Do Now

What were some of the branches of Judaism and Christianity that we studied? What were some of the causes for those different branches splitting from each other?

The First Split

• After the death of the prophet Muhammad in 632, his followers were left with a fairly large kingdom to rule, and plans to expand further.

• Almost immediately, though, there was a disagreement about who should become the next ruler. Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, said that Muhammad had promised him the position of caliph (ruler of the Muslims), but many important Muslims did not believe him because they said Muhammad hadn't made that idea widely known.

• This split the Muslims into 2 groups: people who supported Ali as the caliph, and people who believed they should pick a new ruler by voting. After several years of power moving back and forth between the two groups, the ones who wanted to vote on a new ruler won.

• Most of the supporters of Ali (called the Shia) moved away from Saudi Arabia into modern-day Iraq, while the majority of people who voted on a new ruler (called the Sunni) stayed.

• Over the next 150 years after Muhammad's death, the Muslims conquered a huge area of land, stretching across North Africa all the way to Spain, and stretching east to India.

Sunni Islam

• The split between Sunni and Shia Muslims never disappeared. Although it started as a political disagreement, over the years the two groups began to develop slightly different beliefs.

• Today, Sunni Muslims make up 85% of the world's Muslims, a large majority. Most Muslims across the world are Sunni, and their beliefs and practices are the most common. Sunnis make up the majority in every Muslim country except Iraq and Iran.

• The religious beliefs of Sunni Muslims range from liberal and modern to fundamentalist and conservative.

Shia Islam

• Today, Shia Muslims make up about 10% of the world's Muslim population. They make up the majority in Iraq and Iran, although there are small communities of them across the world.

• There are 3 main beliefs that separate Sunni and Shia Muslims: 1) Belief in the Mahdi: Shia Muslims believe that some day, Allah will send a man to earth who will save all mankind from evil (yes, this is the same idea as the messiah in Judaism and Christianity) 2) Shia Muslims believe that non-Muslims are impure, meaning that touching or eating with a non-Muslim will require you to go through extra purification before praying 3) Celebration of the holiday Ashura: the holiday of Ashura commemorates the murder of Muhammad's grandson, who was an important early Shia Muslim. While most holidays are considered happy times, Ashura is considered a day of mourning and remembrance. Crowds of people march through the streets carrying fake coffins, and some men march shirtless, whipping and cutting themselves until they bleed.

Sufi Islam

• Several hundred years after Muhammad's death, a third branch of Islam started called Sufi Islam.

• They make up only 5% of Muslims across the world, and do not make up the majority in any Muslim country. The countries with the largest Sufi populations are Turkey, Morocco, and Pakistan, which are all geographically separate from each other.

• Sufis have the most unique worship practices of all Muslims. They are the only Muslims who recognize saints (which they call wali), and making pilgrimages to saints' tombs is an important part of being Sufi.

• Sufis emphasize the importance of feeling personally close to Allah and feeling Allah's love. To achieve this, they often enter a trance state through rhythmic singing and dancing in large groups.

• Many Sunni and Shia Muslims consider Sufi Islam to be evil, and outside of Turkey, Morocco, and Pakistan, it is very common for Sufism to be illegal and punishable with harsh prison sentences.

Veiling

• One of the most controversial and visible aspects of being a Muslim woman is the issue of veiling (covering the head).

• The Quran mentions the importance of women covering their heads when they worship, but there has always been disagreement about how much should be covered, and how often.

• Some Muslim women only choose to cover their heads with a loose scarf when they are in a mosque. Some women choose to cover their heads whenever they are outside their home, in public. And women in some countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, are legally required to be veiled whenever they are in public.

• There are 3 main styles of veils: the hijab (which covers the hair), the niqab (which covers the whole face except the eyes), and the burqa (which covers the whole face and requires women to see through thin fabric or mesh)

hijab

niqab

burqa

Exit Ticket

1. The majority of Muslims belong to which branch of Islam? a. Fundamentalist b. Shia c. Sunni d. Sufi 2. The Shia concept of the Mahdi is most similar to the Jewish concept of: a. the kosher diet b. the messiah c. the bar mitzvah d. the belief in one god 3. Ashura is best described as: a. a Sunni holiday commemorating the death of Muhammad b. a Shia holiday commemorating the murder of Muhammad's grandson c. a Sufi holiday celebrating the new year d. a Shia holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan

4. The ritual practices of Sufi Islam are most similar to: a. shamanism b. Catholicism c. Judaism d. Protestantism 5. All of the following are arguments in favor of women wearing the hijab EXCEPT a. it protects women from sexual harassment b. it allows women not to be judged on their physical beauty c. it is a symbol of a woman's personal religious beliefs d. it keeps the woman from committing sins