who is the religious leader of islam
8:10 AM MYT. Learn about the life of Mohammad, the founder of Islam. They eventually married. Working for his uncle, he gained experience in commercial trade traveling to Syria and eventually from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. But starting in the late 20th century, the schism deepened, exploding into violence in many parts of the Middle East as extreme brands of Sunni and Shia Islam battle for both religious and political supremacy. In Islam, an Imam is a religious leader who often leads congregational prayers in a mosque. Muhammad, in full Ab al-Qsim Muammad ibn Abd Allh ibn Abd al-Mualib ibn Hshim, (born c. 570, Mecca, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia]died June 8, 632, Medina), the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Qurn. Muslim prayer is often conducted in a mosque's large open space or outdoor courtyard. Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammed and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. The Qurn yields little concrete biographical information about the Islamic Prophet: it addresses an individual messenger of God, whom a number of verses call Muhammad (e.g., 3:144), and speaks of a pilgrimage sanctuary that is associated with the valley of Mecca and the Kabah (e.g., 2:124129, 5:97, 48:2425). The following section will nonetheless provide a concise digest mainly of Ibn Isqs version of the life of the Prophet. Experts predict Islam will surpass Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. (There are dozens of these guys out there and evangelicals, even the minorities in the space, are missing a massive opportunity. Any Muslim with sufficient knowledge may lead prayers or perform rituals such as weddings or funerals. Islamic tradition holds that the first persons to believe were his wife, Khadija and his close friend Abu Bakr (regarded as the successor to Muhammad by Sunni Muslims). One night, while the Prophet was sleeping, the Archangel Gabriel came and led him on a journey. Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to protect its lucrative trade. Islamic Religious Leaders Thus, statements of the sort that on March 21 of the year 625, Meccan forces entered the oasis of Medina are inherently problematic. Finally, it is distinctly possible that some reports about events in Muhammads life emerged not from historical memory but from exegetical speculation about the historical context of particular verses of the Qurn. Heroic Fraternities by Anthony Bradley on Twitter: "(There are Updated: Sep 24, 2020. It is considered by Muslims in some countries to indicate the highest authority in Sunni Islam for Islamic jurisprudence, The grand Imam holds a great influence on followers of the theological Ash'ari and Maturidi traditions worldwide, while the defenders of the Athari and Salafi ideologies find their leaders in the Arabian Peninsula. This list may not reflect recent changes. 151 0 obj <> endobj In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. e. Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam Muslim Religious Leader Called I dont get!!!!!) Islam The term Mullah is a variation of the word mawla(means master or lord) and Mawlana is its derivative (means my lord) and are used mainly in Central Asia and in the Sub-Continent . The prophet Muhammad, sometimes spelled Mohammed or Mohammad, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in A.D. 570. Certain tensions with the Islamic narrative of the Prophets life remain, however. After the holy Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet (hadith) and descriptions of his way of life (sunna) are the most important Muslim texts. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became the supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, following many years of resistance to Shah Pahlavi. At age 40, he began to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Koran and the foundation of Islam. Islam also spread throughout areas in Europe, Africa, and Asia. A mihrab is a decorative feature or niche in the mosque that indicates the direction to Mecca, and therefore the direction to face during prayer. His strong monotheistic message angered many of the Meccan merchants. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The caliphate system lasted for centuries and eventually evolved into the Ottoman Empire, which controlled large regions in the Middle East from about 1517 until 1917, when World War I ended the Ottoman reign. Author of, Professor of Arabic and Islmic Studies, University of Edinburgh, 196479. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Nazaruddin Abdul Hamed/EyeEm/Getty Images, https://www.history.com/topics/religion/islam, The word Islam means submission to the will of God.. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. Some Orientalists wrote the title as Khalf. At stake was not only control of Muhammads religious and political legacy, but also a great deal of money, in the form of taxes and tributes paid by the various tribes united under the banner of Islam. They also believe that all the imams chosen are free from committing any sin, impeccability which is called ismah. We strive for accuracy and fairness. First came the rise of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century, which transformed Iran (through force) from a Sunni center into the Shia stronghold of the Middle East. The principle of aniconism (opposition to the use of icons or religious idols) was an early feature of Islam, though under some historical dynasties or in some regions the prohibition was only partially or selectively enforcede.g., under the Abbsid dynasty (7501258) it applied only to public buildings. Ibn Isqs original book was not his own composition but rather a compilation of autonomous reports about specific events that took place during the life of Muhammad and also prior to it, which Ibn Isq arranged into what he deemed to be their correct chronological order and to which he added his own comments. WebIslamic religious leaders by nationality (20 C) A. Ayatollahs (8 C, 14 P) C. Caliphs (28 C, 4 P) Muslim clergy (3 C, 1 P) F. Female Islamic religious leaders (3 C, 28 P) G. Grand Muftis (30 C, 15 P) I. Imams (10 C, 12 P) M. Marja' (3 P) Religious leaders of the medieval Islamic world (9 C) Islam He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. (There are dozens of these guys out there and evangelicals, even the minorities in the space, are missing a massive opportunity. Category:Islamic religious leaders Islamic religious leaders Eventually the Sunni majority (named for sunna, or tradition) won out, and chose Muhammads close friend Abu Bakr to become the first caliph, or leader, of the Islamic community. Ulama (/ulm/; Arabic: Ulam, singular Scholar) religious sciences. Lay Leaders I dont get!!!!!) The first caliph was Abu Bakr, Muhammads father-in-law and close friend. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive. Ayatollah means "sign of God"; those who carry it are considered experts in Islamic studies. The divide originated with a dispute over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Islamic faith he introduced. Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century ce. WebCaliph is the term for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. In Islam, an Imam is a religious leader who often leads congregational prayers in a mosque. (Traditionally, a congregations Imam is a man; a woman may serve as prayer leader for a women-only gathering.) Updated: August 20, 2019 | Original: January 5, 2018. This is not to suggest that there was necessarily an element of deliberate fabrication at work, at least at the level of a compiler like Ibn Isq, who was clearly not inventing stories from scratch. Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. Adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning. Islam is picking them off. Within the century after Muhammads death, his followers had built an empire that stretched from Central Asia to Spain. Islam According to Islamic tradition, the Qurn, understood as a literal transcription of the speech of God (Allah), was revealed to Muhammad in stages by the archangel Gabriel, beginning in 610. The following 27 pages are in this category, out of 27 total. Religious leadership in Islamic social circles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamic_religious_leaders&oldid=1147270042, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 21:21. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The Leaders of Islam A central idea in Islam is jihad, which means struggle. While the term has been used negatively in mainstream culture, Muslims believe it refers to internal and external efforts to defend their faith. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Imam (/mm/; Arabic: imm; plural: aimmah) is an Islamic leadership position. However, Shia tradition states he welcomed the message from the Angel Gabriel and was deeply inspired to share his experience with other potential believers. Although polygamy was then prevalent in Arabic society, he was monogamously married to his first wife, Khadjah, until her death after about 25 years of marriage. Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. All Rights Reserved. The book is called Resalah, which is usually a reinvention of the book Al-Urwatu l-Wuthqah, according to their knowledge of the most authentic Islamic sources and their application to current life. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The imam's Arabic titles are used by the majority of Twelver Shia who use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imam&oldid=1151031191, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Knowledge of Quran and Sunnah, religious devotion, According to most Shia scholars, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph, Sunni and Shia sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminent, According to some Shia scholars, he was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in, According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in, Leader of the Shia community during the schism of, Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the, Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in. ALOR SETAR: The people must not be misled by leaders who sow hatred by using race and religion for their own benefits, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project 1995-2023. Islam is about to take Wests young lads b/c Christian leaders doesnt seem interested in these guys. Webt. WebLeadership. Most Islamic historians believe Muhammad was initially disturbed by the revelations and that he didnt reveal them publicly for several years. Despite the long-running nature of the Sunni-Shia divide, the fact that the two sects coexisted in relative peace for many centuries suggests their struggles may have less to do with religion than with wealth and power. Muslims also celebrate other holidays, such as the Islamic New Year and the birth of Muhammad. It is commonly used to refer to the official that leads the prayers at the mosques. Enter the OTP you received in your Email Inbox. ALOR SETAR: The people must not be misled by leaders who sow hatred by using race and religion for their own benefits, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It also outlines marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims. Sunnis make up nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. WebDr. It contains 114 chapters, which are called surahs. Muhammad In that case, the traditional Mufti may well be replaced by a university or madrasa professor who informally functions as adviser to the local Muslim community in religious matters such as inheritance, divorce, etc. Thus, illustration of him was a common practice, particularly in the eastern regions of the Islamic world (see also Frequently Asked Questions). What Is the Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World? Islamic Religious Leaders Islam, or submission to the will of Allah, is the second largest religion in the world, with around 1.9 billion followers. Webt. Upon his return to Medina to his wifes home, he fell ill for several days. However, in the modern contexts of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries as well as secularised Muslim states like Turkey, and Bangladesh, the religious leadership may take a variety of non-formal shapes. He then returned to earth to continue spreading the message of Islam. e. Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. Sunni-Shia divisions would fuel a long-running civil war in Syria, fighting in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere, and terrorist violence on both sides. The family was active in Meccan politics and trade. Here follows a list of the Twelvers Shia imams: Fatimah, also Fatimah al-Zahraa, daughter of Muhammed (615632), is also considered infallible but not an Imam. The Leaders of Islam %PDF-1.6 % Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammads life. The titles of Ayatollah and Grand Ayatollah exist only in the Shiite sect of Islam. Only a few of the most important ayatollah of one of the ayatollahs refer to him in many situations and ask him to publish his Juristic book in which he answers the vast majority of daily Muslim affairs. Due to animistic belief of ancient Javanese people, the title "Kyai" is also used to call almost all persons and things venerated. Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadanthe Islamic holy month of fasting. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. religion Gradually the people of Mecca turned to polytheism and idolatry. By 630 he had unified most of Arabia under a single religion. $N3h`gM|8IXP__vGw!]@r H310pUq1|bT 0 G$ Updated: Sep 24, 2020. (Traditionally, a congregations Imam is a man; a woman may serve as prayer leader for a women-only gathering.) His public preaching aroused opposition from other clans of his tribe. Mounted on the heavenly steed Buraq, Muhammad traveled from the Ka'ba in Mecca to the "Farthest Mosque," which Muslims believe to be the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Pew Research Center.Islam Rituals and Worship: Symbolism,The Religion Library.The Islamic Calendar: TimeandDate.com. Moreover, some of the narratives in question are patently adaptations of biblical motifs designed to present Muhammad as equal or superior to earlier prophetic figures such as Moses and Jesus. Although rare, this can include military jihad if a just war is needed. WebIn everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal ( Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. Muhammad was the prophet and founder of Islam. The Hijra Some Orientalists wrote the title as Khalf. The split between the two main sects within Islam goes back some 1,400 years. Muhammad Zaki Badawi, from the United Kingdom Shaikh Mohammed Aboulkhair Zaki Badawi KBE was a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar, community organizer, and advocate for interfaith communication who served on the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders. An image of the Prophet Muhammad at the beginning of a book endows the volume with the highest form of blessing and sanctity. Some titles for traditional Islamic leaders include Caliph, Imam, Sheikh, Mufti, Mujtahid and Allamah. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The other faction, the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet's successor should be determined by consensus and successively elected three of his most trusted companions, commonly referred to as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman), as leaders of the Muslim community; 'Ali succeeded them as the fourth caliph. For example, the punishment for theft is amputating a persons hand. These officials are supposed to belong to the Hanafi school of the Sunni sect. Some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the Prophet Muhammads mosque in Medina. When Muhammad died in 632, he had not named a successor. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers. When Umar was assassinated six years after being named caliph, Uthman, Muhammads son-in-law, took the role. Islamic religious leaders %%EOF This digest does not aim to separate historical fact from later legend. Mosques today follow some of the same principles he established in A.D 622. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! WebCaliph is the term for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. Muezzin (the word is pronounced this way in Turkish, Urdu, etc. Allamah is a leader for the Islamic faith. (There are dozens of these guys out there and evangelicals, even the minorities in the space, are missing a massive opportunity. WebSunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. The most famous site was the Kaaba (meaning cube in Arabic). Some Orientalists wrote the title as Khalf. 30 Apr 2023 20:48:23 Eventually the Sunni majority (named for sunna, or tradition) won out, and chose Muhammads close friend Abu Bakr to become the first caliph, or leader, of the Islamic community. It is an Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word or Khalfah, which means "successor", that is, successor to the Muhammad. Updated: Sep 24, 2020. (See details under Zaidiyyah, History of Yemen, Imams of Yemen.):). Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran. The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. [38] In the Zaidi Shiite sect, imams were secular as well as spiritual leaders who held power in Yemen for more than a thousand years. Islam is about to take Wests young lads b/c Christian leaders doesnt seem interested in these guys. Shaykh/Shaykha: spiritual leader (usually male, occasionally female), especially of a Sufi Circle. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lithograph by Carlo Bossoli, Imam Khomeini, leader of the Iranian revolution, A Bosniak military imam in the Austro-Hungarian Army, Grand Mufti Mirza Huseyn Qayibzade of Tbilisi, Grand Mufti Absattar Derbisali of Kazakhstan, Portrait of Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus Ahmad Huseinzadeh by Ali bey Huseynzadeh, Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus Abdussalam Akhundzadeh. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Shi'a believe that the last Imam, the 12th Imam Mahdi will one day emerge on the Day of Resurrection (Qiyamah). In the Shi'a context, an imam is not only presented as the man of God par excellence, but as participating fully in the names, attributes, and acts that theology usually reserves for God alone. The crescent moon and star has been adopted in some predominantly Muslim countries as a symbol of Islam, though the crescent moon and star image is believed to pre-date Islam and was originally a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. Please select which sections you would like to print: Also known as: Amad, Ab al-Qsim Muammad ibn Abd Allh ibn Abd al-Mualib ibn Hshim, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Oxford. As in many religions, there is no single image or symbol of Islam that is universally accepted by all Muslims worldwide. They deny the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Ali eventually became the fourth caliph (or Imam, as Shiites call their leaders), but only after the two that preceded him had both been assassinated. Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah. religion He continued to preach until his death in 632. Nation of Islam: This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan. WebLeadership. In Twelver Shsm there are 14 infallibles, 12 of which are Imams, the final being Imam Mahdi who will return at the end of times. These were traditionally Muftis who used interpretation (ijtihad) to clarify Islamic law, but in many modern secular contexts, Islamic law is no longer the law of the land. By carefully comparing accounts, scholars have identified common elements that were in circulation by the late 7th century, and some rudimentary details are confirmed by non-Islamic sources (e.g., a Syriac chronicle and an Armenian history) dating to the first few decades after his traditional death date. In Islam, an Imam is a religious leader who often leads congregational prayers in a mosque. Though the two main sects within Islam, Sunni and Shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. The Caliph has often been referred to as Ameer al-Mumineen ( ), has been defunct since the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1924. Corrections? Author of. WebThe first of them is his son, Hasan, then Husayn, then Ali ibn Husayn, then Muhammad ibn Ali, then Ja'far ibn Muhammad, then Musa ibn Ja'far, then Ali ibn Musa, then Muhammad ibn Ali, then Ali ibn Muhammad, then Hasan ibn Ali then al-Hujjah al-Qaim al-Mahdi al-Hadi ibn Hasan, Master of the Time (May Allah hasten his blessed advent). For example, some of the non-Islamic sources present Muhammad as having still been alive when the Arab conquerors invaded Palestine (634640), in contrast to the Islamic view that the Prophet had already passed away at this point. Category:Islamic religious leaders Neither of them are representative of the vast majority of Sunni Muslims or the vast majority of Shia Muslims around the world, says Hazleton of the fundamentalist regimes governing both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saturday, 29 Apr 2023. Therefore, it is also common too for kris, weapons, gamelan, trees and certain venerated cattles. Because Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. Amid the increasing politicization of Islam and the rise of fundamentalists on both sides of the divide, sectarian tensions intensified in the early 21st century, especially amid the upheavals caused by two Persian Gulf Wars, the chaos that followed the U.S.-backed ouster of Saddam Husseins Sunni regime in Iraq, and the mass uprisings across the region that began with the Arab Spring in 2011. There Muhammad was instrumental in bringing an end to a civil war raging amongst several of the citys tribes. Islam does not have an ordained clergy with authority over rites and rituals. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi'i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. (Traditionally, a congregations Imam is a man; a woman may serve as prayer leader for a women-only gathering.) Some of these include: The Quran (sometimes spelled Quran or Koran) is considered the most important holy book among Muslims. Muslim Religious Leader Called If crimes are committed, Sharia law is known for its harsh punishments. Ayatollah (Arabic: ; Persian: ) is a high title given to major Shia clergymen. The conflict with the Quraish continued, but after several years of violent clashes, Mecca surrendered. In 610 he experienced a vision of the archangel Gabriel. Islam Some mosques have specific places for the adhan to be made from, such as a minaret or a designated area in the mosque. These attitudes varied dramatically from region to region and throughout history; the societies that produced the works discussed here are among those that allowed the depiction of the Prophet. Shaykh/Shaykha: spiritual leader (usually male, occasionally female), especially of a Sufi Circle. The Qurn provides very few concrete details regarding Muhammads life. Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammads death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr. Following Imam Ali there are eleven leaders in his progeny (Peace be on them). Biography according to the Islamic tradition, Status in the Qurn and in post-Qurnic Islam. Islam Eventually the Sunni majority (named for sunna, or tradition) won out, and chose Muhammads close friend Abu Bakr to become the first caliph, or leader, of the Islamic community. A series of leaders, known as caliphs, became successors to Muhammad. Ayatollah (Arabic: ; Persian: ) is a prestigious title given to major Shia clergymen. The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam After his clan withdrew its protection, he fled to Medina in 622 and repulsed two attacks by Meccan forces in 625 and 627.
