What Are the Major Beliefs of Sunni Muslims?
- When the Prophet Mohammed died in 632, Muslims divided over who should succeed him as caliph, or leader, of their community. Sunni Islam developed among the majority of Muslims who believed that since Mohammed hadn't named a successor, his sunna, or example, mandated an elected caliph. They supported Mohammed's close friend Abu Bakr. A vocal minority, the Shia Ali, or partisans of Ali, supported Mohammed's cousin Ali. Ali eventually became the fourth caliph. However, the Shia believe he should have been first and that the caliphate should have remained within Mohammed's family.
- The Koran, or Recitation, is the primary source of Islamic faith. Muslims believe that it contains the revelations the Prophet Mohammed received from God through the archangel Gabriel. They also believe that since the Koran was revealed in Arabic, only Arabic copies are valid. Translations of the Koran only give the reader a general idea of what the book is about. Muslims consider the sunna, or the Prophet's words and actions, a secondary source of their faith. The view his sayings and actions as examples of how to practice their faith. The sunna comes from the hadeeths, reliable reports from Mohammed's friends, family and companions.
- Sunni Muslims believe in one true God called Allah who is exactly the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians. However, Muslims do not believe that God is a trinity or that Jesus Christ was his son. Muslims believe angels serve God. According to the Koran, the angels observe God's every command and act as his messengers. Islam teaches that God gave his prophets scriptures such as the Bible and the Koran as proof of his existence and guidance for his people. Like Christians, Muslims believe that the world will end with a Day of Judgment when God rewards the righteous with eternal life and damns the wicked. Finally, they believe in Al Qadar, a concept similar to the Christian views on predestination. According to Islamic teaching, humans have free will and can choose right or wrong. However, God already knows what we will choose.
- The Five Pillars of Islam are obligatory actions considered the framework of the faith. A person becomes a Muslim by reciting the Muslim testimony of faith, "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." Muslims must pray at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. Muslims must set aside about 2.5 percent of their annual income as zakat, or support for the needy. Every year, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims must remember the needy by abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse during daylight hours. All able Muslims must make the Hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, the site of the Ka'aba, Islam's holiest shrine.