1. Muhammad is dead. Now What?
The story of the Sunni/Shia split OR
Mixing Religion and politics Is Never a bad idea, right guys? …Guys?

2. Muhammad’s Succession
632 CE- Muhammad dies, leaving no confirmed successor*
Disagreement among clans on who will lead the faith
Chosen by bloodline (Ali)? Or leadership ability?
Some hesitance to establish a hereditary dynasty, like pre-Islamic bedouins
The Ummah (the Islamic community) elects Muhammad’s father-in-law (through his wife Aisha) Abu Bakr He becomes the first Caliph - the leader of the Ummah.
“Caliph” means deputy or successor

3. The Rashidun (632-661) The Rule of the Four Righted Guided Caliphs
Name
Ruled
Died
Known For
Abu Bakr
1st Caliph
elected
Natural causes, appointed his successor
Quelled rebellion and united Arabia
Umar ibn al-Khattab
2nd Caliph
appointed
Stabbed in a Medina mosque by a POW with a personal grudge.
Wars of expansion (power not religion but religion followed) to the greater Middle East
Uthman ibn Affan
3rd Caliph
Assassinated by those from the elite of Medina over the rise of status and power of the Umayyad clan.
Expanded the empire to North Africa and Central Asia- but with much political cost. Standardized the Qu’ran.
Ali ibn Abu Talib
4th Caliph/1st Imam
Assassinated by Kharajiites, a group of dissenters to Ali’s rule
Ruled during the first Fitnah (civil war). His place in history is denoted more for who he was rather than what he did.

4. First Fitnah A 5 Year Civil War that lasted through Ali’s Reign
Angered over Ali’s reluctance to seek revenge in the death of Uthman, Aisha (Muhammad’s wife) led a revolt against Ali in the Battle of the Camel, which was lost by the rebels.
Ali’s rule was not supported in Syria (where Uthman had appointed members of the Umayyad clan in power). Mu’awiya, governor of Syria, also wanted revenge for Uthman’s death. The Battle of Siffin (657) ended in arbitration between the two sides, which seriously hurt Ali politically.

5. A Community Divided
As Ali was not actively seeking retribution for Uthman’s death, the Ummah was growing more and more discontent with the Caliph (Ali), garnering more support for challengers to the Caliphate like Mu’awiya.
The Ummah was also horrified by the infighting between those that had once been a part of Muhammad’s inner circle, the community wanted a strong leader, not only for their protection but for the preservation of the faith.
The true split in Islam came with the death of Ali. The Shia (“followers”), who supported Ali went one way, The Sunni (“tradition”), who followed Mu’awiya I (who declared himself Caliph and began the Umayyad dynasty) went the other.

6. Second Fitnah
Mu’awiya I had managed to reconsolidate the Ummah, although in order to keep the community intact long-term,.
Mu’awiya arranged for his son Yazid to succeed him
Closer to a monarchy than of an Arab Chieftain
Outraged at the choice of succession, Hussein (the son of Ali) and his followers demanded their rights to the Caliphate, which culminates in the Battle of Karbala in 680.

7. The Battle of Karbala and its outcomes
Supporters of Hussein ibn Ali vs. Yazid I, the Umayyad caliph.
Horribly outnumbered: under 100 vs
All men were massacred Women and children enslaved and made to march to Damascus, including Hussein’s sister Zaynab
The Martyrdom of Hussein is celebrated by Shia, this day is called Ashura.

8. Holidays Sunni: Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr
Shia: Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Ashura
Ashura- a day of mourning. Men would beat their chests, and cut their bodies with knives. As most religious elite ban the cutting practice it still happens, they encourage the Shia to donate blood instead to commemorate the blood spilled at the battle of Karbala.

9. Sunni and Shia Today
Population statistics: Sunni 90% Shia 10%

10. Holy Places Sunni: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
Shia: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Najaf (Site of Ali’s Tomb), Karbala

11. Recap Sunni Abu Bakr Umar Uthman Ali Mu’awiya
Umayyad dynasty ( )
Abassid dynasty ( )
Ottoman dynasty ( ) (ISIS?)
The Sunni branch believes that the first four caliphs--Mohammed's successors-- rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War.
Caliphs are political leaders

12. Recap Sunni

13. Recap Sunni

14. Recap Sunni

15. Recap Shia Abu Bakr Umar Uthman Ali – 1st Imam
Hasan (Ali’s son) – 2nd Imam
Hussein (Ali’s son) – 3rd Imam
[…]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan–12th Imam
= the Mahdi = savior
(Ayatollah Khomeini: Iran, 1979)
Shiites, in contrast, believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed. In 931 the Twelfth Imam disappeared. This was a seminal event in the history of Shiite Muslims.
Cult of Martyrdom- the 12 Imams
The Mahdi
Imams are religious leaders

16. Map study 1
Which countries have a mix of Sunni and Shia Muslims? Link

17. Map study 2
Which ethnic groups are in Iraq? Iran? Turkey? Link

18. Map study 3
Who should be in charge of Iraq?

19. Map study 3
Kurds! million of ‘em.

20. Map study 4
Which countries have the most Muslims? Link

21. Map study 4
Which countries have the most Muslims? Link

22. Map study 4
Which countries have the most Muslims? Link

23. Terrorism
Admit it, you’ve been thinking about it a bit while we’ve studied Islam

24. Religion Is powerful People can use religion for good or for ill.
Every religion has its terrorists.

25. Wahhabism Founded by Mohammed Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-92)
Advocated a return to “original” Islam, no “innovations”
Wahhabi Islam thus bans any prayer to saints and dead loved ones, pilgrimages to tombs and special mosques, religious festivals celebrating saints, the honoring of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, and even prohibits the use of gravestones when burying the dead.
Those who would not conform to this view should be killed, their wives and daughters violated, and their possessions confiscated, he wrote.

26. Wahhabism + SAUD 1741: al-Wahhab allied with House of Saud
1930s: House Saud takes over Arabia => Saudi Arabia

27. Wahhabism + SAUD + OIL Saudi Arabia makes oodles of money from oil
$1 billion/day
2nd largest oil reserves in the world
US imports $300B/yr, 17% from Saudi Arabia (2015)
1970s: began “exporting” Wahhabism
$10 billion worth (US State Dept)