Shiism and Sunnism are the two largest movements in Islam. Over the centuries, they have repeatedly been drawn into confrontation with each other, and not only because of religious differences.
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, Islam is practiced by 1.188 billion people (19.6% of the world's population); of them Sunnis - 1 billion (16.6%); Shiites - 170.1 million (2.8%); Kharijites - 1.6 million (0.026%).
two branches
The split in Islam occurred shortly after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, when a wave of apostasy swept the Muslim East. The Arabs plunged into the abyss of unrest and discord. Among the followers of the prophet, a dispute arose over who should have spiritual and political power in the Arab Caliphate.
Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, the Righteous Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib, became a key figure in the division of the Muslims. After his assassination, part of the believers believed that only the descendants of Ali had the right to become hereditary caliphs, since they were connected by blood ties with the prophet Muhammad. As a result, the majority won, which supported the elected caliphs.
Since then, the name "Shiites" ("followers of Ali") has been attached to the first. The second began to be called "Sunnis" (following the sacred tradition - "Sunni").
This radically affected the distribution of power: the Sunnis dominated the Arab East for centuries, while the Shiites were forced to remain in the shadows.
Sunnis are primarily the history of such powerful states as the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, as well as Ottoman Empire. The Shiites are their eternal opposition, obeying the principle of "takiya" ("prudence" and "prudence"). Until the end of the 20th century, the relationship between the two branches of Islam did without serious armed clashes.
contradictions
The differences between Sunnis and Shiites are not primarily dogma, but religious law. Discrepancies in the positions of the two Islamic movements affect the norms of behavior, the principles of some legal decisions, are reflected in the nature of holidays and attitudes towards non-Christians.
The Koran is the main book for any believing Muslim, but for the Sunnis, the Sunnahs are no less important - a set of norms and rules based on examples from the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
According to the Sunnis, exact adherence to the prescriptions of the Sunnahs is the creed of a faithful Muslim.
However, some Sunni sects take this literally. So the Taliban of Afghanistan have every detail appearance strictly regulated, down to the size of the beard.
Sunni dogmatism is unacceptable to Shiites. From their point of view, this gives rise to various radical movements, such as Wahhabism. In turn, the Sunnis consider heresy the tradition according to which the Shiites call their ayatollahs (religious title) the messengers of Allah.
Sunnis do not recognize the infallibility of people, while Shiites believe that imams are infallible in all deeds, principles and faith.
If the main Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by all Muslims according to the same traditions, then there are discrepancies on the day of Ashura. For Shiites, the day of Ashura is a memorial event associated with the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad.
At present, in some Shiite communities, the practice has been preserved when, accompanied by mourning chants, believers inflict bleeding wounds on themselves with a sword or chains. For Sunnis, this day is no different from any other day of mourning.
Sunnis disagree with Shiites in the assessment of temporary marriage. Sunnis believe that a temporary marriage was allowed by the Prophet Muhammad during one of his military campaigns, but he soon canceled it. But Shiite preachers, referring to one of the verses, recognize temporary marriages and do not limit their number.
currents
Each of the two main Islamic directions is heterogeneous within itself and has many currents that differ markedly from each other.
So, Sufism, which arose in the bosom of Sunnism, due to dilution with Hindu and Christian traditions, is considered by orthodox Muslims to be a distortion of the teachings of Muhammad. And some practices - the veneration of dead teachers - or the concept - the dissolution of the Sufi in God - are completely recognized as contrary to Islam.
Wahhabis also oppose the pilgrimage to the graves of saints. In 1998, as part of a campaign to destroy idols, Wahhabis razed the grave of the mother of the Prophet Muhammad to the ground, which caused a wave of protests throughout the Islamic world.
Most Muslim theologians refer to Wahhabism as the radical wing of Islam. The struggle of the latter to purify Islam from "foreign impurities" often goes beyond the scope of true teaching and acquires an openly terrorist character.
Shiism could not do without radical sects. However, unlike Wahhabism, they do not pose any serious threat to society. For example, the Ghurabites believe that the cousins Muhammad and Ali were outwardly similar to each other, and therefore the angel Jabril erroneously gave a prophecy to Muhammad. And the Damites even claim that Ali was a god, and Muhammad was his messenger.
A more significant trend in Shiism is Ismailism. His followers adhere to the concept that Allah instilled his divine essence in the earthly prophets - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. The arrival of the seventh messiah, according to their beliefs, will bring universal justice and prosperity to the world.
Alawites are considered one of the distant branches of Shiism. Their dogmas are based on a variety of spiritual traditions - pre-Islamic religions, Gnostic Christianity, Greek philosophy, astral cults. The family of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs to the Alawites.
Escalation of the conflict
The Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran radically influenced the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites. If in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, after the gaining of independence by the Arab countries, a course was taken for their rapprochement (for example, marriages between Sunnis and Shiites were considered the norm), now the Arabs were drawn into an open armed confrontation.
The revolution in Iran contributed to the growth of the religious and national identity of the Shiites, who significantly strengthened their positions in Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain.
Sunni majority Saudi Arabia this was seen as "Iranian expansion", and the Saudis immediately entered into rivalry with post-revolutionary Iran.
The caliphate that Sunnis and Shiites once fought over is long gone, and their theological differences are so minor that they cannot be a cause of war. It was obvious that the Shiite-Sunni confrontation had finally turned from a religious channel into a political one.
Thus, the Iran-Iraq conflict was viewed from the perspective of a “war of Persians and Arabs”, and for the United States, which invaded Iraq in 2003, it was a matter of supporting the Shiite minority “oppressed” by the Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein. Time will pass and already Shiite Iran will be the main threat to the US State Department.
But the growing popularity of Shiism and the influence of Iran primarily worried Saudi Arabia. Its political elites, linked to the West by military and financial ties, were not shy about choosing means to solve their problems. The split flywheel was started. Shiite-Sunni contradictions turn into large-scale terrorist attacks in Lebanon, an uprising in Saudi Arabia, and a civil war in Syria.
At one time, Imam Khomeini remarked: “The enmity between Sunnis and Shiites is a conspiracy of the West. Discord between us is beneficial only to the enemies of Islam. Anyone who does not understand this is neither a Sunni nor a Shia.”
Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites - the names of these and other religious groups of Islam can often be found in the news today, but for many these words mean nothing.
The broadest movement in Islam.
What does the title mean
Arabic: Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama'a ("people of the Sunnah and the consent of the community"). The first part of the name means following the path of the prophet (ahl as-sunna), and the second - recognition of the great mission of the prophet and his companions in solving problems, following their path.
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The Sunnah is the second fundamental book of Islam after the Koran. This is an oral tradition, later formalized in the form of hadiths, sayings of the companions of the prophet about the sayings and actions of Muhammad.
Although originally oral in nature, it is the main guide for Muslims.
When did
After the death of Caliph Uthman in 656.
How many adherents
About one and a half billion people. 90% of all Muslims.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
Sunnis are very sensitive to following the Sunnah of the prophet. The Qur'an and the Sunnah are the two main sources of faith, however, if a life problem is not described in them, one should trust one's reasonable choice.
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Six collections of hadiths are considered reliable (Ibn-Maji, an-Nasai, Imam Muslim, al-Bukhari, Abu Daud and at-Tirmidhi).
The reign of the first four Islamic princes - caliphs is considered righteous: Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali.
In Islam, madhhabs are also developed - legal schools and aqida - "concepts of faith". Sunnis recognize four madhhabs (Malikit, Shafi'i, Hanafi and Shabali) and three concepts of faith (maturidism, Ash'ari doctrine and Asaria).
What does the title mean
Shiya - "adherents", "followers".
When did
After the death of Caliph Usman, revered by the Muslim community, in 656.
How many adherents
According to various estimates, from 10 to 20 percent of all Muslims. The number of Shiites may be about 200 million people.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
They recognize the only righteous caliph of the cousin and uncle of the prophet - caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib. According to the Shiites, he is the only one who was born in the Kaaba - the main shrine of the Mohammedans in Mecca.
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Shiites are distinguished by the conviction that the leadership of the ummah (Muslim community) should be carried out by the highest spiritual persons chosen by Allah - imams, mediators between God and man.
The first twelve imams from the Ali family (who lived in 600-874 from Ali to Mahdi) are recognized as saints.
The latter is considered to have mysteriously disappeared (“hidden” by God), he must appear before the End of the World in the form of a messiah.
The main trend of the Shiites is the Twelver Shiites, who are traditionally called Shiites. The school of law that corresponds to them is the Jafarite madhhab. There are a lot of Shiite sects and currents: these are Ismailis, Druze, Alawites, Zaidis, Sheikhs, Kaysanites, Yarsan.
Holy places
Mosques of Imam Hussein and al-Abbas in Karbala (Iraq), Mosque of Imam Ali in Najaf (Iraq), Mosque of Imam Reza in Mashhad (Iran), Ali-Askari Mosque in Samarra (Iraq).
What does the title mean
Sufism or tasawwuf comes according to different versions from the word "suf" (wool) or "as-safa" (purity). Also, originally the expression "ahl as-suffa" (people of the bench) meant the poor companions of Muhammad who lived in his mosque. They were distinguished by their asceticism.
When did
VIII century. It is divided into three periods: asceticism (zuhd), Sufism (tasavvuf), the period of Sufi brotherhoods (tarikat).
How many adherents
The number of modern followers is small, but they can be found in a wide variety of countries.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
Muhammad, in the opinion of the Sufis, showed by his example the path of spiritual education of the individual and society - asceticism, contentment with little, contempt for earthly goods, wealth and power. The askhabs (companions of Muhammad) and the ahl al-suffa (people of the bench) also followed the right path. Asceticism was inherent in many subsequent hadith collectors, reciters of the Koran and participants in jihad (mujahideen).
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The main features of Sufism are a very strict adherence to the Koran and the Sunnah, reflections on the meaning of the Koran, additional prayers and fasting, renunciation of everything worldly, the cult of poverty, refusal to cooperate with the authorities. Sufi teachings have always been focused on man, his intentions and the realization of truths.
Many Islamic scholars and philosophers were Sufis. Tarikats are real monastic orders of the Sufis, glorified in Islamic culture. Murids, students of Sufi sheikhs, were brought up in modest monasteries and cells scattered across the deserts. Dervishes are hermit monks. Among the Sufis they could be found very often.
Sunni school of belief, the majority of adherents are Salafis.
What does the title mean
Asar means "trace", "tradition", "quote".
When did
They reject kalam (Muslim philosophy) and adhere to a strict and direct reading of the Qur'an. In their opinion, people should not come up with a rational explanation for obscure places in the text, but accept them as they are. It is believed that the Koran was not created by anyone, but is the direct speech of God. Anyone who denies this is not considered a Muslim.
Salafis
It is they who are most often associated with Islamic fundamentalists.
What does the title mean
As-salaf - "ancestors", "predecessors". As-salaf as-salihun - a call to follow the lifestyle of righteous ancestors.
When did
Formed in the IX-XIV centuries.
How many adherents
According to American Islamic experts, the number of Salafists around the world can reach 50 million.
Main areas of residence
Faith in an unconditionally one God, rejection of innovations, alien cultural impurities in Islam. Salafis are the main critics of Sufis. It is considered a Sunni movement.
Notable Representatives
The Salafis refer to their teachers as Islamic theologians al-Shafi'i, Ibn Hanbal and Ibn Taymiyyah. The well-known organization "Muslim Brotherhood" is cautiously ranked among the Salafists.
Wahhabis
What does the title mean
Wahhabism or al-Wahhabiya is understood in Islam as a rejection of innovations or everything that was not in the original Islam, the cultivation of resolute monotheism and the rejection of the worship of saints, the struggle for the purification of religion (jihad). Named after the Arab theologian Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab
When did
In the XVIII century.
How many adherents
In some countries, the number can reach 5% of all Muslims, however, there are no exact statistics.
Main areas of residence
Small groups in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and pointwise throughout the Islamic world. The region of appearance is Arabia.
They share Salafi ideas, why names are often used as synonyms. However, the term "Wahhabis" is often understood as derogatory.
Mu'tazilites
What does the title mean
"Separated", "departed". Self-name - ahl al-adl wa-tawhid (people of justice and monotheism).
When did
VIII-IX centuries.
One of the first major directions in kalam (literally: “word”, “speech”, reasoning on the topic of religion and philosophy). Basic principles:
justice (al-adl): God gives free will, but cannot violate the established best, just order;
monotheism (al-tawhid): the denial of polytheism and human likeness, the eternity of all divine attributes, but the absence of eternity of speech, from which follows the creation of the Koran;
fulfillment of promises: God certainly fulfills all promises and threats;
intermediate state: a Muslim who has committed a serious sin leaves the number of believers, but does not become an unbeliever;
command and approval: a Muslim must fight evil by all means.
Houthis (Zaydites, Jarudites)
What does the title mean
The name "Jarudites" comes from the name of Abul-Jarud Hamdani, a student of ash-Shafi'i. And the "Houthis" according to the leader of the group "Ansar Allah" (helpers or defenders of Allah) Hussein al-Houthi.
When did
The teachings of the Zaidis - the 8th century, the Jarudites - the 9th century.
The Houthis are a movement of the late 20th century.
How many adherents
Estimated around 7 million.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
Zeidism (named after the theologian Zeid ibn Ali) is the original Islamic direction to which the Jarudites and the Houthis belong. The Zaidis believe that the imams must be from the lineage of Ali, but they reject his divine nature. They reject the doctrine of the "hidden" imam, the "prudent concealment of faith", the human likeness of God and absolute predestination. The Jarudites believe that Ali was chosen as caliph on descriptive grounds only. The Houthis are a modern organization of Zaidi-Jarudites.
Kharijites
What does the title mean
"Speakers", "left".
When did
After the battle between Ali and Muawiyah in 657.
How many adherents
Small groups, no more than 2 million worldwide.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
They share the basic views of the Sunnis, but recognize only the first two righteous caliphs - Umar and Abu Bakr, stand for the equality of all Muslims of the Ummah (Arabs and other peoples), for the election of caliphs and their possession of only executive power.
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Islam distinguishes major sins (polytheism, slander, murder of a believer, flight from the battlefield, weakness of faith, adultery, committing a minor sin in Mecca, homosexuality, perjury, living on interest, drinking alcohol, pork, carrion) and minor sins (not recommended and prohibited activities).
According to the Kharijites, for a major sin, a Muslim is equated with an infidel.
One of the main "original" directions of Islam, along with Shiism and Sunnism.
What does the title mean
Named after the theologian Abdullah ibn Ibad.
When did
At the end of the 7th century.
How many adherents
Less than 2 million worldwide.
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs
According to the Ibadis, any Muslim can be the imam of the community, referring to the hadith about the prophet, in which Muhammad argued that even if an “Ethiopian slave with his nostrils torn out” establishes the law of Islam in the community, then he must be obeyed.
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Abu Bakr and Umar are considered righteous caliphs. The imam must be a full-fledged head of the community: both a judge, and a military leader, and an expert on the Koran. Unlike the Sunnis, they believe that hell lasts forever, the Koran was created by people, and God cannot be seen even in Paradise or imagined to look like a person.
Azrakites and Najdites
It is believed that the Wahhabis are the most radical branch of Islam, but in the past there were much more intolerant trends.
What does the title mean
The Azraqites are named after their spiritual leader - Abu Rashid Nafi ibn al-Azraq, the Najdites - after the founder of Najda ibn Amir al-Hanafi.
When did
Ideas and customs of the Azarkites
A radical offshoot of Kharijism. They rejected the Shiite principle of "prudent concealment of one's faith" (for example, under pain of death and other extreme cases). Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib (revered by many Muslims), Usman ibn Affan and their followers were considered unbelievers. The Azraqites considered the uncontrolled territories to be the “land of war” (dar al-harb), and the population living on it was subject to destruction. Azrakites tested those who moved to them by offering to kill a slave. Those who refused were killed themselves.
Ideas and customs of the Najdites
The existence of a caliph in religion is not necessary, there can be self-government in the community. The killing of Christians, Muslims and other non-Christians is permitted. In Sunni territories, you can hide your beliefs. The one who sins does not become unfaithful. Only those who persist in their sin and commit it repeatedly can become unfaithful. One of the sects, which subsequently broke away from the Najdites, even allowed marriages with granddaughters.
Ismailis
What does the title mean
Named after the son of the sixth Shiite Imam Jafar al-Sadiq - Ismail.
When did
End of the 8th century.
How many adherents
About 20 million
Main areas of residence
Ismailism bears some features of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and small ancient cults. Adherents believe that Allah instilled his divine spirit in the prophets from Adam to Muhammad. Each prophet is accompanied by a "samit" (silent one), who only interprets the words of the prophet. With each appearance of such a prophet, Allah reveals to people the secrets of the universal mind and divine truth.
Man possesses complete freedom will. 7 prophets should come into the world, and between their appearances, the community should be ruled by 7 imams. The return of the last prophet - Muhammad, the son of Ismail, will be the last incarnation of God, after which divine reason and justice will reign.
Notable Ismailis
Nasir Khosrov, 11th century Tajik philosopher;
Ferdowsi, the great Persian poet of the 10th century, author of the Shahnameh;
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Rudaki, Tajik poet, IX-X century;
Yaqub ibn Killis, Jewish scholar, founder of Al-Azhar University in Cairo (X century);
Nasir ad-Din Tusi, Persian mathematician, mechanic and astronomer of the 13th century.
It was the Nizari Ismailis, who used individual terror against the Turks, who were called the Assassins.
What does the title mean
Named after one of the founders of the movement, Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Darazi, an Ismaili preacher who used the most radical methods of preaching. However, the Druze themselves use the self-name "muwakhhidun" ("united" or "monotheists"). Moreover, they often have a negative attitude towards ad-Darazi and consider the name "Druze" offensive.
When did
How many adherents
Over 3 million people. The origin of the Druze is controversial: some consider them descendants of the oldest Arab tribe, others - a mixed Arab-Persian (according to other versions, Arab-Kurdish or Arab-Aramaic) population that arrived in these lands many centuries ago.
Main areas of residence
The Druze are considered an offshoot of the Ismailis. A Druz is considered a person by birth, and he cannot convert to another religion. They accept the principle of "prudent concealment of faith", while deception of non-believers for the sake of the interests of the community is not condemned. The highest spiritual persons are called "Ajavid" (perfect). In a conversation with Muslims, they usually position themselves as Muslims, however, in Israel, teaching is more often defined as an independent religion. They believe in the transmigration of souls.
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The Druze do not have polygamy, prayer is not obligatory and can be replaced by meditation, there is no fasting, but it is replaced by periods of silence (refraining from revealing the truth to the uninitiated). Zakat (charity for the poor) is not provided, but is perceived as mutual assistance. Of the holidays, Eid al-Adha (Eid al-Adha) and the day of mourning Ashura are celebrated. As in the rest of the Arab world, in the presence of a stranger, a woman must hide her face. Everything that comes from God (both good and evil) must be accepted unconditionally.
The school of religious philosophy on which the Shafi'i and Maliki legal schools rely.
What does the title mean
Named after the philosopher of the 9th-10th centuries Abul-Hasan al-Ashari
When did
They are between the Mu'tazilites and the supporters of the Asaria school, as well as between the Qadarites (supporters of free will) and the Jabarites (supporters of predestination).
The Qur'an was created by people, but its meaning is the creation of Allah. Man only appropriates the actions created by God. The righteous can see Allah in Paradise, but it is impossible to explain. Reason is more important than religious tradition, and Sharia only regulates everyday issues, but still, any reasonable evidence is based on the basic tenets of faith.
Alawites (Nusairites) and Alevis (Qizilbash)
What does the title mean
The name “Alawites” was given to the movement by the name of the prophet Ali, and “Nusayri” by the name of one of the founders of the sect, Muhammad ibn Nusayr, a student of the eleventh Shiite imam.
When did
How many adherents
About 5 million Alawites, several million Alevis (no exact estimates).
Main areas of residence
Ideas and customs of the Alawites
Like the Druzes, they practice takiya (concealment of religious views, mimicry under the rites of another religion), consider their religion to be secret knowledge available to the elect.
The Alawites are also similar to the Druzes in that they have gone as far as possible from other areas of Islam. They pray only twice a day, they are allowed to drink wine for ritual purposes and fast for only two weeks.
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It is very difficult to draw a picture of the Alawite religion for the above reasons. It is known that they deify the family of Muhammad, consider Ali the embodiment of Divine Meaning, Muhammad - the Name of God, Salman al-Farisi - the Gate to God (a gnostic meaningful idea of the "Eternal Trinity"). It is considered impossible to know God, but he was revealed by the incarnation of Ali in seven prophets (from Adam, including Isa (Jesus) to Muhammad).
According to Christian missionaries, Alawites revere Jesus, Christian apostles and saints, celebrate Christmas and Easter, read the Gospel at divine services, partake of wine, and use Christian names.
Map of the settlement of Sunni and Shiite Muslims (map of the distribution of the Sunni (sunni islam) and Shiite (shia islam) branches of Islam). In recent decades, Islam has risen to the forefront of the international political process as not only a religion, but also an ideology. And so seriously that today it is perceived as one of the most important factors in world politics. As the second largest religion in the world, Islam is not homogeneous. We have tried to clarify some of the main components of Islam, the names of which are on everyone's lips.
Who are they Sunnis, Shiites, Wahhabis?
sunnism the dominant branch of Islam. Sunnis - in the literal sense of the word - Muslims who are guided by the "sunna" - a set of rules and principles based on the example of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, his actions, statements in the form in which they were transmitted by the companions of the prophet. Sunnism is the dominant branch of Islam. "Sunna" explains the holy book of Muslims - the Koran - and complements it. Therefore, the traditional followers of Islam consider following the "Sunnah" the main content of the life of every true Muslim. Moreover, we are often talking about the literal perception of the prescriptions of the holy book, without any modifications.
In some currents of Islam, this takes extreme forms. For example, under the Taliban in Afghanistan, special attention was paid even to the nature of clothing and the size of a beard for men, every detail of life was regulated in accordance with the requirements of the Sunnah.
Who are the Shiites?
Shiite religious processions are inherently dramatic. Unlike the Sunnis, the Shiites can interpret the instructions of the prophet. True, only those who have a special right to do so.
The Shiites are the second largest branch of Islam in terms of importance and number of adherents. The word itself in translation means "adherents" or "Ali's party". This is how the supporters of the transfer of power in the Arab Caliphate called themselves after the death of the Prophet Muhammad to one of his relatives - Ali bin Abi Talib. They believed that Ali had the sacred right to be caliph as the closest relative and disciple of the prophet.
The split occurred almost immediately after the death of Muhammad. The struggle for power in the caliphate eventually led to the assassination of Ali in 661. His sons Hassan and Hussein were also killed, and the death of Hussein in 680 near the city of Karbala (modern Iraq) is still perceived by the Shiites as a tragedy of historical proportions.
In our time, on the so-called day of Ashura (according to the Muslim calendar - on the 10th day of the month of Maharram) in many countries, Shiites hold mourning processions, accompanied by a violent display of emotions, when the participants in the procession strike themselves with chains and sabers.
How are Sunnis different from Shiites?
There are more Sunnis than Shiites, but during the Hajj all differences are forgotten. After the death of Ali and his sons, the Shiites began to fight for the return of power in the Caliphate to Ali's descendants - the Imams. The Shiites, who believed that the supreme power has a divine nature, rejected the very possibility of electing imams. In their opinion, imams are mediators between people and Allah. For Sunnis, this understanding is alien, since they adhere to the concept of direct worship of Allah, without intermediaries. The imam, from their point of view, is an ordinary religious figure who has earned the authority of his flock by his knowledge of Islam in general and the Sunnah in particular.
So much importance given by the Shiites to the role of Ali and the Imams, calls into question the place of the Prophet Muhammad himself. Sunnis believe that the Shiites allowed themselves to introduce "unlawful" innovations into Islam and in this sense oppose themselves to the Shiites.
Who is more in the world - Sunnis or Shiites?
The dominant force in the 1.2 billion "Ummah" - the Muslim population of the world - are the Sunnis. Shiites represent no more than 10% of the total number of Muslims. At the same time, the followers of this branch of Islam make up the absolute majority of the population of Iran, more than half of the population of Iraq, and a significant part of the Muslims of Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain. Despite their relative small numbers, the Shiites represent a serious political power especially in the Middle East. Analysts say that within the Islamic world - despite calls for Muslim brotherhood - there are real conditions for sectarian divisions, as the Shiites see themselves as unfairly bypassed in history.
Who are the Wahhabis?
Wahhabism- a doctrine that appeared in Islam relatively recently. This doctrine within the framework of Sunnism was created in the middle of the 18th century by the religious leader of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab.
The basis of Wahhabism is the idea of monotheism. Adherents of this doctrine reject all the innovations introduced into Islam - for example, the worship of saints and imams, as the Shiites do - and demand strict worship exclusively of Allah, as was the case in early Islam.
Despite their extreme views, the Wahhabis preached the brotherhood and unity of the Muslim world, condemned luxury, sought social harmony and adherence to moral principles.
The teachings of al-Wahhab were supported at one time by many Arabian sheikhs. But with the support of the Saudi family, who fought for the unification of the Arabian Peninsula under their rule, Wahhabism became a religious and political doctrine, and later - the official ideology of Saudi Arabia, as well as a number of Arab Emirates. Many radical Wahhabis participated in the war in Chechnya.
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PS:
thanks for the tip wrlfck
Shiites and Sunnis are the two main branches of Islam, whose representatives have been in conflict for many centuries. The reasons for hostility are due to many factors, including political ones.
The roots of the split
The division of the Muslim ummah (community) into two branches occurred in the seventh century, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. A dispute arose between his companions as to who should be his successor. Some Muslims advocated the election of caliphs, while others saw their son-in-law Muhammad Ali as the new leader of the ummah, and only his descendants were to inherit power.
Those who disagreed with this referred to the fact that neither the Koran nor the Sunna said anything about the divine destiny of Ali and his offspring, as well as the validity of their claim to power. The Shiites, on the other hand, argued that the sacred books are subject to interpretation: what is written in them does not have to be taken literally.
24 years after the death of Muhammad, in 656, Ali became caliph. But he did not rule for long: a civil war broke out in the state, and in 661 Ali was killed as a result of an assassination attempt. After that, the ruler of Syria, Muawiya, seized power in the caliphate. He made an alliance with Ali's son Imam Hussein. The latter did not like the fact that Muawiya was going to transfer power to his son, which automatically led to the establishment of a hereditary monarchy.
The confrontation with the descendants of Muawiyah led to the murder of Husayn and his sons in Karbala. Akbar Ahmed, a professor at the American University in Washington and author of the book Journey to Islam, notes that the Shiites recognized Hussein as a martyr for the faith, and the city of Karbala, where he was killed, became sacred to them.
After that, the split between the Muslims took shape completely. Ali's adherents were called "Shiites" (from Arabic - "followers of Ali"), and their opponents - "Sunnis" (supporters of a dogmatic approach).
Main differences
According to Rushan Abbyasov, deputy chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, unlike Christianity, where the division into Orthodoxy and Catholicism occurred mostly on a religious basis, the disintegration of a single Muslim community happened mainly for political reasons.
For Sunnis, the caliph can be chosen by popular vote. In addition, they share secular power and spiritual: the religious leader must first of all deal with relevant issues. The Shiites, on the other hand, notes the Arabic orientalist Aleksey Chuprygin, believe that only the descendants of Ali, the imams, can rule the Muslims, and both political and religious power should be concentrated in their hands.
Sunnis believe that strict, dogmatic adherence to the prescriptions of the holy books is the creed of every Muslim. At the same time, the Sunnah and the Koran do not say about the rights to power of Ali and his descendants, and if so, then the claims of the Shiites, their opponents believe, are groundless. According to Alexander Ignatenko, president of the Institute of Religion and Politics, the Shiites consider the Koran used by the Sunnis to be falsified, arguing that the verses about the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor were specially removed from it.
The mediation between God and man, which, from the point of view of the Shiites, is carried out by the imam, is heresy for the Sunnis. For Ali's intermediaries, Sunni dogmatism is unacceptable, which, they believe, gives rise to radical movements, including Wahhabism.
With weapons in hand
IN modern world Sunnis make up the absolute majority of Muslims - about 90%. Shiites, on the other hand, are concentrated compactly, and mainly live in Iran, Eastern Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Religious differences, as well as the difficult political situation in the Middle East, experts say, caused armed conflicts between representatives of the two branches of Islam that broke out at the turn of the century.
In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran, which gave rise to the rise of Shiites throughout the Middle East. A year later, Iraq, the majority of whose population was Shiites, but the ruling elite at the same time was Sunni, declared war on Iran. This conflict was the first recent history clash of two branches of Islam on the battlefield.
The overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003 was the beginning of the "Shiite revenge": they began to regain government posts and strengthen their position in the system of state administration, which caused discontent among the Sunnis. However, University of Michigan professor Juan Cole argues that the ongoing conflict between the two branches of Islam in that country has more to do with power struggles than religious differences.
Syria has become another point of conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. Since 2011, a civil war has been going on in the Arab Republic, which has, among other things, confessional overtones. According to the review International Commission on religious freedom of the US State Department for 2015, the majority of Syrian Muslims (74%) are Sunnis, only 13% of citizens practice Shiism. At the same time, the Alawites (a branch of Shiism) constitute the ruling elite in the republic.
Tajiks
TAJIKS-ov; pl. Nation, the main population of Tajikistan; representatives of this nation.
◁ Tajik, -a; m. Tajik, -and; pl. genus.-receipt, dates-chkam; well. Tajik, -th, -th. T. tongue. T-th culture.
Tajikspeople, the main population of Tajikistan (3172 thousand people), in Russia 38.2 thousand people (1992). They also live in Afghanistan and Iran. The total number of 8.28 million people (1995). Tajik language. Believers are mostly Sunni Muslims.
TAJIKSTajiks, people in Central Asia (cm. MIDDLE ASIA), the main population of Tajikistan (4.898 million people, 2000), also live in Afghanistan (7.698 million people, mainly in the north of the country), Uzbekistan (1.32 million people), in the Russian Federation (120.1 thousand, 2002). The total number of Tajiks in the world is about 14 million people (2004). The overwhelming majority of Tajiks speak the Tajik language, which belongs to the Western Iranian group of Indo-European languages; the Pamir peoples and the Yaghnobis speak special languages and dialects that are part of the Eastern Iranian group of the same language family. Believing Tajiks are Muslims (mostly Sunnis, partly Shiites, Pamir Tajiks are Ismailis).
The formation of the Tajik people was preceded by long ethnogenetic processes dating back to the end of the second - the beginning of the first millennium BC, when Iranian-speaking tribes came from the Eurasian steppes to Central Asia. They mixed with the local tribes of the Late Bronze Age and the main population of Central Asia became Iranian-speaking. In ancient Bactria (the basin of the Amu Darya), Sogd (the basin of the Zeravshan and Kashkadarya), the Fergana Valley, the agricultural tribes of the Bactrians, Sogdians, Parkans (ancient Ferghans) lived, and the Sakas roamed on the northern and eastern outskirts of Central Asia. The descendants of the Sogdians (according to linguistic data) are the Yaghnobis; Saka tribes played an important role in the formation of the Pamir Tajiks. In the second century BC, the Yuezhi, or Tokhars, penetrated into Bactria, which included Saka tribes. With the formation of the Turkic Khaganate in the 6th century, the penetration of Turkic ethnic elements into Central Asia intensified.
By the time of the Arab conquest (8th century), three main ethnic regions of the future Tajik people had emerged: Sogdian in the north, Fergana in the northeast, and Tocharian in the south, the population of which for many centuries retained its peculiarities in culture and way of life. The Arab invasion slowed down the formation of the Tajik people. But with the formation of an independent state of the Samanids in the 9th-10th centuries, the process of the formation of the ethnic core of the Tajiks was completed, which was associated with the spread of the common Tajik language, which became dominant in the era of the Samanids. Tajik culture and science are developing in this language, rich literature is being formed. From the end of the 10th century, political predominance in Central Asia passed to the Turkic-speaking peoples, new waves of Turkic, and later Mongol tribes penetrated into the areas of the settled Tajik population; a centuries-old process of Turkification of Tajiks began, especially on the plains, to a lesser extent in the mountains and large cities. However, the Tajik language not only survived, but was also the state language of the Turkic rulers. In 1868, the northern regions inhabited by Tajiks became part of the possessions of Russia, while the population of southern Tajikistan remained under the rule of the Emirate of Bukhara.
The original occupation of the Tajiks was agriculture, based largely on artificial irrigation, and gardening; animal husbandry was subsistence. Tajiks have developed crafts, including art, many of which had ancient traditions (wood carving and alabaster, decorative embroidery). The Tajik people developed in close connection with other peoples of Central Asia. Especially close is the medieval history of Tajiks and Uzbeks - peoples with common ethnic elements.
encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .
See what "Tajiks" are in other dictionaries:
Tajiks ... Wikipedia
- (pers. tadschik conquered). Descendants of the ancient Persians, Medes and Bactrians, constituting the indigenous population of Central Asia of Aryan origin. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. TAJIKS pers. tadschik… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Modern Encyclopedia
The people, the main population of Tajikistan (3172 thousand people), in the Russian Federation 38.2 thousand people (1992). They also live in Afghanistan and Iran. The total number is 8.28 million people (1992). Tajik language. Believers are mostly Sunni Muslims… Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
TAJIKS, Tajiks, units tajik, tajik, husband The people of the Iranian language group, constituting the main population of the Tajik SSR. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
TAJIK, ov, units ik, ah, husband. The people constituting the main indigenous population of Tajikistan. | female Tajik, and | adj. Tajik, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
- (self-name Tojik), people. There are 38.2 thousand people in the Russian Federation. The main population of Tajikistan. They also live in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran. The language of the Tajik Iranian group of the Indo-European family of languages. Believers in ... Russian history
Tajiks- (self-name Tojik) people total strength 8280 thousand people The main countries of resettlement: Afghanistan 4000 thousand people, Tajikistan 3172 thousand people, Uzbekistan 934 thousand people. Other settlement countries: Iran 65 thousand people, the Russian Federation 38 thousand… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Tajiks Ethnopsychological dictionary
TAJIKS- representatives of the indigenous nation of the Republic of Tajikistan. Special studies show that Tajiks are most characterized by such national psychological qualities as a practical mindset, a rational way of thinking based on ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy
