"1998 poll estimated the proportion of ardent believers in Azerbaijan at only 7 percent. Islam arrived in Azerbaijan with Arabs in the seventh century, gradually supplanting Christianity and pagan cults. In the sixteenth century, the first shah of the Safavid Dynasty, Ismail I (r. 1486-1524), established Shi'a Islam as the state religion, although a portion of people remained Sunni. The population of what is nowadays Iran and what is nowadays Azerbaijan were converted to Shia Islam at the same moment in history. As elsewhere in the Muslim world, the two branches of Islam came into conflict in Azerbaijan. Enforcement of"
"include the Ahmadiyya. A major source of conflict in the Muslim Middle East is the divisive nature between the two main sects of Islam: Sunni and Shi'a. Though these two sects agree on the fundamentals of Islam and the teachings of the Qur'an, they are in conflict about who would lead the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad's death. The Battle of Siffin was a significant schism between the two sects. Throughout the years, other differences have arisen between practices, beliefs and culture. Many conflicts between the two communities have occurred. Sunni is the largest branch of Islam and dominates"
"Islam Islam () is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which teaches that there is only one God (Allah), and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. It is the world's second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world's population, most commonly known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 50 countries. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, unique and has guided humankind through prophets, revealed scriptures and natural signs. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, viewed by Muslims as the verbatim word of God, and the teachings and normative example"
"the Quran to be the ultimate authority, as revealed and elucidated through the teachings and practices of a central, but not divine prophet, Muhammad. The Islamic faith considers all prophets and messengers from Adam through the final messenger (Muhammad) to carry the same Islamic monotheistic principles. Soon after its founding, Islam split into two main branches (Sunni and Shia Islam), each of which now has a number of denominations. The Bahá'í Faith began within the context of Shia Islam in 19th-century Persia, after a merchant named Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází claimed divine revelation and took on the title of the"
"Christianity and Islam Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world and share a historical and traditional connection, with some major theological differences. The two faiths share a common place of origin in the Middle East, and consider themselves to be monotheistic. Christianity is a monotheistic religion which developed out of Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century CE. It is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow it are called Christians. Islam is a monotheistic religion that developed in the 7th century CE. Islam, which literally means ""surrender"""
"part of the world. Islam is divided into two major religious denominations: Sunni and Shi'a. Of the total Muslim population, 87-90% are Sunni and 10-13% are Shi'a. Most Shi'as (between 68% and 80%) live in mainly four countries: Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq. Today, many of the Shia sects are extinct. The major surviving Imamah-Muslim Sects are Usulism (with nearly more than 10%), Nizari Ismailism (with nearly more than 1%) and Alevism (with slightly more than 0.5% but less than 1%). The other existing groups include Zaydi Shi'a of Yemen whose population is nearly more than 0.5% of the world's"
"for Shias), as well as veneration of Ali and Muhammad's family. The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: أركان الإسلام) is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are ""Shahada"" (profession of faith), salat (prayers), ""Zakāt"" (giving of alms), ""Sawm"" (fasting, specifically during Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). These five practices are essential to Sunni and Shia Muslims. Shia theology has two concepts that define religion as a whole. There are Roots of Religion (""Usūl al-Dīn"") and Branches of Religion (""Furu al Din""). Many distinctions can be made between Sunnis and Shiaīs through observation"
"immigrants in the West to assimilate has been criticized. Islam Islam () is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which teaches that there is only one God (Allah), and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. It is the world's second-largest religion with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world's population, most commonly known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 50 countries. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, unique and has guided humankind through prophets, revealed scriptures and natural signs. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, viewed by Muslims as the verbatim"
"Shia–Sunni relations Shia and Sunni Islam are the two major denominations of Islam. They chose sides following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in AD 632. A dispute over succession to Islamic prophet Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world, which led to the Battle of Jamal and Battle of Siffin. The dispute intensified greatly after the Battle of Karbala, in which Hussein ibn Ali and his household were killed by the ruling Umayyad Caliph Yazid I, and the outcry for revenge divided the early Islamic community. The present demographic breakdown"
"Other religions by country: General Islam by country Adherents of Islam constitute the world's second largest religious group. According to a study in 2015, Islam has 1.8 billion adherents, making up about 24.1% of the world population. Most Muslims are either of two denominations: Sunni (80-90%, roughly 1.5 billion people) or Shia (10–20%, roughly 170-340 million people). Islam is the dominant religion in the Central Asia, Indonesia, Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel and some other parts of Asia. The diverse Asia-Pacific region contains the highest number of Muslims in the world, easily surpassing the Middle East and North Africa."
"majority in 49 countries, they speak hundreds of languages and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Major languages spoken by Muslims include Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Malay, Javanese, Sundanese, Swahili, Hausa, Fula, Berber, Tuareg, Somali, Albanian, Spanish, Bosnian, Russian, Turkish, Azeri, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tatar, Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, Tamil, Telugu, Balochi, Sindhi, Malayalam, and Kashmiri, among many others. The two main denominations of Islam are the Sunni and Shia sects. They differ primarily upon of how the life of the ummah (""faithful"") should be governed, and the role of the imam. Sunnis believe that the true political successor of the Prophet"
"Saqifa, to be the first rightful Caliph after the Prophet. Unlike the first three Rashidun caliphs, Ali was from the same clan as Muhammad, Banu Hashim. Adherents of Shia Islam are called Shias of Ali, Shias or the Shi'a as a collective or Shi'i or Shi'ite individually. Shia Islam is the second largest branch of Islam: in 2009, Shia Muslims constituted 15% of the world's Muslim population. Twelver Shia (""Ithnā'ashariyyah"") is the largest branch of Shia Islam, with 2012 estimates saying that 85% of Shias were Twelvers. Shia Islam is based on the Quran and the message of Muhammad attested"
"Islam by country Adherents of Islam constitute the world's second largest religious group. According to a study in 2015, Islam has 1.8 billion adherents, making up about 24.1% of the world population. Most Muslims are either of two denominations: Sunni (80-90%, roughly 1.5 billion people) or Shia (10–20%, roughly 170-340 million people). Islam is the dominant religion in the Central Asia, Indonesia, Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel and some other parts of Asia. The diverse Asia-Pacific region contains the highest number of Muslims in the world, easily surpassing the Middle East and North Africa. About 31% of all Muslims"
"(called the ""sunnah"", composed of accounts called ""hadith"") of Muhammad ( 570–8 June 632 CE). Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Muslims consider the Quran to be the unaltered and final revelation of God. Like other Abrahamic religions, Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded paradise and unrighteous punished in hell. Religious concepts and practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law (""sharia""), which touches on"
"Islamic primary rulings Islamic primary rulings(Persian:احکام اولیه) from the perspective of shia Islam religion. Based on the divisions that have been made by religious scholars, God's commandments are divided into two categories provisions of primary and secondary rules. The primary rulings constitute all Islamic duties and obligations deduced and inferred by jurists from the four sources consisting of the Quran, the Sunnah, consensus and reason, and are communicated to all Muslims. The primary rulings constitute the duties of all responsible (mukallaf) Muslim men and women. These rulings are fixed and therefore they are not set forth for consultation, such as"
"60/70%, Bahrain – 70%, Yemen – 47%, Turkey – 28%, Lebanon – 27%, Syria – 17%, Afghanistan – 15%, Pakistan – 5%/10%, and India – 5%. The Kharijite Muslims, who are less known, have their own stronghold in the country of Oman holding about 75% of the population. The first centuries of Islam gave rise to three major sects: Sunnis, Shi'as and Kharijites. Each sect developed distinct jurisprudence schools (""madhhab"") reflecting different methodologies of jurisprudence (""fiqh""). The major Sunni madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali. The major Shi'a branches are Twelver (Imami), Ismaili (Sevener) and Zaidi (Fiver). Isma'ilism later"
"Islam, the crime of apostasy and execution for apostasy has driven major events in Islam. For example, the Ridda wars (civil wars of apostasy) shook the Muslim community in 632-633 AD, immediately after the death of Muhammad. These apostasy wars split the two major sects of Islam – Sunni and Shia, and caused numerous deaths. Sunni and Shia sects of Islam have long called each other as apostates of Islam. The term ""Zindīq"" refers to a freethinker, atheist or a heretic. Originally it referred to a dualist and also the Manichaeans, whose religion for a time threatened to become the"
"and cultural issues, training, taxation and so forth it is. Islamic primary rulings Islamic primary rulings(Persian:احکام اولیه) from the perspective of shia Islam religion. Based on the divisions that have been made by religious scholars, God's commandments are divided into two categories provisions of primary and secondary rules. The primary rulings constitute all Islamic duties and obligations deduced and inferred by jurists from the four sources consisting of the Quran, the Sunnah, consensus and reason, and are communicated to all Muslims. The primary rulings constitute the duties of all responsible (mukallaf) Muslim men and women. These rulings are fixed and"
"philosophical belief identifies a denomination, which also typically has distinct cultural and religious practices. The major denominations include Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. Historically, Islam was divided into three major sects well known as Sunni, Khawarij and Shī‘ah. Nowadays, Sunnis constitute more than 85% of the overall Muslim population while the Shi'as are slightly more than 12%. Today, many of the Shia sects are extinct. The major surviving Imamah-Muslim Sects are Usulism ""(with nearly more than 10%),"" Nizari Ismailism ""(with nearly more than 1%),"" Alevism ""(with slightly more than 0.5% but less than 1%)."" The other existing groups include Zaydi"
"his names, and his attributes. Terrenal life is a test; how one ""acts"" (behaves) determines whether one's soul goes to Jannat (Heaven) or to Jahannam (Hell). However, on the day of Judgement the final decision is of Allah alone. The Five Pillars of Islam are duties incumbent to every Muslim; they are: Shahadah (profession of faith); salat (ritual prayer); Zakah (charity); Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). They derive from the Hadith works, notably of Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The five pillars are not mentioned directly in the Quran. Beliefs differ among the Kalam. The Sunni"
"also formed regarding succession to Muhammad. The first centuries of Islam gave rise to three major sects: Sunnis, Shias, and Kharijites. The original difference between Sunnis and Shias is over who the true successor to Muhammad is. Shias believe Ali ibn Abi Talib is the true successor to Muhammad, while Sunnis consider Abu Bakr to hold that position. The Khawarij broke away from both the Shias and Sunnis during the First Fitna (the first Islamic Civil War) and subsequently opposed both the Shias and the Sunnis, often violently. In addition, there are several differences within Sunni Islam and Shia Islam."
"al-Islam""; also ""arkan ad-din"", ""pillars of religion"") are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. The Quran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the creed (""shahadah""), (2) daily prayers (""salat""), (3) almsgiving (""zakah""), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (""hajj"") at least once in a lifetime. The Shia and Sunni sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts. The best known form of Islamic mystic spirituality is the Sufi tradition (famous through Rumi and Hafiz) in"
"decrees, and plans general policies. Its jurisdictions are derived from French, Roman, Egyptian and Islamic law. There are three main branches of the court structure: civil, criminal, and sharia or Islamic (1) (the precepts are set forth in the Quranic verses and example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah). (2) Sharia or Islamic courts work alongside the civil and criminal courts. The responsibilities include civil matters between Muslims. Non-Muslims will not appear before a Sharia court in any matter due to the differences in religious beliefs. (3) Sharia or Islamic courts have the exclusive jurisdiction over family"
"not clear or unstated. Secular states in the Muslim world have declared separation between civil/government affairs and religion. In some nations, Muslim ethnic groups enjoy considerable autonomy. In some places, Muslims implement Islamic law, called sharia in Arabic. The Islamic law exists in a number of variations, but the main forms are the five (four Sunni and one Shia) and Salafi and Ibadi schools of jurisprudence (fiqh) In a number of Muslim-majority countries the law requires women to cover either their legs, shoulders and head, or the whole body apart from the face. In strictest forms, the face as well"
"Religious denomination A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity. The term refers to the various Christian denominations (for example, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and the many varieties of Protestantism). It is also used to describe the four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist). Within Islam, it can refer to the branches or sects (such as Sunni, Shia, and Ahmadiyya), as well as their various subdivisions such as sub-sects, schools of jurisprudence, schools of theology and religious movements. The world's largest religious denomination is Sunni Islam, followed by"
"distinctive beliefs and practices. Jesus is the central figure of Christianity, considered by almost all denominations to be God the Son, one person of the Trinity. See God in Christianity. The Christian biblical canons are usually held to be the ultimate authority, alongside sacred tradition in some denominations (such as the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church). Over many centuries, Christianity divided into three main branches (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant), dozens of significant denominations, and hundreds of smaller ones. Islam arose in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century CE with a strictly unitary view of God. Muslims hold"
"Moses, Jesus and Mohammed in other religions. Islam believes that before Muhammad there were many messengers of God, Muhammad was the last messenger, and Quran was the last revelation to the last prophet. The Five Pillars of Islam are duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are Shahada (testimony that ""There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God""), Salat (prayers), Zakat (Giving of Alms), Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). These five practices are essential to Sunni Islam; Shi'a Muslims subscribe to eight ritual practices which substantially overlap with the five Pillars."
"""My Ummah (Community or Nation) will be fragmented into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in the Hell fire except one."" The Sahaba (his companions) asked him which group that would be, whereupon he replied, ""It is the one to which I and my companions belong"" (reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 171). Sunni Muslims, often referred to as ""Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h"" or ""Ahl as-Sunnah"", are the largest denomination of Islam. The word ""Sunni"" comes from the word ""Sunnah"", which means the teachings and actions or examples of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad; therefore, the term Sunni refers to"
"for all other religions and beliefs in the world. Islam is the most widely followed religion in the Middle East. About 20% of the world's Muslims live in the Middle East. Islam is monotheistic believing in Allah and follows the teaching of the written sacred text, the Qur'an. Islam is believed to be an extension of Judaism and Christianity with the belief that Muhammad is the final prophet of God, in a long chain of prophets, from Adam on down to John the Baptist, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. The majority of the Muslims are Sunni, followed by Shi'a. Smaller sects"
"the theological concept of Islam that exists within that system. Faith (Iman) in the Islamic creed (Aqidah) is often represented as the six articles of faith, notably spelled out in the Hadith of Gabriel. Islam is often seen as having the simplest doctrines of the major religions. Its most fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawḥīd (). God is described in chapter 112 of the Quran as: ""Say, He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him"" (). Muslims repudiate polytheism and idolatry,"
"Muslim traditionalists and reformists. Traditional theory of Islamic jurisprudence recognizes four sources of sharia: the Quran, ""sunnah"" (authentic hadith), ""qiyas"" (analogical reasoning), and ""ijma"" (juridical consensus). Different legal schools—of which the most prominent are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Jafari—developed methodologies for deriving sharia rulings from scriptural sources using a process known as ""ijtihad"". Traditional jurisprudence distinguishes two principal branches of law, ""ʿibādāt"" (rituals) and ""muʿāmalāt"" (social relations), which together comprise a wide range of topics. Its rulings assign actions to one of five categories: mandatory, recommended, neutral, abhorred, and prohibited. Thus, some areas of sharia overlap with the Western"
"Islam. Anglophone Islamic currents of the former type are sometimes referred to as ""traditional Islam"". Shia Islam ( ""Shia"", sometimes ""Shi'a""; adjective ""Shia""/""Shi'ite"") is the second-largest denomination of Islam, comprising 10–13% of the total Muslim population in the world. Shia Muslims, though a minority in the Muslim world, constitute the majority of the Muslim populations in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan as well as significant minorities in Kuwait, Yemen and Lebanon. In addition to believing in the authority of the Qur'an and teachings of Muhammad, Shia believe that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt (the ""People of the House""), including his"
"Bahá'ís, Mormons, Buddhists, and Hindus. Of the 18 officially recognized religious groups, 4 are Muslim, 12 Christian, 1 Druze, and 1 Jewish. The main branches of Islam are Shi'a and Sunni. The smallest Muslim communities are the Shia offshoots like Alawites and the Ismaili (""Sevener"") Shi'a order. The Maronite community, by far the largest Christian group, has had a centuries-long affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church but has its own patriarch, liturgy, and ecclesiastical customs. The second largest Christian group is the Greek Orthodox Church who maintain a Greek-language liturgy. Other Lebanese Christians are also Melkite Catholics, Protestant Christians like"