Eid al-Adha 2020 Special: Divisions of Islam Part-1

If viewed on a large scale or on the basis of the sections, Muslims can be divided into two parts - Sunni and Shia.

However, Shias and Sunnis are also divided into many cults.

If we talk about Shia and Sunni, both of them agree that Allah is one, Mohammed saheb is their messenger and the Quran is the sky book i.e. the book sent by Allah.

But there are serious differences in beliefs between the two communities and the issue of their successor after the death of Prophet Mohammad. The Islamic laws of these two are also different.

Sunni

Sunni or Sunnah means adopting the manner in which the Prophet Mohammad (570-632 AD) has implemented himself and accordingly he is called Sunni.

According to an estimate, about 80-85 percent of the world's Muslims are Sunni while between 15 and 20 percent are Shia.

Sunni Muslims believe that their father-in-law, Hazrat Abu-Bakr (632-634 AD) became the new Muslim leader after Prophet Mohammed, who was called the Khalifa.

In this way, after Abu-Bakr, Hazrat Umar (634–644 AD), Hazrat Osman (644–656 AD), and Hazrat Ali (656–661 AD) became the leaders of Muslims.

These four are said to be Khulafa-e-Rashidin. The people who came after them were called leaders of Muslims politically, but they did not have any special importance due to religious reasons.

As far as the interpretation of Islamic law is concerned, Sunni Muslims are mainly divided into four groups. However, there is also a fifth group that calls themselves different from these four.

There is not much difference in the faith and faith of these five, but they believe that their Imam or religious leader has correctly interpreted Islam.

In fact, there are four major schools of Islamic law in Sunni Islam.

Four major religious leaders were born in the eighth and ninth centuries within about 150 years. He explained Islamic law, and then later his followers became supporters of that cult.

These four Imams were - Imam Abu Hanifa (699-767 AD), Imam Shafai (767-820 AD), Imam Hambal (780-855 AD), and Imam Malik (711-795 AD).

Hanfi

Imam Abu Hanifa's followers are called Hanafi. Muslims who believe in this Fiqh or Islamic law are also divided into two groups. One is Deobandi and the other calls himself Barelvi.