’s first President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The decline and abolition of the caliphate became a powerful religious and political symbol to some Sunni Islamic activists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These activists argued that leaders in the Islamic world had undermined the caliphate by abandoning the “true path” of Islam. Inspired by these figures, some contemporary Sunni Muslims, such as Osama bin Laden and others, advocate the restoration of a new caliphate based on “pure” Islamic principles.

Core Beliefs:
Although there are considerable differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam, the two Islamic sects share common traditions, beliefs, and doctrines. All Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah (the Arabic word for God). All believe that they must abide by the revelations given to the Prophet by Allah (as recorded in the Quran) and by the hadith (sayings of the Prophet and his companions). The concepts of piety, striving for goodness, and social justice are fundamental to Islamic belief and practice. Additionally, all Muslims are expected to live in accordance with the five pillars of Islam:

1. shahada -- recital of the creed “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”;
2. alat -- five obligatory prayers in a day;
3. zakat -- giving alms to the poor;
4. sawm -- fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan; and
5. hajj -- making a pilgrimage to Mecca once during a lifetime if one is physically and financially able.

The basic sources for Islamic jurisprudence, be it Sunni or Shiite, are the Quran, the sunna (customs of the Prophet Muhammad) as relayed in the hadith, qiyas (analogy), ijma’ (consensus), and ijtihad (individual reasoning). The primary function of the learned religious leaders is the interpretation of Islamic law (shari’a). There are no codified laws in either Sunni or Shiite Islam. Rather, there are sources for the interpretation of law, and these sources are similar among Shiites and Sunnis. Shiite hadith differ from Sunni hadith, mainly in that they include the sayings of the Shiite imams who are considered to have been divinely inspired. Shiite legal interpretation also allows more space for human reasoning than Sunni interpretation does.

Basic Sunnism -- Religion and Religious Law:
The majority of Muslims today are Sunnis. They accept the first four Caliphs (including Ali) as the “rightly guided” rulers who followed the Prophet. In theory, Sunnis believe that the leader (imam) of the Muslim community should be selected on the basis of communal consensus, on the existing political order, and on a leader’s individual merits. This premise has been inconsistently practiced within the Sunni Muslim community throughout history. Sunni Muslims do not bestow upon human beings the exalted status given only to prophets in the Quran, in contrast to the Shiite veneration of imams. Sunnis have a less elaborate and arguably less powerful religious hierarchy than Shiites. In contrast to Shiites, Sunni religious teachers historically have been under state control. At the same time, Sunni Islam tends to be more flexible in allowing lay persons to serve as prayer leaders and preachers. In their day-to-day practices, Sunnis and Shiites exhibit subtle differences in the performance of their obligatory prayers. Both groups share a similar understanding of basic Islamic beliefs.

Within Sunni Islam, there are four schools of jurisprudence that offer alternative interpretations of legal decisions affecting the lives of Muslims. The four schools of jurisprudence rely mostly on analogy as a way to formulate legal rulings, and they also give different weight to the sayings of the Prophet and his companions (hadith) within their decisions. In some secular countries, such as Turkey, the opinions issued by religious scholars represent moral and social guidelines for how Muslims should practice their religion and are not considered legally binding.

The four legal schools, which vary on certain issues from strict to broad legal interpretations, are:

1. Hanafi: this is the oldest school of law. It was founded in Iraq by Abu Hanifa (d. 767 AD). It is prevalent in Turkey, Central Asia, the Balkans, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh;
2. Maliki: this was founded in the Arabian Peninsula by Malik ibn Anas (d. 795 AD). It is prevalent in North Africa, Mauritania, Kuwait, and Bahrain;
3. Shaf’i: this school was founded by Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (d. 819 AD). It is prevalent in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, parts of Yemen, Indonesia, and Malaysia; and
4. Hanbali: this was founded by Ahmad Hanbal (d. 855). It is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, parts of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

Divisions within Sunnism:
Sunni Islam has had less prominent sectarian divisions than Shiite Islam. The Ibadi sect, which is centered mostly in Oman, East Africa, and in parts of Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, has been sometimes misrepresented as a Sunni sect. Ibadi religious and political dogma generally resembles basic Sunni doctrine, although the Ibadis are neither Sunni nor Shiite. Ibadis believe strongly in the existence of a just Muslim society and argue that religious leaders should be chosen by community leaders for their knowledge and piety, without regard to race or lineage.

The Sunni puritanical movement called “Wahhabism” has become well known in recent years and is arguably the most pervasive revivalist movement in the Islamic world. This movement, founded in Arabia by the scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1791 AD), is considered to be an offshoot of the Hanbali school of law. Abd al-Wahhab encouraged a return to the orthodox practice of the “fundamentals” of Islam, as embodied in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. In the eighteenth century, Muhammad ibn Saud, founder of the modern-day Saudi dynasty, formed an alliance with Abd al-Wahhab and unified the disparate tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. From that point forward, there has been a close relationship between the Saudi ruling family and the Wahhabi religious establishment. The most conservative interpretations of Wahhabi Islam view Shiites and other non-Wahhabi Muslims as dissident heretics.

Following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Shiite Islamic revolution in Iran, Saudi Arabia’s ruling Sunni royal family began more actively promoting Wahhabi religious doctrine abroad and Saudi individuals and organizations since have financed the construction of Wahhabi-oriented mosques, religious schools, and Islamic centers in dozens of countries. The content of Saudi funded religious programs ranges from apolitical to activist depending on its sources and sponsors within the kingdom.​

My Questions:
If you find that my broad understanding (to the extent depicted above) of Islam is awry, please let me know what I'm misunderstanding.

In your opinion:

• What are the religious, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors within the global Muslim community that for the key challenges to the reemergence of a centralized, pan-sectarian, and widely recognized (cross-sect) Islamic religious leadership?
• Islamic culture long ago exhibited a reasonable degree of tolerance for non-Muslim cultures. What catalyzed the departure from that general worldview toward others?
• What do you see as the set of viable -- fully or partially fair -- solutions to present day dissensus within Islam?
• What strikes you as a reasonable set of compromises that Muslims and non-Muslims should be willing to make in order to achieve peace, both globally and within the Middle East/Near East Asia?

Your post is basically correct and highlights the main theological points and history of Sunni Islam.

I mainly started this thread as a forum to answer questions from people who knew little about Islam, have never talked to a muslim, but just needed to clarify certain aspects about the religion and satisfy their curiosity about muslims.

So I am keeping my answers non technical and in everyday parlance.

But when I have time to stop and think. I'll try to answer your very detailed questions. ......

Fair enough. I understand.

 

[irosie91]

Do the women have to wear burkas everywhere?

Burkas are a cultural form of female clothing, and is mainly worn in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.

They are worn whenever a woman steps outside of her house. .....

Another thing I noticed over there was Arabs and Turks don't mix.

turks actively despise arabs-- Iranians despise anyone not Iranian----especially arabs----who are mostly sunni. ----but even Shiite arabs and also southeastern shiites

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

I will entertain legitimate questions about Islam and muslims.

They will be answered from a Sunni muslim perspective.

Questions I deem to be attacks or disingenuous will be ignored. .....

I was gonna applaud you for taking some heat 'til I read the final line.

 

[irosie91]

Is there a way to know who is Sunni and who is Shiite by just appearances?


edit; I asked because if Sunni's are discriminated against in Iran how do you know who is which?

rodi----they KNOW------RIGHT AWAY. I will recount my own experience in the USA---working in a situation that brought LOTS of young muslims from "over there" to the USA. I did not know HOW they knew------but just after a few hours of observing Iranian, Pakistani, arab, Indian etc muslims --meeting for the first time--------I saw DAGGERS flying out of
eyes

 

[Sunni Man]

The seclusion and separation of women is known as "purdah" (curtain) in muslim culture.

The word is used to describe the practice of physically segregating women from from men in social situations. Such as seating in restaurants, public events, or at the mosque. And to denote the concealing of a female's body "arwa" (beauty) with clothing that covers her skin and hair.

The rules of purdah allow a woman to uncover herself in her home around male relatives that she would not be allowed to marry; father, uncles, brothers, sons.

If you are invited to visit inside a muslim home. The women will either be covered, or completely absent from view, depending on the country they are from. ......

 

[irosie91]

The seclusion and separation of women is known as "purdah" (curtain) in muslim culture.

The word is used to describe the practice of physically segregating women from from men in social situations. Such as seating in restaurants, public events, or at the mosque. And to denote the concealing of a female's body "arwa" (beauty) with clothing that covers her skin and hair.

The rules of purdah allow a woman to uncover herself in her home around male relatives that she would not be allowed to marry; father, uncles, brothers, sons.

If you are invited to visit inside a muslim home. The women will either be covered, or completely absent from view, depending on the country they are from. ......

in real Islamic shariah places------JUST NOT THERE------that which we call the "living room" is for men only-----the women are in the kitchen or the chicken coop. ...girl children do not even play with boy children----even their own cousins (of course cousins are eligible for marriage).
My informants have been mostly Pakistanis and relatives thru marriage who have survived classical shariah as dhimmis. According to the relatives----none would so much as set
foot in the home of a muslim------they were not from Pakistan----but a middle eastern
classically shariah inflicted state.

 

[Sunni Man]

I have been invited into the homes of many muslim families for refreshments such as tea and sweets, or a complete dinner.

In most muslim homes there is a living room full of couches where the men sit and engage in conversation.

When dinner is served, the men and women eat in separate rooms.

(when it's just the family eating, they all set together like any other family)

As far as young children are concerned. Boys and girls interact and play together like the children of non muslim families. Although once a child hits puberty; they are separated from the other children. The boys start sitting with the men. And the girls begin covering and join the women's groups. .....

 

[irosie91]

I have been invited into the homes of many muslim families for refreshments such as tea and sweets, or a complete dinner.

In many muslim homes these is a living room full of couches where the men set and engage in conversation.

When dinner is served, the men and women eat in separate rooms.

(when it's just the family eating, they all set together like any other family)

As far as children are concerned. Boys and girls interact and play together like any other children of non muslim families. But once a child hits puberty, they are separated. The boys start setting with the men. And the girls begin covering and join the women's groups. .....

not actually so-----girls and boys are separated long before PUBERTY HITS------Puberty for a girl in most third world societies does not HIT until 12 to 14. Ten year old girls do not run around in the fields with little boys at age ten in shariah societies-----or ride bikes out in the streets (like I did-------)---I had friends from the BALKANS way back then------sorta muslims but not at all adherent-----except for the old customs---
two little girls-------would not come into my house when any of my four brothers were home-------or to the home of our mutual friend----when her big brother was there

 

[Sunni Man]

Although irosie has a lot of fanciful "second hand" stories about muslims and their customs.

I have actually been invited into the homes of muslim families dozens of times. These were families from several African countries, most of the Arab gulf states, and some of the Asian muslim nations.

Thus I have a wealth of first hand experience into the lives of the average muslim family, their culture, and how they interact with each other. ......

 

[irosie91]

Although irosie has a lot of fanciful "second hand" stories about muslims and their customs.

I have actually been invited into the homes of muslim families dozens of times. These were families from several African countries, most of the Arab gulf states, and some of the Asian muslim nations.

Thus I have a wealth of first hand experience into the lives of the average muslim family, their culture, and how they interact with each other. ......

SO HAVE I------muslims living in the USA-------many many times. I ALSO have information from muslims who grew up
in shariah cesspits------so I got first hand information-----
from muslims and former dhimmis. I grew up ----as just about their ONLY playmate-----neighbor sisters who carried on life
that their Balkan parents understood as "normal"-------none of the other girls in the neighborhood found them "normal". The did not remain in the same room with-----the BOYS when we were kids. It boggled my mind that they seemed AFRAID OF BOYS

 

[irosie91]

Although irosie has a lot of fanciful "second hand" stories about muslims and their customs.

I have actually been invited into the homes of muslim families dozens of times. These were families from several African countries, most of the Arab gulf states, and some of the Asian muslim nations.

Thus I have a wealth of first hand experience into the lives of the average muslim family, their culture, and how they interact with each other. ......

SO HAVE I------muslims living in the USA-------many many times. I ALSO have information from muslims who grew up
in shariah cesspits------so I got first hand information-----
from muslims and former dhimmis. I grew up ----as just about their ONLY playmate-----neighbor sisters who carried on life
that their Balkan parents understood as "normal"-------none of the other girls in the neighborhood found them "normal". The did not remain in the same room with-----the BOYS when we were kids. It boggled my mind that they seemed AFRAID OF BOYS

PS----I never associated their actions with "islam"------I was a naïve child back then and they were not OPENLY muslim-----not outside or inside their home

 

[Sunni Man]

Irosie, as I stated in the OP.

This thread was created for people who have "questions" about Islam and muslims.

If you have a question please post it.

Otherwise vacate the thread.

Thank you ....

 

[hauke]

How do you think about the fact that mohamed invented Islam ?

lets take mekka and the khabba

before mohamed

mekkha was the local center for gods, every tribe had a god and every god was in the khabba(see the koran, its writen there)

so mekka made money of all the tribes comming to mekka to worship their gods in the kabba (see the koran its writen there)

then mohamed decided, ey lets get rid of all these small gods and take the gods of the christians and jews and steal him and make him the god of our city, mekka and we will make a lot off money.


and so mohamed invented islam to make money for mekka

itd an obviouse invention because islam although claiming to be in continuety with the thora and new testament, simply igonores them and says they are wrong so mekka can make money

what do you think ?

 

[hauke]

christianity was created to make peace in the world without priests.

didn t work, theres a pope

and no peace