2007-05-05 03:28:53 · 8 answers · asked by JoAnn W 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Islam is a religion. Muslims are the people that practice that religion.
2007-05-05 03:33:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Shi'a have a clerical hierarchy, which started with the belief that the son-in-law of the prophet Mohammed, Ali, was the only valid candidate for caliph (leader) and that his descendants as imams have legal precedence. When Shi'a pray, their call to prayer includes a line about Ali, and they touch their foreheads to a piece of earth or rock (usually from Karbala) placed on their prayer rug. They also hold their arms differently. There are some other beliefs.
Sunni make up the vast majority (85% or so) of Muslims and do not believe in the infallibility of Ali's descendants.
Islam is a religion (literally meaning "submission" and rooted in the word "salam" which means "peace").
Muslim describes a person who practices the religion Islam (and literally means "he/she who submits")
2007-05-05 10:43:37 · answer #2 · answered by nomadic 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think you are slightly confused with the words 'Islam' and 'Muslim' :)
Islam is the name of the religion and a Muslim is the name given to the follower of Islam.
Islam means: 'submission' (to the laws and commandments of Allah) and a Muslim is 'one who submits'
The term 'Sunni Muslim' means a Muslim who follows the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him).
The Sunnah literally means 'a path or a way. It is everything that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said, did, encouraged, approved and disapproved of.
A good Sunni Muslim will do there best to follow the examples set by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
You may also have come across the term 'Shi'a Muslim'. Shi'a literally means 'to separate'. this refers to those Muslims who separated from the main body of Muslims after the death of Prophet Muhammad. They did not agree with the Prophet's choice on who should succeed him after his death.
The Shi'a Muslims (Shi'ites) believe that only those who were decended from the Prophet, i.e. Ali ibnu Abu Talib, husband of the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah, are the only ones who have a right to claim leadership (Khalifah) over the Muslim community.
But the problem here is that the Shi'ites do not understand that the bloodline of the Prophet Muhammad does not continue after his death because he did not have sons who survived into adulthood, and lineage does not pass through daughters.
2007-05-05 10:40:32 · answer #3 · answered by Muslimsister_2001@yahoo.co.uk 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Basically the Shia or Shiite follow me while the damm hypocritical Sunnis follow Abu. Islam is our religion and followers of islam are called muslims.
2007-05-05 10:50:14 · answer #4 · answered by ali 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sunni believes that Mohamed was the last and final messenger
Shiites believe that he had a sucessor
Muslims are the followers of Islam just as Christians are followers of Christianity
2007-05-05 10:34:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Shiet believe after Muhammed, Ali is first leader of Muslims and after Him there are 12 leader that the last one still is live.
But sunnie believe after Muhammed , Abobaker, Omar and Osman are leaders.
2007-05-05 10:33:32 · answer #6 · answered by Pretty Girl 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Shiite - They have a religious hierarchy
Sunni - No clergy or religious hierarcy
Islam - the voluntary submission to the Lord of Abraham
Muslim - One who has submitted to the Lord of Abraham
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2007-05-05 10:32:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Have you heard of the story about ali?
heheheheheheheheh
2007-05-05 10:33:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋