Sunni Islam

Sunni Islam (Arabic: أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ) is the largest branch of Islam and came through the Rashidun Empire, which started with Abu Bakr and ended by Ali ibn Abi Talib. Sunni beliefs are based on the Qur'an and the Kutub al-Sittah. Sunnis make up around 90% of the world's Muslim population.^[1][2][3] With approximately 1.8 billion followers, it is the largest religious denomination of any religion in the world.^[4] Catholicism is the second-largest religious denomination in the world. There are four sub-groups (madh'habs) of Sunni Islam; Hanbalis, Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanafis.

Countries with more than 5% Muslims. Sunnis in shades of green, Shiites in shades of red. Some Islamic movements may be under-represented,

Adherents of Sunni Islam are Sunnis or Sunnites. The word Sunni comes from the word sunna (سَنَةٌ), which means the tradition of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Sunnis are also called ahl as-Sunnah wa l-Jamāʻah (Arabic: أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ), which means people of tradition and congregation and means that the Sunnis are united.

Definition

In the Meeting of the Aqidah Expert Panel of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) held on 28 December 2010 at the Malaysian Islamic Training Institute (ILIM), Bangi, the panel decided that the definition of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah is:

“A group who understands and adheres to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW through the Companions, the Tabi‘in, and the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, who remained steadfast with them in the principles of creed (aqidah), law (shari‘ah), and ethics (akhlaq).”^[5][6][7]

Explanation of the definition

• a) They are a group who understands and adheres to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW according to the methodology and approach of the salaf and khalaf (the Atharites).

• b) They are a group with a balanced (wasatiyyah) understanding — neither extreme nor overly lax. This excludes the Khawarij, Shi‘ah Rafidah, Qadariyyah, Jabariyyah, Mu‘tazilah, anti-hadith groups, liberal Islam, religious pluralism, and the like.

• c) They are a group who prioritizes Islamic unity and brotherhood over enmity, peace over conflict, and uphold the principle of not idolizing leaders, not being fanatical to the extent of declaring other Muslims as disbelievers (takfir) or deviants.

Related pages

• Shia Islam
• Uthmaniyya
• Sunnah
• Non-denominational Muslims