Do Muslims have many sects?

Cash_Lacag763 · Post by **Cash_Lacag763** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:08 am

Muslims have no sects. In Islam, there are two major schools of thought, the Shia and the Sunni. Both have many things in common. They follow the same book - Quran. They follow the same prophet Muhammad (P). Both offer their prayers five time a day. Both fast in the month of Ramadan. They both go for hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. Those who follow Prophet Muhammad (P), in accordance with his sayings and actions, are called Sunni and those who in addition follow the sayings and views of Ali (Muhammad's son-in- law), as the rightful successor to Prophet Muhammad (P), are called Shia. Shia means a partisan (party of Ali) and it started more as a political party to help Ali in his conflict with his political adversaries. Most Shias live in Iran and Iraq while the rest of the Muslim world is mostly Sunni. Shias comprise about 16-percent of the Muslim population.

Navy9 · Post by **Navy9** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:56 am

isnt a school of thought considered a sect? and in Islam...there are many schools of thought not just two as you wrote!

The rebel · Post by **The rebel** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:05 am

Well, we have many sects. Not necessary they are right tho. These days I am debatting with Quranites. They are funny though.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:03 am

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/i ... _sects.htm

Islam does not have nearly as many sects and divisions as does Christianity, but there are a few and it is worth knowing something about them. The two biggest are the Sunnis and the Shi'ites, with the Sunnis being the largest of all and representing the vast majority of Muslims. Shi'ites are a minority everywhere except Iran.

After them, the two most influential sects are the Sufis and the Wahhabis. The Sufis represent a mystical tradition in Islam, whereas the Wahhabis are a strict traditionalist tradition which is dominant on the Arabian peninsula, but has little support elsewhere.

Unlike churches, mosques are not denominational. Despite the differences among Muslims, traditional Friday prayer services are largely similar and Muslims of any background are welcome to attend services at any mosque.

Who are the Sunnis?
Sunnis are Muslims who are considered the more "orthodox" believers. Sunnis follow all of the most traditional beliefs and actions.

Who are the Shi'ites?
The term Shi'a is a shortened form of Shi'at Ali, which means "the party of Ali" - and at the time of Ali's death in 661, that is probably all it was: a party or tendency of people who supported Ali's claims to the caliphate. Over time, they became the largest non-Sunni sect in Islam.

Who are the Sufis?
Sufism is important to the development of Islam because it is in this tradition that the more spiritual and mystical aspects were preserved. This stands in contrast to the mainstream of Islam which, through its first centuries, was more concerned with the expansion and organization of the general community.

Who are the Kahrijites?
In Arabic, their label means "to go out" - they were, in effect, the first Mulism dissidents and rebels, being present almost from the dawn of Islam. Like later dissidents, they chose to separate themselves from the main body of believers, feeling that the majority of Muslims had lost the "true path."

Who are the Wahhabis?
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab could be considered the first modern Islamic fundamentalist. He made the central point of his reform movement the idea that absolutely every idea added to Islam after the third century of the Mulsim era was false and should be eliminated.

Who are the Ismailis?
An early Shi'a sect which split from the main group because of a dispute over who should be considered the next Imam.

Who are the Zaidis?
Formed by Zaid, a grandson of Husain, the Zaidis have believed that the true Imam must publicly assert his claim to the title and seek to overthrow the corrupt regime run by unacceptable rulers.

Who are the Fatimids?
The Fatimids are a successor movement to the Isma'ilis and are descendants of Fatima and Ali through the line of Isma'il. In the tenth century, those descendants asserted themselves as caliphs in North Africa, and ruled Egypt from 969 to 1171.

Who are the Nizari?
This sect is actually very well known around the world, but under a different name: the Assassins.

Who are the Alawis?
Also known as Nusayris, the Alawis are a branch of Isma'ilism which has gone so far along its own path that many Muslims no longer even regard it as a form of Islam. The term Alawis actually just means "followers of Ali," which is used in some countries to refer to all Shi'a in general. Some think that they worship Ali as God, but that isn't entirely accurate.

Who are the Druze?
The Druze comprise another sect which is not widely regarded as being "truly" Muslim. This group diverged from mainstream Islam in the eleventh century when some Isma'ilis started to believe that God became manifest in the personality of a prophet or imam.

Who are the Baha'i?
Baha'i is another movement which is descended from Islam, but which most Muslims today no longer regard as authentically Islamic.

The rebel · Post by **The rebel** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:21 am

Grant, when you want to know about Islam you don't go to athiest site. They know nothing.

Zaidia and 12er are Shia.

Sufi, are not a sect they are branch of sunni. And the rest you states aren't even in feild of Islam. They believe other prophet came after Mohammed (PBUH).

I don't have time now to go to details. Insha Allah I'll try to back later on.

Steeler [Crawler2] · Post by **Steeler [Crawler2]** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:41 am

Rebel
What Grant wrote isn't wrong. Yes, some are sub-sets. Just as I could point to methodists and baptists and describe them as different sects, even though both are protestant.

The rebel · Post by **The rebel** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:50 am

Sorry you are wrong as he is wrong. We have same aqeedah , same osool never like Christians. whom have hundrends of bibles than I ever care to remember. Seems no one is bored enought latelly to write another bible!! Also never like Christian... the Sunni whatever you devide them have same Mosques, same book. Only the interpretations of 'power' and 'authority' and metaphorical understanding of Allah's attributes was a much later development in sunni Islam, and since anything that starts later on is considered a bid'a for some of them, some stick to the literal meanings. It's actually quite understandable, and their stance is actually more justified than the one held by later Schools of thought. For Shia, it's start political disagreement and never been about Aqaed untill later on in Islamic History. As I said you wont understand.

Honestly, why I'm giving you more credit than you deserve?.... You wouldn't know. Stick with your Asian women and your salsa dancing better.

Maybe other Muslims here would explain to you. I am preparing a hearing case infront of the judge tomorrow. So wait for me by tomorrow or some one else would probably explain to you. What aqaed and osool are.

Navy9 · Post by **Navy9** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:31 am

<<Who are the Fatimids?
The Fatimids are a successor movement to the Isma'ilis and are descendants of Fatima and Ali through the line of Isma'il. In the tenth century, those descendants asserted themselves as caliphs in North Africa, and ruled Egypt from 969 to 1171. >>

The Fatimids were a ruling dynasty in Northern Africa not a sect!

The rebel · Post by **The rebel** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:20 pm

Navy, he went to copy and paste from Atheist site!! They don't even understand. If some one wants to learn Islam they should look Muslim sources. That is why I don't take them seriouslly.

Fatimiyeen also controlled the Egypt too.

Cawar · Post by **Cawar** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:29 pm

"If some one wants to learn Islam they should look Muslim sources"

Exactly.

Btw...Isnt Zaid IBn Mu'awiya the one who slaughtered Hussein and his familiy???or was it Yazid??

Caana-Nuug · Post by **Caana-Nuug** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:32 pm

Grant,

Most of these groups are not sects. Bahai & Druze are not even Muslims, let alone sects of Islam. Fatimids were not a sect, but a ruling dynasty.

There is no sect called "Wahabists" but there followers of Sh. Abdelwahab.

Like Rebel said, why go to about.com to learn about Islam?

It's like me going to my butcher to ask for advise about my car...??

Rebel,

Are you Shi'a? if so, are you a Somali?

Gacalisa · Post by **Gacalisa** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:33 pm

what people tend not to understand is sufism. is is not a sect, but a way, whithin all other sects. a shia can be a sufi, where as a sunni can be a sufi. Most sufis are sunnis, but off course not all sunnis are sufis. Sufis, for the most part consider themselves Sunni, and say that they follow the sunna at its right way.

there are off couse different forms of sufism, the extreme and the lineate. the lineate is more focuses more on following the sharia in its right form and getting as close to god as they can. the extreme i have not idea, there just weird.

Caana-Nuug · Post by **Caana-Nuug** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:37 pm

Gacalisa,

So, who do you identify closely with? Sufis or ahl ul sunnah wal jameecah?

The rebel · Post by **The rebel** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:41 pm

[quote]Btw...Isnt Zaid IBn Mu'awiya the one who slaughtered Hussein and his familiy???or was it Yazid??[/quote]

Cawar , you are correct. Was Yazed Ibn Mo'aweyah. That time was fitna time when majority of Sahaba and tabe'een remained in their houses to avoid the major conflicts between Hussain and the Ummayatta ruller.

Even Hassan Ibn Ali who is Hussain's brother told him to not go for war as no one will support him and he will be killed. But Hussain refused to back down because he said his famous word " methly(as a grand son of the Prophet) la yobaye'a menthlaho (as a Mo'aweyah's son and Hind the one who sent some one to kill hamza and ate his liver).

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:41 pm

Guys,

I am something of a novice here. I searched Islamic sects and that's what came up. I was just trying to be helpful, and maybe learn something. I will take your advice in future.