1. Islam
Sunni and Shi’a

2. Life After Muhammad Muhammad dies in 632
Had a daughter (Fatima) but no male heirs
Muhammad is the only prophet—no one to continue his work
Chaos breaks out in parts of Arabia
Some tribes abandon Islam
Others refused to pay taxes
A few individuals claimed to be prophets
Muslims leaders elect a caliph, or successor

3. Early Caliphs 632-634 Abu-Bakr Oldest friend of Muhammad, first caliph
Used military force to control Arabia
Umar
Conquered Syria and part of Egypt
Also took lands from the east, formerly Persian territory
Uthman
Continued expansion to east and west
Murdered, and a civil war ensued
Ali
Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law
Assassinated in 661

4. Umayyad Caliphate
With Ali’s death, Umayyad clan set up hereditary caliphate
Capital moved to Damascus (Syria)
Umayyad caliphate more involved with wealth and material goods
Created backlash from some Muslims
Felt Damascus too far away from Arab lands
Concerned of a disconnect from spiritual teachings

5. Enter: Shi’a
Shi’a a minority group that resisted Umayyads’ rule
Name comes from the “party of Ali”
Believed caliph was required to be a relative of Muhammad

6. Enter: Sunni Accepted the rule of the Umayyads
Name means following Muhammad’s example
Some concern amongst early Sunni of the Umayyad caliphate’s focus on worldly things

7. Shi’a and Sunni About 10-15% of Muslim population today
Believe in strict interpretation of shari’a—conservative
See themselves as original Muslims
Imams (religious leaders) have spiritual and political authority
Follow Five Pillars
See Sunnis as Muslims
About 85-90% of Muslim population today
Follow a looser interpretation of shari’a
Believe caliph position is based on merit
Separate church and state
Follow Five Pillars
See Shi’a as Muslims

8. Sunni & Shi’a Distribution Today