Islam Islam at a Glance The word Islam

Islam

Islam at a Glance The word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. There were calculated to be 2. 595 million Muslim adherents across the United States in 2010, or 0. 6% of the US population per Fareed Zakaria quoting Pew Research Center. • Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia. • Followers of Islam are called Muslims. • Muslims believe that there is only One God. • The Arabic word for God is Allah. • According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law. • Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets of God. • They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad. • Muslims believe that Islam has always existed, but for practical purposes, date their religion from the time of the migration of Muhammad. • Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Qur'an, and the Sunnah. • Muslims believe the Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad and that there are five basic Pillars of Islam. • These pillars are the declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once).

Basic articles of Faith Muslims have six main beliefs: • Belief in Allah as the one and only God • Belief in angels • Belief in the holy books • Belief in the Prophets. . . • e. g. Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus). • Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet. • Belief in the Day of Judgement. . . • The day when the life of every human being will be assessed to decide whether they go to heaven or hell. • Belief in Predestination. . . • That Allah has the knowledge of all that will happen. • Muslims believe that this does not stop human beings making free choices.

Allah is the name Muslims use for the supreme and unique God, who created and rules everything. The heart of faith for all Muslims is obedience to Allah's will. • Allah is eternal, omniscient, and omnipotent. . . • Allah has always existed and will always exist. • Allah knows everything that can be known. • Allah can do anything that can be done. • Allah has no shape or form. . . • Allah can't be seen. • Allah can't be heard. • Allah is neither male nor female. • Allah is just. . . • Allah rewards and punishes fairly. • But Allah is also merciful. • A believer can approach Allah by praying, and by reciting the Qur'an. • Muslims worship only Allah. . . • because only Allah is worthy of worship.

The One and Only God All Muslims believe that God is one alone: • There is only one God. • God has no children, no parents, and no partners. • God was not created by a being. • There are no equal, superior, or lesser Gods.

Islam: Jihad

Jihad The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war. Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle: • A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible • The struggle to build a good Muslim society • Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary Many modern writers claim that the main meaning of Jihad is the internal spiritual struggle, and this is accepted by many Muslims. However there are so many references to Jihad as a military struggle in Islamic writings that it is incorrect to claim that the interpretation of Jihad as holy war is wrong.

Jihad and the Prophet • The internal Jihad is the one that Prophet Muhammad is said to have called the greater Jihad. • But the quotation in which the Prophet says this is regarded as coming from an unreliable source by some scholars. They regard the use of Jihad to mean holy war as the more important.

The internal Jihad • The phrase internal Jihad or greater Jihad refers to the efforts of a believer to live their Muslim faith as well as possible. • All religious people want to live their lives in the way that will please their God. • So Muslims make a great effort to live as Allah has instructed them; following the rules of the faith, being devoted to Allah, doing everything they can to help other people. • For most people, living God's way is quite a struggle. God sets high standards, and believers have to fight with their own selfish desires to live up to them, no matter how much they love God.

The five Pillars of Islam as Jihad The five Pillars of Islam form an exercise of Jihad in this sense, since a Muslim gets closer to Allah by performing them. Other ways in which a Muslim engages in the 'greater Jihad' could include: • Learning the Qur'an by heart, or engage in other religious study. • Overcoming things such as anger, greed, hatred, pride, or malice. • Giving up smoking. • Cleaning the floor of the mosque. • Taking part in Muslim community activities. • Working for social justice. • Forgiving someone who has hurt them.

The Greater Jihad controversy • The Prophet is said to have called the internal Jihad the "greater Jihad". • On his return from a battle, the Prophet said: "We are finished with the lesser jihad; now we are starting the greater jihad. " He explained to his followers that fighting against an outer enemy is the lesser jihad and fighting against one's self is the greater jihad (holy war). • This quotation is regarded as unreliable by some scholars. They regard the use of jihad as meaning 'holy war' as the more important. • However the quotation has been very influential among some Muslims, particularly Sufis.

Holy War • When Muslims, or their faith or territory are under attack, Islam permits (some say directs) the believer to wage military war to protect them. • However Islamic (sharia) law sets very strict rules for the conduct of such a war. • In recent years the most common meaning of Jihad has been Holy War. • And there is a long tradition of Jihad being used to mean a military struggle to benefit Islam.

What can justify Jihad? There a number of reasons, but the Qur'an is clear that self-defense is always the underlying cause. Permissible reasons for military Jihad: • Self-defense • Strengthening Islam • Protecting the freedom of Muslims to practice their faith • Protecting Muslims against oppression, which could include overthrowing a tyrannical ruler • Punishing an enemy who breaks an oath • Putting right a wrong

What a Jihad is not A war is not a Jihad if the intention is to: • Force people to convert to Islam • Conquer other nations to colonize them • Take territory for economic gain • Settle disputes • Demonstrate a leader's power Although the Prophet engaged in military action on a number of occasions, these were battles to survive, rather than conquest, and took place at a time when fighting between tribes was common.

The Rules of Jihad A military Jihad has to obey very strict rules in order to be legitimate. • The opponent must always have started the fighting. • It must not be fought to gain territory. • It must be launched by a religious leader. • It must be fought to bring about good - something that Allah will approve of. • Every other way of solving the problem must be tried before resorting to war. • Innocent people should not be killed. • Women, children, or old people should not be killed or hurt. • Women must not be raped. • Enemies must be treated with justice. • Wounded enemy soldiers must be treated in exactly the same way as one's own soldiers. • The war must stop as soon as the enemy asks for peace. • Property must not be damaged. • Poisoning wells is forbidden. The modern analogy would be chemical or biological warfare. military Jihad has to obey very strict rules in order to be legitimate.

Jesus through Muslim eyes • Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet who was given a special message— injil, or the gospel—to convey to all people. This message both confirmed what was taught in the Torah and foretold the coming of Prophet Muhammad. Thus, Jesus has a vital and unique role to play in the Muslim faith. • However, while Muslims accept that Jesus was a servant, teacher, and lover of God’s Word, they do not believe that he was divine or the son of God. The Qur'an describes the miracles Jesus performed, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, but does not ascribe these miracles to his divinity. Instead, Jesus is a sign to all humankind of God’s endless mercy. • Muslims do not believe in original sin. They see no need for a savior and, moreover, do not believe in Jesus’ crucifixion. The Qur'an states that Jesus was assumed into heaven (3: 169) before his actual death. Islamic tradition explains that Jesus was spared death because he was God’s holy one. Muslims believe Jesus’ enemies could not triumph over him because he is God’s chosen servant.

Hijab • Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. • In Islam, however, it has a broader meaning. It is the principle of modesty and includes behavior as well as dress for both males and females. • The most visible form of hijab is the head covering that many Muslim women wear. Hijab however goes beyond the head scarf. In one popular school of Islamic thought, hijab refers to the complete covering of everything except the hands, face and feet in long, loose and non see-through garments. A woman who wears hijab is called Muhaajaba. • Muslim women are required to observe the hijab in front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab is not obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or young children. • Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women. • Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose their eyes. Some cover every part of the body except their face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage is compulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules.

Hijab Examples

Islam: Polygamy • Islamic law allows a man to take more than one wife as long as he has the means to treat all his wives fairly.

Sharia • Sharia is a now a familiar term to Muslims and non-Muslims. It can often be heard in news stories about politics, crime, feminism, terrorism and civilization. • All aspects of a Muslim's life are governed by Sharia law comes from a combination of sources including the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book), the Hadith (sayings and conduct of the prophet Muhammad) and fatwas (the rulings of Islamic scholars). • Many people, including Muslims, misunderstand Sharia. It's often associated with the amputation of limbs, death by stoning, lashes and other medieval punishments. Because of this, it is sometimes thought of as draconian. Some people in the West view Sharia as archaic and unfair social ideas that are imposed upon people who live in Sharia-controlled nations. • Many Muslims, however, hold a different view. In the Islamic tradition Sharia is seen as something that nurtures humanity. They see the Sharia not in the light of something primitive but as something divinely revealed. In a society where social problems are endemic, Sharia frees humanity to realize its individual potential.

Islamic History

Ibrahim - the Muslim view of Abraham • Abraham is called Ibrahim by Muslims. They see him as the father of the Arab people as well as the Jewish people through his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael (Isma'il in Arabic). • God says to Abraham, "I'd like you to build my house for me. . . " - that is a Kaaba - ". . . here on this mound of earth, in this sacred place and I'd like you to erect the walls and I want you to purify this place. " Part of this purification is what we see today in the Kaaba. The Islamic tradition has restricted this purity ritual to Muslims only. However the second ambulation that pilgrims do in praise of God is actually a legacy left from pre-Islamic days when pilgrims also came to the Kaaba - not to worship the one God, but to worship idols. • There are various things that are part of the Abrahamic story, culminating in the ultimate sacrifice which is carried out on the last day of Hajj. As a symbolic gesture, Muslims re-enact what Abraham was going to do with Ishmael by sacrificing a lamb or sheep.

Musa - the Muslim view of Moses • Moses is revered as a prominent prophet and messenger in Islam, his narrative is recounted the most among the prophets in the Qur'an. He is regarded by Muslims of as one of the six most prominent prophets in Islam along with Jesus (Isa), Abraham (Ibrahim), Noah (Nuh), Adam (Adem) and Muhammad. He is among the Ulu’l azm prophets, the prophets that were favored by God and are described in the Quran to be endowed with determination and perseverance. Islamic tradition describes Moses being granted two miracles, the glowing hand his staff which could turn into a snake. • Moses is revered as being a prophet who was specially favored by God and conversed directly with Him, unlike other prophets who received revelation by God through an intervening angel. Moses received the Torah directly from God. Despite conversing with God, the Qur'an states that Moses was unable to see God. For these feats Moses is revered in Islam as Kalim Allah, meaning the one who talked with God.

Prophet Muhammad (570 -632) • Muslims believe that Islam is a faith that has always existed and that it was gradually revealed to humanity by a number of prophets, but the final and complete revelation of the faith was made through the Prophet Muhammad in the 7 th century CE. • During the rest of his life Muhammad continued to receive revelations from Allah. The words were remembered and recorded, and form the text of the Holy Qur'an, the Muslim scripture. • Believing that God had chosen him as his messenger Muhammad began to preach what God had revealed to him. • The simple and clear-cut message of Islam, that there is no God but Allah, and that life should be lived in complete submission to the will of Allah, was attractive to many people, and they flocked to hear it.

Prophet Muhammad (continued) • Muhammad's popularity was seen as threatening by the people in power in Mecca, and Muhammad took his followers on a journey from Mecca to Medina in 622. • This journey is called the Hijrah (migration) and the event was seen as so important for Islam that 622 is the year in which the Islamic calendar begins. • Within ten years Muhammad had gained so many followers that he was able to return and conquer Mecca. • From this time on he was generally accepted by the faithful as the true final Prophet of God. • Muhammad continued to lead his community both spiritually and in earthly matters until his death in 632.

Early Rise of Islam (632 -700) • The Muslim community spread through the Middle East through conquest, and the resulting growth of the Muslim state provided the ground in which the recently revealed faith could take root and flourish. • The military conquest was inspired by religion, but it was also motivated by greed and politics.

Muslim Spain (711 -1492) • In 711 Muslim forces invaded and in seven years conquered the Iberian peninsula. • It became one of the great Muslim civilizations; reaching its summit with the Umayyad caliphate of Cordovan the tenth century. • Muslim rule declined after that and ended in 1492 when Granada was conquered. • The heartland of Muslim rule was Southern Spain or Andalusia. • Although Christians and Jews lived under restrictions, for much of the time three groups managed to get along together, and to some extent, to benefit from the presence of each other. • It brought a degree of civilization to Europe that matched the heights of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance.

Abbasid Empire • The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic caliphates to succeed the Prophet Muhammad. The Abbasid dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (566– 653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes its name. They ruled as caliphs for most of the caliphate from their capital in Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, after having overthrown over the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE (132 AH).

Safavid Empire (1501 -1722) • • • The Safavid Empire lasted from 1501 -1722 It covered all of Iran, and parts of Turkey and the nation of Georgia The Safavid Empire was a theocracy The state religion was Shi'a Islam All other religions, and forms of Islam were suppressed The Empire's economic strength came from its location on the trade routes The Empire made Iran a center of art, architecture, poetry and philosophy The capital, Isfahan, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world The key figures in the Empire were: • Isma'il I • Abbas I • The Empire declined when it became complacent and corrupt

Ottoman Empire (1301 -1922) • A state that controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia and North Africa between the 14 th and early 20 th centuries. It was founded at the end of the 13 th century in northwestern Anatolia in the town of Söğüt (modernday Bilecik Province) by the Oghuz Turkish tribal leader Osman I. After 1354, the Ottomans crossed into Europe, and with the conquest of the Balkans, the Ottoman beylik was transformed into a transcontinental empire. The Ottomans ended the Byzantine Empire with the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror • The Empire's defeat and the occupation of part of its territory by the Allied Powers in the aftermath of World War I resulted in its partitioning and the loss of its Middle Eastern territories, which were divided between the United Kingdom and France. The successful Turkish War of Independence against the occupying Allies led to the emergence of the Republic of Turkey in the Anatolian heartland the abolition of the Ottoman monarchy.

Islam: Holy Days

Muslim holy days • There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law: Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha (Eid or Id is a word meaning festival). But there also several other special days which Muslims celebrate. • Some Muslims disapprove of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, on the grounds that it is an innovation, and innovations in religious matters are forbidden. • Some Muslims say that if changes were made in religious matters it would imply that Islam was not complete when it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, or that the Prophet did not tell Muslims everything that was revealed to him. This would be seen as highly sacrilegious by many Muslims.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast during daylight hours. There are several reasons why Ramadan is considered important: • The Qur'an was first revealed during this month • The gates of Heaven are open • The gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained up in Hell.

Ramadan: Special Practices Fasting the whole month long • Although Muslims fast during other times of the year, Ramadan is the only time when fasting, or sawm, is obligatory during the entire month for every able Muslim. • Ramadan is intended to increase self-control in all areas, including food, sleeping, sex and the use of time. Taraweeh Prayers • These are long night prayers, which are not obligatory, but highly recommended. • Mosques are filled with worshippers who go to attend these prayers, which usually last for one and a half to two hours. • These prayers also give Muslims a chance to meet at the mosque every day, and so they also help to improve relationships in the Muslim community. I'tikaf • I'tikaf refers to going into seclusion during the last ten nights of Ramadan, in order to seek Lailat ul Qadr (the Night of Power, marks the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah) by praying and reading the Qur'an. Some people live in the mosque during this time for serious reflection and worship. Others spend a few hours at the mosque or home.

Ethics

Abortion • Muslims regard abortion as wrong and haram (forbidden), but many accept that it may be permitted in certain cases. • All schools of Muslim law accept that abortion is permitted if continuing the pregnancy would put the mother's life in real danger. This is the only reason accepted for abortion after 120 days of the pregnancy. • Different schools of Muslim law hold different views on whether any other reasons for abortion are permitted, and at what stage of pregnancy if so. • Some schools of Muslim law permit abortion in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, while others only permit it in the first 7 weeks. • However, even those scholars who would permit early abortion in certain cases still regard abortion as wrong, but do not regard it as a punishable wrong. The more advanced the pregnancy, the greater the wrong. • The Qur'an does not explicitly refer to abortion but offers guidance on related matters. Scholars accept that this guidance can properly be applied to abortion.

Capital Punishment In Islamic law, the death penalty is appropriate for two groups of crime: • Intentional murder: In these cases the victim's family is given the option as to whether or not to insist on a punishment of this severity • Fasad fil-ardh ('spreading mischief in the land'): Islam permits the death penalty for anyone who threatens to undermine authority or destabilize the state What constitutes the crime of 'spreading mischief in the land' is open to interpretation, but the following crimes are usually included: • Treason/apostasy (when one leaves the faith and turns against it) • Terrorism • Piracy of any kind • Rape • Adultery • Homosexual activity

Euthanasia, Assisted Dying, Suicide and Medical Ethics • Muslims are against euthanasia. They believe that all human life is sacred because it is given by Allah, and that Allah chooses how long each person will live. Human beings should not interfere in this. • Euthanasia and suicide are not included among the reasons allowed for killing in Islam. • Allah decides how long each of us will live. • Suicide and euthanasia are explicitly forbidden • Many devout Muslims believe that Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders represent a soft form of euthanasia which is strictly forbidden in Islam. Muslims cannot kill, or be complicit in the killing of another, except in the interests of justice. • However, the Islamic Code of Medical Ethics states "it is futile to diligently keep the patient in a vegetative state by heroic means. . . It is the process of life that the doctor aims to maintain and not the process of dying". This means doctors can stop trying to prolong life in cases where there is no hope of a cure.

Animals Muslims believe that: • all living creatures were made by Allah • Allah loves all animals • animals exist for the benefit of human beings • animals must be treated with kindness and compassion Muslims are instructed to avoid: • treating animals cruelly • over-working or over-loading animals • neglecting animals • hunting animals for sport • hunting for food is permitted if the animals are killed humanely • cutting the mane or tail of a horse • animal fighting as a sport • factory farming

Contraception • Islamic medicine has known about birth control for centuries - for example the Muslim writers Avicenna (980 -1037) and Al-Razi (died in 923 or 924) refer to different methods of contraception. • Islam is strongly pro-family and regards children as a gift from God. • Muslim sexual ethics forbid sex outside marriage, so its teachings about birth control should be understood within the context of husband wife. • There is no single attitude to contraception within Islam; however eight of the nine classic schools of Islamic law permit it. • But more conservative Islamic leaders have openly campaigned against the use of condoms or other birth control methods, thus making population planning in many countries ineffective. • This resistance to birth control was reflected in 2005 when a conference involving 40 Islamic scholars from 21 countries urged fresh efforts to push population planning and better reproductive health services. • But although all the participants were in favor of promoting the use of contraceptives for married couples, they were reluctant to make it part of their joint declaration for fear of reprisals from the more conservative Islamic scholars in their respective countries.

Five Pillars of Islam The most important Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Five Pillars consist of: • Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith • Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day • Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy • Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan • Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca Why are they important? Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion. No matter how sincerely a person may believe, Islam regards it as pointless to live life without putting that faith into action and practice. Carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates that the Muslim is putting their faith first, and not just trying to fit it in around their secular lives.

Rites and Rituals

Birth Rites • Muslims have some very simple rites for welcoming a child. • The Muslim call to prayer or adhaan ("God is great, there is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer. ") are the first words a newborn Muslim baby should hear. They are whispered into the right ear of the child by his or her father. • The baby's first taste should be something sweet, so parents may chew a piece of date and rub the juice along the baby's gums. It was a practice carried out by the Prophet Muhammad and is believed to help tiny digestive systems to kick in. • There a number of events that take place on or after the seventh day. • After seven days the baby's head is shaved (a tradition also carried out by Hindus). This is to show that the child is the servant of Allah. Although Hindus may take the baby's hair to India and scatter it in the holy river Ganges, Muslims weigh it and give the equivalent weight in silver to charity. • Ideally, Muslim baby boys are circumcised when they are seven days old although it can take place any time before puberty. It is also tradition to choose a name for the baby on the seventh day. • The aqeeqah is also traditionally carried out on the seventh day. This is a celebration which involves the slaughter of sheep. Sheep are sacrificed (in Britain the meat is ordered at the butchers) and the meat is distributed to relatives and neighbors and also given to the poor.

Weddings • Muslim weddings vary enormously according to the culture of the people involved. • Surprisingly to many Westerners, many of the Muslims who marry are from widely different cultures - for example European, Turkish, African, Malaysian, and so on. • Secondly, it is important to realize that the 'wedding' means different things too. For many Muslims, it is the Islamic ceremony that counts as the actual wedding, and not the confirmation of that wedding in a registry office. • It is a fact that many couples live together these days as 'partners', and 'common law wives‘; consequently, these couples have recently been accorded various legal rights they were not entitled to previously. • At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an it was normal procedure for men to have more than one wife, up to the limits of their ability to support them. Also, powerful and wealthy women also had marital arrangements with more than one partner. One difference between Islam and other faiths is that to this day a man may have more than one wife, up to the limit of four wives simultaneously - so long as it is not done to the detriment and hurt of the existing Muslim partner(s).

Subdivisions

Sufism • Sufism, or Tasawwuf as it is known in the Muslim world, is Islamic mysticism. • Non-Muslims often mistake Sufism as a sect of Islam. Sufism is more accurately described as an aspect or dimension of Islam. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be found in Sunni, Shia and other Islamic groups. • Sufis are emphatic that Islamic knowledge should be learned from teachers and not exclusively from books. Tariqas can trace their teachers back through the generations to the Prophet himself. Modelling themselves on their teachers, students hope that they too will glean something of the Prophetic character. • Although Sufis are relatively few in number they have shaped Islamic thought and history. Through the centuries Sufis contributed hugely to Islamic literature for example Rumi, Omar Khayyám and Al-Ghazali's influence extended beyond Muslim lands to be quoted by Western philosophers, writers and theologians. Sufis were influential in spreading Islam particularly to the furthest outposts of the Muslim world in Africa, India and the Far East.

Sunni and Shi'a • The words Sunni and Shi'a appear regularly in stories about the Muslim world but few people know what they really mean. Religion permeates every aspect of life in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and Shi'a beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world. Introduction • The division between Sunnis and Shi'as is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. • They both agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the same Holy Book (The Qur'an), but there are differences mostly derived from their different historical experiences, political and social developments, as well as ethnic composition. • These differences originate from the question of who would succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the emerging Muslim community after his death. To understand them, we need to know a bit about the Prophet's life and political and spiritual legacy.

Sunni and Shi’a (continued) • When the Prophet died in the early 7 th century he left not only the religion of Islam but also a community of about one hundred thousand Muslims organized as an Islamic state on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the question of who should succeed the Prophet and lead the fledgling Islamic state that created the divide. • The larger group of Muslims chose Abu Bakr, a close Companion of the Prophet, as the Caliph (politico-social leader) and he was accepted as such by much of the community which saw the succession in political and not spiritual terms. However another smaller group, which also included some of the senior Companions, believed that the Prophet's son-in-law and cousin, Ali, should be Caliph. They understood that the Prophet had appointed him as the sole interpreter of his legacy, in both political and spiritual terms. In the end Abu Bakr was appointed First Caliph.

Sunni and Shi’a (continued) • Both Shi'as and Sunnis have good evidence to support their understanding of the succession. Sunnis argue that the Prophet chose Abu Bakr to lead the congregational prayers as he lay on his deathbed, thus suggesting that the Prophet was naming Abu Bakr as the next leader. The Shi'as' evidence is that Muhammad stood up in front of his Companions on the way back from his last Hajj, and proclaimed Ali the spiritual guide and master of all believers. Shi'a reports say he took Ali's hand said that anyone who followed Muhammad should follow Ali. • Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should have been the Prophet's successor have come to be known as Sunni Muslims. Those who believe Ali should have been the Prophet's successor are now known as Shi'a Muslims. It was only later that these terms came into use. Sunni means 'one who follows the Sunnah' (what the Prophet said, did, agreed to or condemned). Shi'a is a contraction of the phrase 'Shiat Ali', meaning 'partisans of Ali'. • The use of the word "successor" should not be confused to mean that those leaders that came after the Prophet Muhammad were also prophets - both Shi'a and Sunni agree that Muhammad was the final prophet.