By Babatunde Jose

The soul is a controversial concept that is defined from several perspectives. Since the soul is an immeasurable material, it is impossible to prove whether or not it actually exists. However, many people express their own viewpoints on the soul and argue they have indeed figured out the answer. The concept provides an abstract perspective on the notion of life, and who we are as individuals.

The human soul is a concept that has been accepted for a long period of time; however, the perspective on the human soul has evolved with time. Generally speaking, the human soul is the unphysical part of the human being. Various disciplines (religion, psychology, and neuroscience) use different terms to describe the human soul, but they are all referring to the same general concept.

“Soul” is a term that is most commonly used within the Christian context while academic disciplines and other religions may use the term interchangeably with other words.

Psychology uses words such as “consciousness”, or “mind” to describe the soul while neuroscience uses the term soul but do not fully believe in its existence.

Before modern science, humans defined the concept of the soul from a religious point of view. They portrayed the soul to be a mystical and divine non-visible entity that existed within the body. As science advanced, the concept has evolved into a physical/materialistic viewpoint.

For a long time, it was not socially acceptable or technologically possible to research the human soul. This would go against traditional religious views and would be looked down upon by society.

In What Becomes of The Soul After Death, Sri Swami Sivananda, said Soul is spirit. “It is immaterial. It is intelligence or consciousness. It is this individual soul that departs from the body after its death and goes to heaven, with the senses, mind, Prana, impressions, desires, and tendencies. It is endowed with a subtle astral body when it proceeds to heaven.”

Oskar Ernst Bernhardt (1875-1841), that sage, author, and founder of the Grail Movement, in Resonances to the Grail Message, conjectured, “As soon as the heavy earthly body together with the astral body has fallen away, the spirit remains clad in the more delicate cloaks only. In this condition the spirit is called “the soul” in contradistinction to the earthman of flesh and blood! He went further to emphasize “only the animal has a soul that guides it. Man, however, has spirit!”

In retrospect therefore, we find that soul and spirit are interchanged in usage: The spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

What, therefore, is the perceived difference between soul and spirit? The Greek word for spirit is pneuma. It refers to the part of man that connects and communicates with God. Our spirit differs from our soul because our spirit is always pointed toward and exists exclusively for God, whereas our soul can be self-centered.

Where then is our soul located? The soul or atman, credited with the ability to enliven the body, was located by ancient anatomists and philosophers in the lungs or heart, and according to Descartes in the pineal gland, and generally in the brain.

When a person dies what happens to the soul? When we die, our spirit and body separate. Even though our body dies, our spirit—which is the essence of who we are—lives on. Our spirit goes to the spirit world. The spirit world is a waiting place until we receive the gift of resurrection, when our spirits will reunite with our bodies.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible allusion is made to the spirit of man and beast: For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.  All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Ecc. 3: 19-21

In theology, the soul is further defined as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity and often is considered to survive the death of the body.

Many cultures have recognized some incorporeal principle of human life or existence corresponding to the soul, and many have attributed souls to all living things. There is evidence even among prehistoric peoples of a belief in an aspect distinct from the body and residing in it.

Despite widespread and longstanding belief in the existence of a soul, however, different religions and philosophers have developed a variety of theories as to its nature, its relationship to the body, and its origin and mortality.

The Qur’an talks about the Soul, but the meaning of Ruh in verse 85 of Surah Al-Isra has been translated in many places to mean spirit: “They ask you, Muhammad, about the Soul (Ruh). Tell them: ‘This is confined to the knowledge of God. Whatever knowledge you have been given about that is a very little portion.’”

When the ulama (religious scholars) talk about the Soul, they talk about its characteristics only; they do not talk about what it is. Some scholars say it is like the water in a rose or a flower, it gives it life. Others nowadays offer an analogy with electricity in a wire – if there is electricity flowing in the wire it is said to be alive, if not the wire is dead.

But the Soul, per se, no one has been able to define it and the field is wide open for more thinking; it is not closed. We are urged to seek knowledge about the Soul. We may not reach our goal, but we have to try.

And there is the other question: Where was the Soul before it entered the body? Nobody knows. All we know is that the Soul is the second stage in the creation of a human being. It is often regarded as the ‘breath’ that gives life to God’s creation in the womb.

In Sura Al Mu’minūn, Quran 23:14, Allah describes the process of the new creation.

Then comes the third question: When the Soul separates from the body upon death where does it go? And what happens to it?

Al mawt, or death, is a separation of the material element – the body – from the spiritual element – the Soul. The body goes back to the earth from where it came, and the Soul goes back from where it came. The Qur’an says: “From the earth We created you and to it We will return you.” (Quran 20:55) But the Soul, not even knowing what it is, and since it is a secret, we don’t know where it goes.

Some ulama think that the Soul in certain contexts continues to hear and to observe. The practice of visiting the grave, especially after ‘Asr on Thursday and on Friday morning is on the basis of this opinion because some ulama say that the Soul visits the grave in which its body was buried at those times. And those same ulama say that the Soul hears the greeting of “As Salaam” and it observes those visitors who offer the greetings.

But in the final analysis they say that the place of the Soul is with God and its position differs according to what that person did during his life. These are the ijtehad (research) of the ulama, but the Soul is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and it is very hard to discover its secrets though we are urged to seek knowledge about it.

Death is separation of the soul from the physical body. Death becomes the starting point of a new and better life. Death does not end your personality and self-consciousness. It merely opens the door to a higher form of life. Death is only the gateway to a fuller life.

According to the Hindus, birth and death are jugglery of Maya. He who is born begins to die. He who dies begins to live. Life is death and death is life. Birth and death are merely doors of entry and exist on the stage of this world. In reality no one comes, no one goes.

Just as you move from one house to another house, the soul passes from one body to another to gain experience. Just as a man casting off worn-out garments takes new ones, so the dweller in this body, casting off worn-out bodies, enters into others which are new.

Death is not the end of life. Life is one continuous never-ending process. Death is only a passing and necessary phenomenon, which every soul has to pass to gain experience for its further evolution.

Dissolution of the body is no more than sleep. Just as man sleeps and wakes up, so is death and birth. Death is like sleep. Birth is like waking up.

Resurrection is rising again from the dead. Resurrection, judgement by God, reward or punishment are the three important tenets of Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.

The Jews, who lent this doctrine to the Christians and Muslims, themselves borrowed it from the Persians. According to some writers the resurrection will be merely spiritual. The general opinion, however, is that both body and soul will be raised from the grave.

It may be asked how will the body which has been decomposed rise again? Prophet Mohammed says one part of the body is preserved to serve as a basis for future edifice, or rather a leaven for the mass which is to be joined to it. For he taught, that a man’s body was entirely consumed by the earth, except only the bone called al Ajib, which we name the coccygis, or rump-bone; and that as it was the first formed in the human body, it will also remain uncorrupted till the last day, as a seed from whence the whole is to be renewed: and this he said would be effected by a forty days rain which God would send, and which would cover the earth to the height of twelve cubits, and cause the bodies to sprout forth like plants.

The Jews also say the same thing of the bone Luz, but they say that the body would sprout by a dew impregnating the dust of the earth.

As to the answers to the many questions raised by the concept of Soul, Allah knows best.

It is therefore in this vein and with total submission to God that we commiserate with our brother Enitan Oshodi and his wife Bisola on the passing of their daughter Hameedat Olamide Oshodi. May Allah admit her to Jannatul Firdous. “Heaven has gained an Angel and Earth has lost a beautiful Soul.” Inna Lillah wa Ina Ilehi Rajiun.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend. 

THE MEANING OF LIFE:

Robert Louis Stevenson said: “Every person is capable of performing his daily tasks, no matter how difficult they are, and every person is capable of living happily during his day until the sun sets: and this is the meaning of life.”

By Babatunde Jose

Sufism also known as Tasawwuf, is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ritualism, asceticism, and esotericism.

Sufism originated after the death of Mohammed in 632, but it did not develop into orders until the 12th Century. The orders were formed around spiritual founders, who gained saint status. There are over 300 Sufi orders.

It has been variously defined as “Islamic mysticism”, “the mystical expression of Islamic faith”, “the inward dimension of Islam”, the “main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization” of mystical practice in Islam, and “the interiorization and intensification of Islamic faith and practice”.

According to the late medieval mystic, the Persian poet Jami, Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (died c. 716) was the first person to be called a “Sufi”.

Sufis believe in intercession of saints which can provide solace from the travails of life. Away from the desires of the material world, Sufis believe a connection with a saint can build a connection with Allah.

Practitioners of Sufism typically belonged to “orders” known as tariqa – congregations formed around a grand wali (Wali is an Arabic word with a number of meanings, including, protector, helper, a man close to God, or holy man).

Among the Sufi tariqa, the two most prominent in West Africa are the Qadiriyyah and Tijaniyya.

The Qadiriyyah order is one of the oldest Sufi Orders. The tariqa got its name from Abd-al-Qadir al-Jilani, who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order relies strongly upon adherence to the fundamentals of Sunni Islamic law. The order is one of the most widespread of the Sufi orders in the Islamic world, and can be found in Central Asia, Turkey, Balkans and much of East and West Africa.

Qadiriyyah are adherents of the doctrine of free will (from qadar, “power”). The name was also applied to the Mu’tazila, the Muslim theological school that believed that humankind, through its free will, can choose between good and evil.

The Tijaniyya order attaches a large importance to culture. Ahmad al-Tijani (1737–1815) was born in Aïn Madhi in Algeria and died in Fes, Morocco. He founded the Tijani order in the 1780s.

Tijanis established Centers in Medina Munawwarah, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritania, and Algeria. It also expanded into West Africa and grew to become the largest Sufi order in that region.

The two dominant Sufi orders in Nigeria are also Qadiriyyah and Tijaniyya. In the late ’70s there emerged a group popularly known as Izalatul-Bid’a wa-iqamatus Sunnah (Movement for the removal of innovation and establishment of the tradition), inspired by late Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, the former grand Qadi of the defunct northern region.

The Izala group differed in a number of fundamental aspects. They primarily attacked Sufi groups, accusing them of innovations, apostasy, intercession, celebrating maulud, and Salat al-fatih. This critique resulted in fostering unity between the two prominent Sufi orders who joined forces to defend Sufism against the criticisms of Izala

One contentious issue is the view with regard to the death of Jesus which the Izalas firmly believe that he will not return to earth. But the Sufi orders argue contrary to this view.

Sufis believe that Jesus did not die and will one day return as clearly stated by the prophet. For example, they said that God had raised prophet Idris to heaven in the same way he raised Jesus. The Sufi followers also argue that God also made it possible for Jonah to supplicate in the womb of a whale without any harm, and later continued with his life in this world.

In the Qur’an, Surah al-Kahf,  God also made it possible for the “People of the Cave” to remain in their cave for 309 years without eating or drinking anything and they later continued with their normal life in this world (Quran 18:10-25).

Another point of departure is the issue of Tawassul (intercession). It is translated as “a means that can be used to gain nearness to God”. Therefore, the typical meaning of tawassul or tawassulanis is use of wasilat to obtain nearness to God. Requesting assistance from a spiritual intermediary when seeking divine help has also become a central issue in the Middle East and beyond. Scholars disagree on the validity or otherwise of intercession; some argued that it is valid in Islam, while others disagree.

Tawassul means a fervent plea. There are the permitted and the prohibited. The permitted is by means of faith and righteous deeds, and use of the glorious names of God, and his attributes.

The prohibited one is entreaty using the name of the messenger, pious people and the awliya. The Izala assert that it is shirk (idolatry) to perform such worship as it breaks the belief in the oneness of God. They support their argument with the following verse: “O you who believe, be mindful of your duty towards God and seek the means of approach and strive in His cause as much as you can, so that you may be successful” (Quran 5:35). But incidentally, the same Ayat in Surah al-Ma’idah is used by the Sufis to counter this claim.

Sufis argued that intercession through the prophet Muhammad and the saints is permissible in Islam. “O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a ‘wasila’ to him” (5:35). In Arabic ‘wasila’ stands for a link, a means to an end or an intermediary.

The major conflicting areas as far as Salat al-fatih is concerned includes the authenticity of its origin, its form of revelation, the reward ascribed to it, its content and when it was discovered. The Izala group, stressed that God only reveals himself to his prophets and messengers, and prophet Muhammad is the last of them and therefore the seal of revelation. The following verse of the Qur’an was often used to substantiate such a position: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Quran 5:3)

Specifically on this issue, the adherents of tariqah (Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyyah) argued that the above verse did not mark the end of revelation. They maintained that prophet Muhammad lived for 81 days after the revelation of the above verse. Between the times when the above verse in Ma’idah was revealed and his death the following verses were revealed:

Ayat 176 of Surah al-Nisa’. The prophet lived 50 days after its revelation.

Ayat 128 of Surah al-Tawbah. Muhammad lived 35 days after its revelation.

Ayat 281 of Surah al-Baqarah. Prophet Muhammad lived 21 days after its revelation.

The above explanation clearly shows that, many verses were revealed after the verse of Ma’ida, and according to many scholars several hadith qudsiyyah were recorded few days before he died.

Prominent Sufi leaders in history were Emir Abdelkader al-Qadir al-Jazairi (1808-1883) a venerated Algerian Islamic scholar and a military leader who led a collective resistance against the mid-nineteenth century French colonial invasion of Algeria.

Omar al-Mukhtar Muḥammad bin Farhat al-Manifī, called The Lion of the Desert, known among the colonial Italians as Matari of the Mnifa, was the leader of native resistance in Cyrenaica under the Senussids, against the Italian colonization of Libya.

Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadhi, commonly known by the epithet Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria.

The branch, known as the Tijāniyyah Ibrahimiyya or the Faydah (“Flood”), is mostly concentrated in Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, and Mauritania, and has a growing presence in the United States and Europe.

Ibrahim Niasse (1900–1975) was a Senegalese Sufi leader, a Wolof, of the Tijānī Sufi order. His followers in the Senegambia region affectionately refer to him in Wolof as Baay, or “father.”

Niasse was the first West African to have led al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt, after which he was styled “Sheikh al-Islam”. He was friends with and an adviser to Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and friends with Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Sheikh served as the Vice President of the Muslim World League with Faisal as President.

Born in 1900 in the village of Tayba Naseen, between the Senegalese city of Kaolack and the border of Gambia, he was the son of Allaaji Abdulaay Nas (1840–1922), the main representative of the Tijānī Sufi Order, often referred to as Tareeqat al-Tijaniyya. Ibrahim relocated with his father to the city of Kaolack, where they established the zawiya (religious center) of Lewna Naseen.

After his father’s death in 1922, Shaykh Ibrahim’s elder brother, Muhammad al-Khalifa, became his father’s successor or Khalifa.

In 1929, the youthful Shaykh Ibrahim announced that he had been given the Key to Secrets of Divine Knowledge, and thus became the Khalifa of Sheikh Tijani in the Tijaniyya Order.

Tareeqa al-Tijaniyya al-Ibrahimiyya, as the Shaykh’s disciples came to be known, flourished, and gained large numbers of followers during the 1930s and 1940s throughout North and West Africa.

In 1937 upon meeting Shaykh Ibrahim during a pilgrimage to Makkah, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji ‘Abdullahi Bayero gave his oath of allegiance to the Shaykh and declared himself a disciple of Shaykh Ibrahim. That incident made Shaykh Ibrahim gain the allegiance of many of the prominent Tijānī leaders of Northern Nigeria and also many others who were not Tijani prior to this time.

Alhaji Abdulmalik Atta – a prince from Okene and the first High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom – was one of Shaykh Ibrahim’s closest disciples as well as the his father-in-law through his daughter Sayyida Bilkisu.

Shaykh Ibrahim became a renowned Shaykh al-Tareeqa (Master of the Sufi Order) throughout the Hausa areas of West Africa. In the end, he had more disciples outside of Senegal than within it. At the time of his death in 1975, Shaykh Ibrahim Niass had millions of followers throughout West Africa. His branch of the Tijaniyya, Tareeqa al-Tijaniyya al-Ibrahimiyya has become the largest branch in the world.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II, is a spiritual leader in the Tijaniyya Sufi order of Nigeria. He was emir of the ancient city-state of Kano. He was born in Kano in 1961 into the royal family as the grandson of Muhammadu Sanusi I. As the Khalifa of the Tijaniyya Sufi order of Nigeria, he arguably has a politico-spiritual authority over the second largest Sufi order, with over 30 million adherents.

Barka Juma’at and happy weekend.

DO NOT GRIEVE – THERE IS ANOTHER LIFE TO COME:

These are indeed trying times in our clime, but Allah, the Exalted, said: Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning. (Qur’an 39: 10)

Do not grieve — There is another life to come.

The day will come when Allah will gather together the first of the creation and the last of it. The knowledge of this occurrence alone should reassure you of Allah’s justice. So, whoever’s money is usurped here shall find it there; whoever is oppressed here shall find justice carried out there; and whoever oppresses here shall find his punishment there.

Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher, said: ‘The drama of this life is not complete; there must be a second scene to it, for we see the tyrant and his victims without seeing justice being executed. We see the conqueror and the subjugated, without the latter finding any revenge. Therefore, there must be another world, where justice will be carried out”

Ash-Shaykh ‘Ali at-Tantawi, commenting on this, said: ‘This statement suggests a confession from this foreigner (to Islam), of the existence of a Hereafter where judgment will take place.”

An Arab poet said: “If the minister and his delegates rule despotically, And the judge on earth is unjust in his judgments, then woe, followed by woe after woe Upon the judge of the earth from the judge Who is above.”

“This Day shall every person be recompensed for what he earned. No injustice (shall be done to anybody)’. Truly, Allah is Swift in reckoning.” (Quran 40: 17)

 Therefore, Do not grieve — There is another life to come. In  Sha Allah, There is  another life to come!

By Babatunde Jose

Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE), in his mission as a messenger of Allah, united most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. After he died in 632 CE, his close friend and confidant, Abu Bakr (r. 632-634 CE) took over his temporal position as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate  632-661 CE. Rashidun or ‘rightly guided’, as the first four caliphs are called by mainstream Muslims: Abu Bakr 632–634, Umar 634–644, Uthman 644–656, and Ali 656–661.

Three decades after the prophet, the empire rapidly spread into neighboring lands of the Byzantine Empire (also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire) and the Sassanian Empire (Neo-Persian, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests); by 656 CE, the Muslims held dominion over all of Levant (Eastern Mediterranean region with its largest cities: Amman; Aleppo; Beirut; Damascus; Jerusalem), Syria, Iraq, Khorasan, Egypt, a portion of the North African strip, and several islands of the Mediterranean.

The extra-cultural, extra-territorial and multivarious spread of Islam was bound to create divisions within it ranks. Secondly the interpretations of its book and the traditions of the prophet by diverse successors were also bound to create problems of diversity in interpretations.

Islam’s great emphasis on unity, could not prevent diversity on the formal level, nor could Islam have integrated a vast segment of humanity with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds without making possible diverse interpretations of its teachings.

The most important elements among those that unite the vast spectrum composing Islam is its orthodox manifestations, this term being understood in a metaphysical as well as a theological and juridical manner is the testimony (shahada): (lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu llāhi). “There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God”. By virtue of the shahada, all Muslims confirm the unity of the divine principle and accept the prophethood of Allah’s Messenger. It is this that admits one to the Islamic fold.

There is total unity in the acceptance of the Quran as the revelation of God. Muslims also agree about its text and content; although the exegetical meaning can, of course, differ from one sect to another.

Muslims also agree concerning the reality of the afterlife, although again there are various types and levels of interpretation of the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith concerning eschatological matters.

Muslims are also united in the main rituals performed, ranging from the daily prayers to fasting to making the pilgrimage.

These definable factors are powerful elements that unify Islam and the Islamic world. The presence of these factors is ubiquitous and can hardly be denied even externally.

Within this unity, which is perceptible even to outsiders however, diversity exists on various levels—exegetical, legal, theological, philosophical, social, and political.

Throughout the history of Islam therefore, there have existed diverse interpretations of the Quran and Hadith, different schools of law, many theological and philosophical interpretations, and political claims on the basis of the interpretation of religious texts.

Many interpret the Quran to suit their whims and caprices and to reinforce their stands on issues, however controversial. In the process they read and interpret the Quran out of context and often become very rigid in their stands, leading to charges of fundamentalism and radicalism. With these positions, violence is inevitably the result. Simple concepts such as Jihad, which connotes to strive in the ways of Allah become misinterpreted and weaponized and, in the process, become veritable battle cries for so-called holy wars. Yet, all recite this same Quran which has remained unchanged for over 1,400 years.

These differences have sometimes led to, not only, fierce religious rivalries, but also wars, a phenomenon that is, however, not unique to Islam. Differences, however, have never been able to destroy the unity of Islam as either a religion or a civilization.

It was in reference to the danger of excessive theological and religious dispute that the Prophet said that the Islamic community would divide after him into seventy-two schools, of which only one would be completely in the right and would possess the complete truth.

Thirty years after Muhammad’s death, the various factions of the Islamic faith were embroiled in a civil war known as the Fitna. Many of Muhammad’s relatives and companions were involved in the power struggle, and the war finally stabilized when Mu’awiyya, the governor of Syria, took control of the Caliphate. This marked the great ‘schism’ and the emergence of the sects.

Three sects of Islam developed and emerged at the conclusion of the Fitna, they are Shiites, Sunni and kharijis: The schism started with the ascendancy of Ali ibn Abi Talib to the caliphate. And his subsequent assassination.

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the Prophet’s cousin and an early convert to Islam, a brave warrior, and his son-in-law by marriage to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima.  Ali had been considered by his followers for the position of caliph as early as the death of Muhammad, but was not raised to the position until the death of ‘Uthman in June 17, 656 AD.

After the assassination of Uthman, Ali was raised to the caliphate by his supporters who claimed that he ought to have succeeded the prophet ab initio as a result of his filial relationship but not everyone agreed. The result was that the Muslim community became split, and a civil war broke out. This was the first Fitna, an important Arabic word denoting both a civil war and time of trials or temptation, when the unity of the Muslim community was seriously threatened.

Ali’s election was initially opposed by a faction in Medina led by a number of friends and associates of the Prophet, including the Prophet’s wife A’isha. Both sides in late 656 met in battle near Basra in Iraq. It is said that the conflict is known as the Battle of the Camel, because A’isha watched it from camel-back. Ali’s forces carried the day, and he moved the seat of the Caliphate to Kufa in Iraq.

However, ‘Uthman’s widow was still bent on avenging the death of her husband. She enlisted the help of Mu’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who was at the time the governor of Syria and son of Abu Sufyan (old foe of the prophet). Mu‘awiya’s followers called for an arbitration, and Ali was forced to agree, but some of his followers objected and abandoned him; they became known as kharijis, from the Arabic verb kharaja (to go out) because they left Ali’s army. The term later became extended to a number of both violent and non-violent movements who objected to the activities or beliefs of the majority of the Muslims.

Ali was by now also opposed by the kharijis, whom he defeated in battle in 659. Ali was eventually assassinated while praying in the mosque at Kufa, by a khariji named Ibn Muljam.

Some proclaimed Ali’s son al-Hasan as the new caliph, but he too was assassinated at Karalla but  supporters of Ali’s family did not give up, and they continued to assert the claims of the Prophet’s family, through the line of Ali, to the caliphate.

Thus, he and his family, especially those born of Fatima, who were direct descendants of the Prophet, became foci for protest movements. Supporters of Ali became  known as shi‘at Ali, “the party of Ali,” which we anglicize as “Shi‘ites.”

Main Islamic sects are, therefore, Sunni (ahl al sunnah Al-Jamaah, “followers of the sunnah of the Prophet) and Shi’ites, and the Khwariji sect, which is generally rejected by Islamic scholars as illegitimate and is today only practiced in Yemen and Oman.

Some Islamic sects that have materialized since the 7th century Fitna, such as The Nation of Islam, are not regarded as legitimate Muslims by Sunni Muslims.

Nearly all Muslims belong to one of three groups: Sunnis, Shi’ites, and Kharijites. This last group comprises those who opposed the claim of both Ali and Mu‘awiyah to the caliphate. Kharijites have always been few in number and today their inheritors, known as Ibadis, remain confined to Oman and southern Algeria.

The most important division within Islam is between Sunnism and Shi’ism. The vast majority of Muslims, that is, about 86 to 87 percent, are Sunnis, a term that comes from ahl al sunnah Al-Jamaah, “followers of the sunnah of the Prophet” and the majority.

About 13 to 14 percent of Muslims are Shiites, they in turn are divided into Twelve-Imam Shiites, Isma’ilis, and Zaydīs. The Twelve-Imams, or Ithnā ashariyyah or Twelvers, are by far the most numerous, comprising some 150 million people living mostly in present-day Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, the Persian Gulf States, eastern Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and India.

Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain have majority Twelve-Imam Shi’ite populations, while in Lebanon the Shi’ites constitute the largest single religious community.

The Isma’ilis played an important role in Islamic history and established their own caliphate in Egypt during the Fatimid Caliphate in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Today, however, they are scattered in various communities, mostly in a number of towns of Pakistan and India, but also with important concentrations in East Africa, Syria, and the Pamir and Hindu Kush regions of Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. They also have a notable community in Canada, consisting mainly of emigrants from East Africa, India, and Pakistan.

Isma’ilis are divided into two main branches, one with its center in India and the other in scattered communities under the direction of the Aga Khan, whose followers consider him their Imam (or spiritual and temporal leader). It is difficult to give an exact figure for the members of this community, but altogether the Isma’ilis are estimated to be a few million in number.

We could summarize that though the two main sects within Islam Sunni, and Shiites, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. The split originated with a dispute over who should succeed Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Islamic faith he introduced.

Next, we look at the different traditions within the Sunni branch of Islam.

Barka Juma’at and happy weekend.

SUPPLICATION:

O Allah, we beseech You to alleviate the suffering and adversity facing the people of Nigeria. Fa inna Ma-al-usri Yusraa’. So, verily with every hardship there is a relief (Quran 94:8).  May Allah (SWT) bring an end to all our difficulties in this country and ease all our affairs.

O Lord! Empty our hearts from self-love and fill them instead with love for you.

O Lord! You, Yourself, have promised that there is ease with any hardship. Relieve  Your people from the great difficulties and hardships originated from their enemies.

O Lord! Your gifts and bounties endowed to us are abundant. Bestow on us the success of being grateful for them.

So, praise Allah for His kindness, be thankful for what He has left for you, seek recompense from Him for what He has taken, and seek consolation with those that are troubled.

Have patience, no matter what the difficulty and no matter how dark the road ahead seems. For truly, with patience comes victory, and with difficulty relief follows close behind.

May Allah soothe our pains. Amen