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Insomniac
Guest
What branch of Islam is most similiar to the early ‘church’ and closest to the teachings of their prophet?
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dosdog
Guest
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.
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya Islam was founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (c. 1839-1908) in Qadian, Punjab, IndiaUpon the death of Ahmad, Mawlawi Nur-ad-Din was elected as successor (caliph). When he died in 1914, the Ahmadiya group split into two groups:
Qadiani, who recognize Ahmad as a prophet; and
Lahore, who regard Ahamad only as a reformer of Islam.
Today there are about 170 million Ahmadiyya Muslims in the world. Qadianis reside mainly in Pakistan, where they are zealous missionaries for Islam and the two prophets Muhammad and Ahmad. Lahore Ahmadiyyas also seek converts, but more to Islam in general than to their particular sect.
Ahmadiyya Islam is also associated with several Sufi orders, most notably the Al-Badawi order of Egypt, named for an Islamic saint who died in 1276
religionfacts.com/islam/sects.htm
mylinuxisp.com/~jrlaw/islam/list_of_sects.htm
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paarsurrey
Guest
Hi
There is no Popeism or Churchianity in Islam.
Muhammad himself prophesized for decadence of Islam after three centuries and later towards the end of thirteenth century ( of Islamic calendor) its revival by hands of the advent of PromisedMessiahImamMahdi by peaceful means. Since the only peaceful people who believe that that prophecy has been fullfilled are Ahmadis so on merit they are the closest to the teachings of the ProphetMessenger Muhammad SAW ,Khatamun Nabiyyeen.This is easily recognizable from the peaceful teachings we believe in, and that is the need of the hour as well.
Thanks
I am an Ahmadi – a peaceful faith in Islam bridging gaps between faiths/denominations/religions/agnostics
The West, as I understand, due to certain disinformation has seen only MullahIslam or MullahShariah; the true face of Muhammad’sIslam and PromisedMessiahImamMahdi’sIslam is yet hidden from their eyes, which is truly speaking only peaceful.
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arthra
Guest
To quote from the above:
“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.”
…
Yes Baha’i Faith originated from Islam just as Christianity emerged from Judaism but Baha’i Faith has never presented itself as Muslim from the beginning… There are parallels though one could draw between the martyrdoms of the early church and the martyrdoms of Babis and Baha’is.
“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.”
…
Yes Baha’i Faith originated from Islam just as Christianity emerged from Judaism but Baha’i Faith has never presented itself as Muslim from the beginning… There are parallels though one could draw between the martyrdoms of the early church and the martyrdoms of Babis and Baha’is.
- Art
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paarsurrey
Guest
Hi
So the Bahais themselves say they are not Muslims, so they are not.
Thanks
I am an Ahmadi – a peaceful faith in Islam bridging gaps between faiths/denominations/religions/agnostics
The West, as I understand, due to certain disinformation has seen only MullahIslam or MullahShariah; the true face of Muhammad’sIslam and PromisedMessiahImamMahdi’sIslam is yet hidden from their eyes, which is truly speaking only peaceful.
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danieldemol
Guest
I would have to say the more liberal Sufi groups are generally the most peaceful. Ahmadi Islam is peaceful in the sense that they are non-violent, however according to Ahmadi website Alislam.org, their leader Masroor Ahmad states with reference to the Baha’is, " we should always avoid these people"1 in his friday sermon dated January 30th 2009. Therefore I would put other, more liberal Sufi groups ahead of Ahmadiyya Islam on the peaceful scale.
A good example of some peaceful Muslims could be found at the website liberalislam.net
Kind regards.
1 alislam.org/friday-sermon/20090130.html#summary-tab
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
All the Incomplete or Utterly Wrong Information posted by the writer. Clearly, the Writer needs to do a lot of research on Islam before making any further assumptions.
I am a Sunni Muslim. Religion is not my majors but even I know more than the self-acclaimed writer on Islamic Ideologies and sects.
- Kharjites were the first people who tried to form a sect in Islam. They were immediately ousted from Islam because of their heretical believes by the Khalifa ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib’ (the closest companion of the Prophet, the 1st Imam and the 4th Khalifa of Islam) After a bloody battle and a crushing defeat, the Kharjites lost terribly and were never openly heard from again. However, one of the Kahrjites, Ibn-e-Muljim did manage to assassinate Ali. Before Kharjites, there were no religious groups in Muslims
- Shia’s claim to follow the teachings of Ali ibn Abi Talib through one of his descendants Imam Jafar (who also happens to be the teacher of other earlier Muslim scholars like Imam Hanifa, Humbal, Malik and Shafi that laid down the basis of Sunni (sharia) Law and jurisprudence). Shia’s are a majority in a number of countries including Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Bahrain and even Lebanon. In other places, they are a minority group but are found in almost all Muslim countries world over. If the question earlier focused on resemblance with the Catholic Church, the Shia Ulemas (Scholars) as well as the masses, follow a clear hierarchy that can be resembled to the Catholic Church. On top are the two Grand Ayotullahs (like a Pope in Catholic belief). One is Sistani - based in Iraq and the other is Khumeni - based in Iran. The basic teachings of the two are almost same, but sometime difference arises in newer interpretations.
- The two earliest Muslim groups are the Shia’s and Sunnis Of all Muslim sects, Shias by far, have been most successful in maintaining their traditions till this day. However, no one is really sure of their formation. Shia’s themselves claim their origin at the time of the Ali Ibn Abi Talib (+600 A.D), but many scholars disagree and believe it to be a later age and time (Probably after Imam Jafar (+700A.D) or maybe even later)
- Sunnis follow jurisprudence from either of the four early Ulemas (Abu Hanifa, Humbal, Malik or Shafi). All of these four belong to the same era and were disciples of Imam Jafar, who was a direct descendant of the Prophet (Shia’s claim to follow his jurisprudence). Imam Abu Hanifa has the largest gathering of followers. His followers are spread in Turkey, Iraq, parts of Middle East, Pakistan, India, Parts of South and South East Asia. In South Asian nations like India and Pakistan, Hanafis are referred to as Barelvis to differentiate themselves from another newly-formed group ‘Deobandis’ which though formed in the 18th Century, also tries to associate itself with Imam Abu Hanifa (of the 8th Century)
- Sufis are not a religion or sect. It’s a name given to Muslim holy men, just as the term ‘Saints’ used by Christians. So, of course they have a lot of spiritual significance. These Sufis (as people dub them today) or ‘Muslim Saints’ had different teachers, spoke different languages, lived in different regions and belonged to different eras of time. Yet surprisingly, they all seemed to share similar ideologies. Popular examples include Abdul Qadir Jilani and Rabiya Basri of Iraq, Rumi of Turkey, Ali Hajvery of Pakistan. They are revered and respected not only by Shias and Sunnis but also by people from other religions (sometimes Sikh, Hindus and even local Christians). However, the newer denominations of Islam namely ‘Wahabis’ and ‘Deobandis’ don’t appreciate going to their shrines or following the old traditions. (Taliban have often bombed these places out of utter hatred and killed hundreds)
- New sects like Wahabis - followed by Al-Qaeda and Deobandis - followed by Taliban (both have repeatedly tried to associate themselves with mainstream Sunnis but fail miserably). Wahabis and Deobandis share very common views on religion and took birth in different movements at the same time (18th Century) under rule of the same regime (British). Talk about Co-incidence! Wahabi movement was based in what we call Saudi Arabia today (very much influenced by British at the time) and Deobandis came from the city of Deoband, India (also ruled by British).
- Ahmadiyya or Qadiyanis are not even a Muslim sect to begin with. Like other Muslim denominations, their birth took place in India in 18th Century during the British Rule, when Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiyan (previously a scholar) declared himself a prophet and started his own cult religion. The Qadiyanis were declared a cult, banned and ousted from Islam by judicial law in the 1970’s in Pakistan, where they were based by then. Soon, they started spreading their belief in different parts of impoverished Eastern Africa under the name of ‘Sunni’ or even ‘Hanafi’ Islam and continue to do so till this day; in the absence of any concrete law against ‘heresy’ or ‘religious fraud’
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
- Fatimids believe in 6 Imams or Muslim Holy Men rather than 12 Imams as believed by Shia’s and Hanafi-Sunnis. They believe in a Hazir (present) Imam. Their basics (or Pillars of Islam) are also different from mainstream Muslims. Although, the movement began in Egypt; today most of the Fatimids are found in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Their views are widely contested among Muslim scholars.
- Bhaha’i faith believes in universal brother hood. ‘Bhaha’i faith is not a denomination of Islam. They don’t believe particularly in any religion and yet believe in all religions at the same time. Although originated in South Asia, they are as much linked to Islam as they are to Hinduism, Christianity or any other religion for that matter.
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
**As for the question on the purest form of Islam… people from every sect will say “We are the one”. So, there really is no point in arguing. Technically, all sects have made certain changes and developments with the passage of time. So, no one can answer this question
However, the Earliest sects of Islam are the main stream Sunnis and the main stream Shias**
However, the Earliest sects of Islam are the main stream Sunnis and the main stream Shias**
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Amir_the_Masihi
Guest
Well, of course, it depends on who you ask. The two main ‘sects’ are the Sunnis and the Shia (singular: Shi’ite, it annoys me when people add an ‘s’ to the end of Shia 
). The Shia will claim that they are the purest for a variety of reasons, such as believing that Ali, a major figure in Shia Islam second only to Muhammad himself was (along with Muhammad) made of ‘Nur’ before the creation of everything we know; Nur meaning ‘light’.
Relative to the Shia, Ali is a somewhat minor figure, instead the other companions of Muhammad take the stage such as Abu Bakr.
Both sides have their own texts and ‘proofs’ towards the claim of being ‘original’. It just so happens that people will naturally flock to Sunni Islam since the sect covers the vast majority of Muslims.
). The Shia will claim that they are the purest for a variety of reasons, such as believing that Ali, a major figure in Shia Islam second only to Muhammad himself was (along with Muhammad) made of ‘Nur’ before the creation of everything we know; Nur meaning ‘light’.Relative to the Shia, Ali is a somewhat minor figure, instead the other companions of Muhammad take the stage such as Abu Bakr.
Both sides have their own texts and ‘proofs’ towards the claim of being ‘original’. It just so happens that people will naturally flock to Sunni Islam since the sect covers the vast majority of Muslims.
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Sen_McGlinn
Guest
The Bahai Faith comes from Iran, not South Asia. It is not a branch of Islam, but it does affirm the Quran as authentic scripture, and Muhammad as the Messenger of God, while also affirming that God sends Messengers to people outside the Middle East.
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agent_grey
Guest
The purest form of Islam is the Arian Catholic tradition.
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
Sorry about that. My bad. I read about Bahai Faith somewhere on Wikipedia sometime back. Should have known better. Sorry again.
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
It’s a common misinterpretation. In Sunni Islam (I speak only for main stream Hanafis/Barelvis), Abu Bakr is revered because he was the first Khalifa of Islam and many years senior to Ali. However, spiritually as well as in wisdom, Ali holds a higher status in Islam. “I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate” so goes a famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad. In fact spiritually, he is the most revered person after the Prophet himself. This fact has been mentioned time and again by various poetic works of Sufis (Muslim Saints) in poems, songs and Qawwalis Most of the Sufi mystics trace their lineage and traditions from Imam Ali. Example: Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani (of Iraq), who was the a direct descendant of Imam Ali and founder of the most famous Sufi spiritual lineage “Qadri”. Same is the case with many other schools of spiritualism.Well, of course, it depends on who you ask. The two main ‘sects’ are the Sunnis and the Shia (singular: Shi’ite, it annoys me when people add an ‘s’ to the end of Shia
Relative to the Shia, Ali is a somewhat minor figure, instead the other companions of Muhammad take the stage such as Abu Bakr.
Both sides have their own texts and ‘proofs’ towards the claim of being ‘original’. It just so happens that people will naturally flock to Sunni Islam since the sect covers the vast majority of Muslims.
You are probably right about the rest.
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mark_avery
Guest
Hislamb i.e Christianity!
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GaryTaylor
Guest
lol…First time I heard that.
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Nabeel_Khalid
Guest
LOL! And the purest form of Catholic Christaininty is Byzentinum Orthodox Church (a.k.a Eastern Orthodox Church or Orthodox Catholic Church). But I think that Church went extinct (well, atleast the purest, orignal version), once all the members living in Byzantine (modern day Turkey) converted to Islam.
Ah… the world does spin round and round again!
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mark_avery
Guest
Orthodox,does actually mean as a word,conforming to an established standard,tradition in religion,quote"and the gates of hades will not come near".
Bless you
Bless you
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mark_avery
Guest
Pluss take out the L from the word world and your be left with his word,because the earth is L(hell),especially when there are questions still and retorts with apocryphal ways.
up and down,in and out!
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jdarc
Guest
You do not have to wonder why - “Suicide Bombers”
Just look at Islam today same old ****
Bring back the “Crusades”
Just look at Islam today same old ****
Bring back the “Crusades”
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