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ISLAM AND IT'S SECTS
A few words about the main sects of Islam will not be out of place here and
it will felicitate a better understanding of lslamic society. Though lslamic society
is only one and an indivisible social organisation as recognised by the Cannon Law
still arose some divisions on the basis of Khilafat (political) movements. The two
main sects of Islam are Sunni and Shia. The former is principally an Arablan
phenomenon, the later Persian. Each sect has acqulred It's own individual
characteristics by incorporating different values and customs to the basic lslamic
philosophy. Though these sects haveoriginated from the same source yet they have
difference in their rites and customs. There are also many other small dissident sects,
and subsects spread throughout the worlds.
The people professing Sunni faith are called Sunnis, meaning a traditionist, a
term generally applied to the large sect of Muslims who acknowledge the flrst four
Khalifas as the rightful successors of Prophet Mohamed i.e. Hazrath Aboobakkar,
H.11-13/632-634 A.D.. Hazrath Umar H.13-23/634-644 A.D., Hazrath Usman H.23-
35/644-656 A.D.. Hazrath Ali H.35-40/656-661 A.D., Khalifa being the title of the
president of the lslamic democracy in Arabia after Prophet Mohamed. A Sunni Muslim
belong to any one of the four schools of jurisprudence. Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali
which were founded by lmam Abu Hanifa, lmam Ash Shafi, lmam Malik and lmam Abu
Hanbal respectively. The Sunnis are by far the most predominant sect of the Muslim
world.
Islamic society follows the Cannon Laws, the Shariath, from two sources, the
Holy Quran, and Hadeesh. It is the belief of all Muslims that in addition to the
revelations contained in the Holy Quran, Prophet Mohamed received Wahy (an unread
revelation) whereby he war enabled to give authoritative declarations on religious
questions either moral, ceremonial or doctrinal. Prophet Mohamed's traditions are
therefore supposed to be the uninspired record of the inspired sayings, known as
Sunnah. The Sunnis follow the Sunnah, a term used to express the customs, and
manners or lslamic life. Hence the tradition which records either the sayings or doings
of Prophet Mohamed, what he did, enjoined and what was done or said in his presence,
which was not forbidden by him, are the traditional law which is handed down as the
Hadeesh. The Arabic word for tradition is Hadeesh. Later the theologicians included
into the Hadeesh, the authoritative saying and doings of the companions of the
Prophet Mohamed also. The principles of Shariath are oriented in such a way that
these could be classified into five categories. l)obligatory, P)prescrlptive,
3)~ermirrible, 4)disapproved, 5)tabooed. The difference in the Interpretation of