Differences between and war of Shiite and Sunni Arab Tribes

War of Shiite and Sunni Arab tribes

When discussing the Near and Middle East, the words keep coming back. The Arab League is composed mainly of Sunni countries, Iran is the great Shiite power, the clan of Bashar al-Assad "President ofSyria" represents the Alawite minority in Syria ... What are the differences between these branches of Islam ?

Between Shia and Sunni schism in 632

While the Prophet Muhammad is alive, Islam as one and the same current. In the year 632, the death of Muhammad, to differences arise.

First Shiites and Sunnis do not recognize him the samesuccessor.

Those who choose Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son of Mohammed, will become the Shiites,while those, the majority, who prefer to follow Abu Bakr, companion of Muhammad, become SunniTalib.

Ali ibn Abi The son of the Prophet Muhammad and the fourth caliph (successor of the Prophet) is murdered with a poisoned sword thrust in front of the mosque of Kufa, in Mesopotamia (Iraq today) . His killer is none other than his former supporters became a follower of the sect kharidjite. Ali's death causes a serious schism in the Muslim world between Shiites of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who advocate rigorous in the practice of religion and the Sunnis, defenders of flexible application of Islamic doctrine. The next caliph, Moawiya, a Sunni, will establish the capital of the Arab empire in Damascus and founded the Umayyad dynasty inheritedAs-Siddiq.

or Abu Abu BakrWhen Muhammad isolated himself in the cave of Hira to meditate and to pray Abu Bakr, his future father-in companion and was then one of the richest merchants of Mecca.

Was he aware of the spiritual quest of his compatriot? He had to learn, like most people of Mecca, Muhammad, the husband of the rich Khadija had an attraction for meditation and spirituality. He had to be aware of his moral behavior, unusual at the time, which had earned him the nickname al-Amin (the trustworthy).

That is why, no doubt, he had to follow as soon as he began to preach that the Holy Spirit revealed to him.

Moreover, the Islamic sources emphasize the sweet and spiritual character of Abu Bakr. It was the same with his penchant for asceticism and detachment from the things of this world. It is related to this, that even became caliph, temporal successor of the Prophet, he went about his personal business, selling clothes at the market to support herself. This shows how this illustrious man was ready to receive the teachings of the Prophet and become one of his most intimate companions.

Abu Bakr belonged to the famous tribe ofQuraysh.Having a common ancestor with the Prophet, so it was a product of the Arab nobility ... As if it was predestined role that would be his, the stories that relate to the subject indicate that his behavior and morality in his childhood and youth were at odds with those of his fellow citizens. Was praised his honesty in business affairs. They admired his wisdom and weighting. Some sources report that the nickname As-Siddiq (the truthful, sincere) it was assigned by his countrymen for his moral integrity.

Others, cons, believe that this name was given by the Prophet himself because " he was the first to believe in the divine message without ever doubted, even in the most difficult moments. Anyway, this does not diminish the merit of this great man that Divine Providence has chosen as a strong pillar to support the mission of the last messenger.

 

Already, when the Prophet returned from his famous celestial journey (al-mi'raj) and that its citizens began to deride, Abu Bakr, whom they turned out to him for the alleged insanity of his companion replied imperturbably:

"By God, I believe in more than that; I believe with certainty that he receives revelation from
his Lord the top of the seventh heaven. "
 

This extraordinary man was born in Mecca two years after the Prophet. His father was called 'Uthman, but was nicknamed Abu Quhafa. As for her mother, she called Salma, but was known by the nickname of al-Khayr Umm. He received a solid education making him one of the most prominent people of the Meccan society.

 

From a young age, his reputation as an honest, loyal, wise and honest, prevailed as his fellow citizens. Quraysh tribe is reported chose him to represent them in discussions during tribal conflicts where there was loss of life. These discussions were used to fix the price of blood (ad-diyya). It is obvious that in order to be appointed to hold that role, he had to have been proven in wisdom and maturity.

It is also reported that he was in great demand by his fellow citizens for his advice which were of great utility.

Figure of great nobility, he was very generous to the poor and needy. All these qualities could only raise the esteem and sympathy of the people of good character and of good character then known as Mecca.

Secondly a very different clerical organization

Shiites  recognize 12 imams, reputed infallible in the interpretation of the Koran. Of these 12 are the two imams son of Ali. The Shia believe that the Twelfth Imam will return to the end of time to judge men.

Mahi victory of Islam over other religions

For Shiites, the Koran is a human work, whereas the Sunnis he has a divine character.

The expectation of Mahdi

For Sunnis, the cycle of prophecy is closed. Incontrast,Shiism expects and prepares for the arrival of the "Mahdi", a sort of Messiah"will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is now filled with injustice and tyranny. " This expectation, which often involves among Shiites rejection of the existing order and preparation for the arrival of the Mahdi, is a destabilizing factor.

Imamate Caliphate against

For the Shia, the existence depends on the presence of an imam living intercessor between the spiritual and temporal world, between the Prophet and the believers. The imam has, as part of the exegesis of the Koran "knowledge"and "infallibility".

The Qur'an has a clear direction and a "hidden" to be studied and that the imams are responsible for transmitting to the most deserving faithful. This emphasis on Imam

has no equivalent in the Sunni and explains the organization, prioritization and authority of the Shiite clergy (eg, Iran).

Predetermination Action against

Shiism practice the method of Kalam (deductivereasoning),which emphasizes on reasoning, argumentation, free will and character set of the Qur'an, the opposite of Sunni Islam. Shiites believe in the freedom of the individual will. Sunnism has indeed Sunna, that is to say, the Tradition of theProphet,which includes his words, his actions and practices. Sunni Muslim be further back mimetically perpetuate the tradition of the Prophet. Sunnis believe that the Qur'an, the word of God was not created, and that the universe and history are predetermined.

Beyond the Qur'an, Sunnis are faithful to the "sunna"the actions of Muhammad. Through the Sunna, Sunnis are trying to imitate the Prophet. They consider that history is predetermined, while the Shiites more emphasis on individual freedom.

Loyalty toSunnah

theSunni corresponds to all Muslim communities characterized by the emphasis on loyalty the Sunna (tradition of the Prophet), which tells the instruction, the words, the facts and actions of Muhammad, serves legislation as an example and a model for Sunnis. Recorded in the Hadith, Sunnah is the second source of Sunni Islam, following the revealed word of the Qur'an.

Through the Sunna, the Prophet is for believers a source of imitation, a pattern of behavior, both on the terms of individual ethics than on Community law.

This submission to the divine order and tradition, whatever the historical situation has sometimes wipe fatalism reproaches. In fact, the Sunni has a great power of adaptation and assimilation: Conservative, which prohibit innovation (bid'ah), as for the Liberals, who permitted by analogical reasoning, the orthodoxy of Sunni is defined by the principle of consensus (idjmaa).

In this sense, an innovation at its beginning can be considered reprehensible (Kufr), but if, over time, this practice is beneficial recognized unanimously by doctors then it becomes impossible to make historical criticism or seek to show that it has no basis in the Quran without getting inposition. heterodoxy Thus, one can separate from the set of ideas community of his time without separate from that community.

Shi'ism  also differs from Sunnism by the existence of a very hierarchical clergy. While the Sunnis accept that the political and religious authority is melted in one person (as in Morocco, where the king is commander of the faithful), among Shiite political power to reckon with the power, distinct, religious authorities ( ayatollahs inIran,for example).

Third ultra-Sunni majority

Sunnis constitute the mainstream, even very large majority, of Islam. In the world, Muslims are divided between about 85% Sunni against Shia 15%.

The Shiites, however the majority in Iran,Iraq in recent years and Bahrain.

InLebanon,the Shiites have also become the majority community recently ( they now outnumber Christians and Sunni Muslims)Druze..

with about 20% Shiite, Pakistan also has a large number of followers of Ali

fourth thekharidjites, Alawite, small dissident branches

Thekharidjisme is a cult that was formed in660.As Shiism, she appeared at the time of succession disputes after the death of Muhammad. The Kharijites have criticized Ali to rely to a human and not divine decision to decide who would lead the community. This is also a kharidjite who murdered Ali. This tradition is present among the Berbers of North Africa.

The Alawites are a dissident branch of Shiism, Alawite means "follower of Ali." They see it as the incarnation of God on earth. Much less legalistic than Kharijites, they pray at home and drink alcohol. Very few, they are in power in Syria, through the clan Assad, the current president of Syria.

The Alawites shared with another community, the Druze, the habit of keeping their secret rites. Divided between Lebanon, northern Israel and Syria, the Druze 500,000 practice non-proselytizing religion: if one is not born into a Druze family, we can not become Druze. Forming a "heretical" branch of Shiism, high esoteric dimension, Druze believe that God occurs periodically in human form.

© Alain Laprise June 14, 2014