The approach to political legitimacy is one of the key differences between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and in fact, it is the initial source of division between these two groups in Islam. The problem emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad when there was a need to choose a new representative of God on earth. The differences between the Sunni and Shiite approaches to the Imamate are very clear in Abd al-Hasan Ali al-Mawardi’s “On Choosing a Caliph” and Allama al-Hilli’s “On the Shiite Imamate.” While both authors have similar views regarding the primary role of the Imamate, they differ significantly in the way they describe the process of choosing an Imam and the personality of an ideal ruler.
The Sunni perception of the role of the Imamate expressed by al-Mawardi is similar to that of Shiites described by al-Hilli. Al-Mawardi argues, “The Imamate is a principle on which stands the base of the religious Community and… is placed on earth to succeed the Prophet in the duties of defending the religion” (22). In turn, al-Hilli believes that the Imam is “a chief and a guide whom [people] obey… and leads them to rational
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The Sunni attitude is rather rational, or even earthly. Al-Mawardi states that an Imam must be just and courageous, possess knowledge in legal matters, and have good judgment skills. He must also have no physical disabilities (Al-Mawardi 23). In contrast, al-Hilli stresses the ideal, divine nature of the Imamate. He argues that only the best of the best can be an Imam because this person is a direct successor of God and the Prophet Muhammad. If there is someone who is better than the Imam in anything, “the worse would have to take precedence over the better, and that would be evil” (al-Hilli 25). Hence, the heredity of the Imamate in the Shiite tradition is important for preventing evil caused by mistakes that people can make in choosing an
Although he is a very powerful and impactful man, the people of the village are intimidated by him and must act very proper and formal when around him. To the people, he is “not a person, but an institution” (Pg. 90). The Imam is a very strict man and he always wants the people to pray. He even chastises the villagers for not being more traditional in their practices. He represented the orthodox practice of Islam because of the importance he places on society and the historical aspect of the religion.
The book begins with a detailed description of Qom, an Iranian city where Ali Hashemi, the main point of reference, in the book was born. Mottahedeh also describes the Shi’ite faction of the Islamic faith that entails learning and tradition, in Iran. Mottahedeh managed to introduce readers to political climate, history and tradition from the middle of the twentieth century. Mottahedeh recounts the life of Ali Hashemi from his childhood through his education into adulthood. Ali Hashemi is the contemporary mullah of Qom. The book portrays Ali Hashemi as an alias of a mullah in the University of Tehran. This presents Ali Hashemi as a scholar just like Parviz. However, Hashemi is still engrossed in Islamic religion unlike Parviz. Mottahedeh used Hashemi to bring a clear picture of culture and history in Iran, in different times. Mottahedeh used Hashemi to create a scenario that depicts trends and issues that i...
The Sunnites’ strongest belief has an emphasis on the views and customs of the majority of the community, as distinguished from the views of other groups. The Sunnites compromised by allowing the other groups to bring their beliefs and customs that had nothing to do with the Qur’an.
Islam was broken into two different sects immediately following Muhammad’s death; this was due to arguments surrounding whether or not he had named a successor. These two sects were the Shia and Sunni. The Shia believed that leadership of the Muslim community should stay with in the prophet’s family and therefore believed Ali, Muhammad’s son in law, to be the rightful leader of the Muslim world. The Sunni believed that this honor and responsibility should be given to someone deemed responsible to lead the community by the community. The Sunni’s large numbers won this debate and they chose the first caliph. This was the first and not the last time the Sunni would be in political power. Ali wo...
The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, bec...
However, Tughril was different from Chingiz Khan because he initially established his rule upon the notion that he would be the protector of the caliphate. The Muslim dominance in Iran required Tughril’s ideological standpoint to accept historical understandings of rulership, thereby no overthrowing the caliphate, but by legitimizing themselves through establishing their own caliphate. Comparably, Broadbridge supports the perception of the Mamluk Sultanate being an Islamic ruler as opposed the view held by the Ilkhanids who saw them as a rebel dichotomy. These concepts differentiated the way a Khan verses a Sultan went about their rule in regions that were predominately Islamic. And although rulers focused on making decisions that made clear distinctions between each other, appealing to the Muslim community or “rightfully overthrowing them” was a necessity in and around Iran. No, there did not seem to be any inclination of a democratic sway threatening kings, khans, and sultans around the fourteenth century, but deviating too far from historical expectations could lead to issues of upholding a nation’s centralized
But irrespective of the different manifestations and different practices, finally all streams of Islam find their mission and identity in their beloved prophet, religious history and sacred texts As it is such sources that will finally define and guide Islam of the future as it goes on spreading around the world, we must consider them as seriously as a serious Muslim does (Wilson). We should understand what is there in Islamic texts and instances and life of their prophet for understanding the growth and nature of Islam. On such historical-theological foundation, then we can best understand and contrast the objectives and state of Islam in today’s world for its true mandates and motivations.
Huda. "Shia and Sunni Muslims: What's the Difference?" Religion and Spirituality. Ask.com, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. .
The Shia branch of the Muslim religion only accounts for about 15% of the total population of Muslims in the world. Shiism has the most influence in the contemporary world especially in Iran where the population is nearly 90% Muslim. The Shias revere a succession of Scholars known as Imams. The Imam has been regarded as both the political and spiritual leader. Although the two branches agree on many of the doctrinal and ritual matters, the Shia holds the Imams and saints in very high regard. The ones ...
Ayoob, M. (2007) The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim
Lafraie, Najibullah (2009). Revolutionary Ideology and Islamic Militancy : The Iranian Revolution and Interpretations of the Quran. Tauris Academic Studies. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from Ebook Library.
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
In Sunni Islam the term Imam is used principally as a title and has minimal importance in theology. The congregational prayer performed in Mosque is lead by the Imam who stands in front of the lines of worship leading them in recital of prayer. The meaning of the word Imam is related to this role.
“Are political Islam and democracy compatible?” This question has been troubling both Muslims and non-Muslims living in East and West for a long time now. Contemporary Islamic political thought has become deeply influenced by attempts at reconciling Islam and democracy. Muslim thinkers who deal with political debates cannot disregard the significance of the democratic system, as it is the prevailing theme of modern western political thought. Hence, it is necessary for any alternative political system, whether it is religious or secular, to explore its position with regards to democratic government. In fact, a large literature and media publications have developed over the last century on this heated discourse of democracy versus Islam. While many argue that Islam has all the ingredients of modern state and democratic society, many other reject the phenomena “modernism” and “democracy” as a whole because of their “foreign nature”—alien to “Islamic values”. For Islamists and modernists, the motivation for such effort to either embrace or reject democracy often is to remove suspicion about the nature and goals of Islamic movements and Islamic revivalism or resurgence. But before diving into this discourse, one needs to understand the definition and origins of “democracy.” Although purely a Western ideology in its origin, there is no consensus on the definition of “democracy” as a political system. The Oxford English Dictionary describes democracy as: “A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives” (“democracy, n.”). In my paper, I will examine whether or not democracy and Sunni political Islam are compatible through the eyes of three revolutionary Sun...