The Main Sects of Islam

Islam has two major sects and many sub-sects. The two major sects are Sunni and Shia. These two major sects of Islam are formed on the basis of the successors to Mohammed. The Sunnis: The Sunnis believe that the rightful successors of Mohammed are the four caliphs – Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali. They can be called as the traditionalists, who follow the traditions and customs of the prophets. They are called as Sunnis because they follow Quran and Sunnah (the model behaviour of Mohammed). More than 90 percent of Muslims belong to this sect. They attach themselves to anyone of the four legal schools of law and accept the six books of traditions. They accept the ijma (unanimous agreement) of the four great Imams as binding. The Shias: ‘Shia’ means party or faction. The Shias begin the line of succession with Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed. Ali married Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed. The successors of Ali are known as Imams. The Shias claim that the Imams are sinless men, and equal to Mohammed. They also believe that the Imams are the incarnation of God-head and each generation must have an Imam. Some Shias believe that there were 12 Imams and the 12 th Imam disappeared about AD 882 and will appear again as Madhi (the guided one) or Messiah to set up his kingdom on the earth. Others believe that there is always an Imam on the earth and Ayatollahs are the present Imams. For a Shia, the word of an Ayatollah is the law. They do not accept the six books of traditions of Sunnis. They accept their own books of tradition called Akbar as the correct books, which promote the cause of Ali. They believe in Ijtihad, the logical deduction on a point of law reached by a single jurist called Mujtahid, as binding. This is because they consider that Mujtahid is infallible and is guided by the hidden Imam.