Some seven years later, Muhammad and his many followers returned to Mecca and conquered the region. WebMuhammad was the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Qurn, Islams sacred scripture. Islam is picking them off. (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances. Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Islam also spread throughout areas in Europe, Africa, and Asia. WebIslamic religious leaders by nationality (20 C) A. Ayatollahs (8 C, 14 P) C. Caliphs (28 C, 4 P) Muslim clergy (3 C, 1 P) F. Female Islamic religious leaders (3 C, 28 P) G. Grand Muftis (30 C, 15 P) I. Imams (10 C, 12 P) M. Marja' (3 P) Religious leaders of the medieval Islamic world (9 C) WebLeadership. (lim). It was obviously intended by the Ummayads to put the definitive end to all claims to leadership of the ummah as a matter of direct descendence from Muhammad, says Hazleton of Husseins death, and the death of all the surviving members of Muhammads family, at Karbala. Allamah is an honorary and prestigious title carried by only the very highest scholars of Islamic thought, jurisprudence, and philosophy. Muhammad "Almami" is a title of West African Muslim rulers, used especially in the conquest states of the 19th century. Some Orientalists wrote the title as Khalf. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. There he prayed with other prophets such as Moses, Abraham, and Jesus, and ascended to the skies, where he was led by Gabriel through Paradise and Hell, and finally came face to face with God. Neither of them are representative of the vast majority of Sunni Muslims or the vast majority of Shia Muslims around the world, says Hazleton of the fundamentalist regimes governing both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Only a male person is called with this appellation. Uthman was also killed, and Ali, Muhammads cousin and son-in-law, was selected as the next caliph. Kyai or Kiai is a title originally used in Javanese culture. The term is also used for a recognized religious scholar or authority in Islam, often for the founding scholars of the four Sunni madhhabs, or schools of jurisprudence (fiqh). Muhammad The angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Other passages mention military encounters between Muhammads followers and the unbelievers. WebThe first of them is his son, Hasan, then Husayn, then Ali ibn Husayn, then Muhammad ibn Ali, then Ja'far ibn Muhammad, then Musa ibn Ja'far, then Ali ibn Musa, then Muhammad ibn Ali, then Ali ibn Muhammad, then Hasan ibn Ali then al-Hujjah al-Qaim al-Mahdi al-Hadi ibn Hasan, Master of the Time (May Allah hasten his blessed advent). WebDr. Leaders Who Is The Religious Leader Of Islam During the reign of the first four caliphs, Arab Muslims conquered large regions in the Middle East, including Syria, Palestine, Iran and Iraq. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). They thought that 'Ali, Muhammad's closest surviving blood male relative, should be their next leader (caliph). Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammads life. He spent his entire life in what is now the country of Saudi Arabia, from his birth about 570 CE in Mecca to his death in 632 in Medina. Most tribes were polytheistic, worshipping their own set of gods. Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. WebIn everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal ( Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Those reports are not consistent, however, and some include miraculous elements or stories obviously adapted from the Bible. In the Shi'a context, an imam is not only presented as the man of God par excellence, but as participating fully in the names, attributes, and acts that theology usually reserves for God alone. According to Islamic tradition, his father died before Muhammad was born, and his mother died when he was a young child. In 622, they headed to Medina, another oasis town, where they were promised freedom to practice their religion. This journey became known as the Hijra (also spelled Hegira or Hijrah), and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Islamic Religious Leaders Muhammad was the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Qurn, Islams sacred scripture. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Religious leaders of the medieval Islamic world, List of Naqshbandi saints from Allo Mahar, Sayyid Abdurahman Imbichikoya Thangal Al-Aydarusi Al-Azhari, List of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Islamic_religious_leaders&oldid=1128317469, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 December 2022, at 14:14. Variants of the material compiled by Ibn Isq, as well as further material about events in Muhammads life, are preserved in works by other authors, such as Abd al-Razzq (died 827), al-Wqid (died 823), Ibn Sad (died 845), and al-abar (died 923). Muhammad and his followers soon returned and took over the city, destroying all its pagan idols and spreading their belief in one God. Muhammad Zaki Badawi, from the United Kingdom Shaikh Mohammed Aboulkhair Zaki Badawi KBE was a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar, community organizer, and advocate for interfaith communication who served on the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders. Author of. At least to historians who are reluctant to admit reports of divine intervention, the problem is reinforced by the miraculous elements of some of the material included in Ibn Isqs work. WebSunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. At the same time, the nature of the sources is not such as to inspire confidence that we possess historically certain knowledge about the Prophets life that is as detailed as many earlier scholars tended to assume. Thus, statements of the sort that on March 21 of the year 625, Meccan forces entered the oasis of Medina are inherently problematic. When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices. In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. Muhammad gave amnesty to many of the Meccan leaders who had opposed him and pardoned many others. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on Mount Jabal aI-Nour. Divine Revelations Islam Webt. Islamic religious leaders Muslim Religious Leader Called Friday sermon is most often given by an appointed imam. Lithograph by Carlo Bossoli, Imam Khomeini, leader of the Iranian revolution, A Bosniak military imam in the Austro-Hungarian Army, Grand Mufti Mirza Huseyn Qayibzade of Tbilisi, Grand Mufti Absattar Derbisali of Kazakhstan, Portrait of Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus Ahmad Huseinzadeh by Ali bey Huseynzadeh, Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus Abdussalam Akhundzadeh. In its narrow sense it refers to scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence. WebIn everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal ( Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! Lay Leaders According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. The term is used almost exclusively in the sub-continent area. Wikipedia Eventually the Sunni majority (named for sunna, or tradition) won out, and chose Muhammads close friend Abu Bakr to become the first caliph, or leader, of the Islamic community. History of the Dalai Lama's Biggest Controversies, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Birth Year: 570, Birth City: Mecca, Birth Country: Saudi Arabia. A central idea in Islam is jihad, which means struggle. While the term has been used negatively in mainstream culture, Muslims believe it refers to internal and external efforts to defend their faith. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers. A mihrab is a decorative feature or niche in the mosque that indicates the direction to Mecca, and therefore the direction to face during prayer. WebIslamic religious leaders by nationality (20 C) A. Ayatollahs (8 C, 14 P) C. Caliphs (28 C, 4 P) Muslim clergy (3 C, 1 P) F. Female Islamic religious leaders (3 C, 28 P) G. Grand Muftis (30 C, 15 P) I. Imams (10 C, 12 P) M. Marja' (3 P) Religious leaders of the medieval Islamic world (9 C) It is considered by Muslims in some countries to indicate the highest authority in Sunni Islam for Islamic jurisprudence, The grand Imam holds a great influence on followers of the theological Ash'ari and Maturidi traditions worldwide, while the defenders of the Athari and Salafi ideologies find their leaders in the Arabian Peninsula. Ghazi was an individual who participated in ghazw, meaning military expeditions or raiding. While Shia represent the majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan and a plurality in Lebanon, Sunnis are the majority in more than 40 other countries, from Morocco to Indonesia. The conflict with the Quraish continued, but after several years of violent clashes, Mecca surrendered. He undertook his miraculous Night Journey (Isr) from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he prayed with Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Who Is The Religious Leader Of Islam He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. By carefully comparing accounts, scholars have identified common elements that were in circulation by the late 7th century, and some rudimentary details are confirmed by non-Islamic sources (e.g., a Syriac chronicle and an Armenian history) dating to the first few decades after his traditional death date. Muhammad Zaki Badawi, from the United Kingdom Shaikh Mohammed Aboulkhair Zaki Badawi KBE was a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar, community organizer, and advocate for interfaith communication who served on the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders. The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam. The term Mullah is a variation of the word mawla(means master or lord) and Mawlana is its derivative (means my lord) and are used mainly in Central Asia and in the Sub-Continent . These leaders must be followed since they are appointed by God. By carefully comparing alternative versions of one and the same biographical narrative, scholars have been able to show that a certain number of traditions about Muhammads lifefor instance, an account of the Prophets emigration from Mecca to Medinawere in circulation already by the end of the 7th century. The position of women as imams is controversial. It is an Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word or Khalfah, which means "successor", that is, successor to the Muhammad. hXmo6+bKNJ@/q8k #Y)(q`:4)NGH2dz L\g#$d=b>%1). Ayatollah means "sign of God"; those who carry it are considered experts in Islamic studies. The split between the two main sects within Islam goes back some 1,400 years. Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to protect its lucrative trade. Muslims believe he was the final prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to mankind. All rights reserved. The titles of Ayatollah and Grand Ayatollah exist only in the Shiite sect of Islam. Eventually the Sunni majority (named for sunna, or tradition) won out, and chose Muhammads close friend Abu Bakr to become the first caliph, or leader, of the Islamic community. These attitudes varied dramatically from region to region and throughout history; the societies that produced the works discussed here are among those that allowed the depiction of the Prophet. The controversial term radical Islam has become a well-known label to describe the religions connection to acts of violence. Saturday, 29 Apr 2023. In Medina, Muhammad continued to receive divine revelations and built an ever-expanding community around the new faith. Islamic religious leaders Most such information thus comes from the srah (biography) literature, consisting of accounts of his life by various writers dating mainly from the 8th and 9th centuries. Sunnis make up nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. %%EOF Therefore, it is also common too for kris, weapons, gamelan, trees and certain venerated cattles. Spreading the Message of Islam He spent his entire life in what is now the country of Saudi Arabia, from his birth about 570 CE in Mecca to his death in 632 in Medina. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Because Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. IMPORTANT : All content hosted onAl-Islam.orgis solely for non-commercial purposes and with the permission of original copyright holders. Why are images of Muhammad generally prohibited in Islam? Death Year: 632, Death date: June 8, 632, Death City: Medina, Death Country: Saudi Arabia, Article Title: Muhammad Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/religious-figures/muhammad, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 6, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. The color green is also sometimes associated with Islam, as it was reportedly a favorite color of Muhammad's and is often featured prominently in the flags of predominantly Muslim countries. Any other use of the hosted content, such as for financial gain, requires express approval from the copyright owners. Nation of Islam: This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan. In Islam, an Imam is a religious leader who often leads congregational prayers in a mosque. Islam is picking them off. 151 0 obj <> endobj Most Muslims believe that Muhammads scribes wrote down his words, which became the Quran. For most of his life, the Abbasid Caliph, According to Shia, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph, According to Twelver doctrine, he is the current imam and the promised, According to Shia doctrine, he has been living in the, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 13:44. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. What are the scholarly sources of Muhammads biography? Adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning. History Omissions? Islam Imams are appointed by the state to work at mosques and they are required to be graduates of an mam Hatip high school or have a university degree in Theology. At other times the position was inherited, as with the Yaruba dynasty from 1624 and 1742. WebIn everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal ( Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Imam (/mm/; Arabic: imm; plural: aimmah) is an Islamic leadership position. Shiite Muslims believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are the real successors to Muhammad. Islam Not all lived to adulthood, but one, Fatima, would marry Muhammads cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shiite Muslims regard as Muhammads successor. The Caliph has often been referred to as Ameer al-Mumineen ( ), has been defunct since the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1924. The Shi'a believe that the last Imam, the 12th Imam Mahdi will one day emerge on the Day of Resurrection (Qiyamah). Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah. religion He spent his entire life in what is now the country of Saudi Arabia, from his birth about 570 CE in Mecca to his death in 632 in Medina. It is an Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word or Khalfah, which means "successor", that is, successor to the Muhammad. Sunni Islam does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a, an important distinction often overlooked by those outside of the Islamic religion. Ayatollah (Arabic: ; Persian: ) is a prestigious title given to major Shia clergymen. They eventually married. Updated: August 20, 2019 | Original: January 5, 2018. Sunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. The titles of Ayatollah and Grand Ayatollah exist only in the Shiite sect of Islam. They also believe that all the imams chosen are free from committing any sin, impeccability which is called ismah. Islamic religious leaders These are sometimes linked with place-names, such as the passing reference to a victory at a place called Badr at 3:123. Although polygamy was then prevalent in Arabic society, he was monogamously married to his first wife, Khadjah, until her death after about 25 years of marriage. Sahib denotes an Islamic leader held in high regard by one or more other Muslims. Muezzin (the word is pronounced this way Turkish, Urdu, etc. At stake was not only control of Muhammads religious and political legacy, but also a great deal of money, in the form of taxes and tributes paid by the various tribes united under the banner of Islam. It contains 114 chapters, which are called surahs. Finally, in 1979, the Islamic Revolution in Iran produced a radical brand of Shia Islam that would clash violently with Sunni conservatives in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the decades to follow. The Arabic term islm, literally surrender, illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islamthat the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islm) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allh: God). Religious leadership in Islamic social circles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamic_religious_leaders&oldid=1147270042, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 21:21. His strong monotheistic message angered many of the Meccan merchants. The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. In everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal (Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Islamic Religious Leaders Certain verses assume that Muhammad and his followers dwell at a settlement called al-madnah (the town) or Yathrib (e.g., 33:13, 60) after having previously been ousted by their unbelieving foes, presumably from the Meccan sanctuary (e.g., 2:191). The Islamic calendar indicates the proper days of Islamic holidays and celebrations, including the period of fasting and prayer known as Ramadan, which occurs during the ninth month of the calendar. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi'i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. Though the two main sects within Islam, Sunni and Shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. Who Is The Religious Leader Of Islam His wife is called "nyai". But of course it's not what happened. Instead, Husseins martyrdom at Karbala became the central story of Shia tradition, and is commemorated yearly as Ashoura, the most solemn date on the Shia calendar. Mosques today follow some of the same principles he established in A.D 622. Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammads death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr. Every person at the day of judgement will also be called by his Imam. What are the traditional events of Muhammads life? Moreover, a number of rudimentary details about Muhammad are confirmed by non-Islamic sources dating from the first decades after Muhammads traditional date of death. Corrections? Some titles for traditional Islamic leaders include Caliph, Imam, Sheikh, Mufti, Mujtahid and Allamah. Founder of Islam Muslim Religious Leader Called Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. (There are dozens of these guys out there and evangelicals, even the minorities in the space, are missing a massive opportunity. Born in Mecca about 570 CE, Muhammad married a wealthy widow, Khadjah, in 595. The Arabic term islm, literally surrender, illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islamthat the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islm) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allh: God). The town of Mecca was an important trading and religious center, home to many temples and worship sites where the devoted prayed to the idols of these gods. The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. This system of leadership, which was run by a Muslim ruler, became known as a caliphate. 0 The "Grand Imam" or "Imam of imams" (Arabic: ) of the Al-Azhar Mosque and Al-Azhar University is a prestigious Sunni Islam title and a prominent official title in Egypt. (Traditionally, a congregations Imam is a man; a woman may serve as prayer leader for a women-only gathering.) Islam, BBC.Islam: The Second Largest World ReligionAnd Growing, Religious Tolerance.Islam Fast Facts, CNN.Basic Facts About Islam, PBS.What is Sharia Law and How is it Applied? One faction, the Shi'a, believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the Muslim community righteously. The Al-Islam.org site and the DILP are entirely supported by individual donors and well wishers. These portrayals, while somewhat rare, are not unheard of as there were (and still are) many different attitudes toward depicting the Prophet, and humans in general, in the Islamic world. The Met Fifth Avenue is closed Monday, May 1 for The Met Gala. Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran. Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammed and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. In the early 20th century, the victorious Allies divided the territory held by the former Ottoman Empire after World War I, cutting through centuries-old religious and ethnic communities in the process. Ruhollah Khomeini is officially referred to as Imam in Iran. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. For most Shia Muslims, the Imams are absolute infallible leaders of the Islamic community after the Prophet. Abu Bakr died about two years after he was elected and was succeeded in 634 by Caliph Umar, another father-in-law of Muhammad. In recent years, Islams supposed association with terrorism and mass murder has sparked a political debate in many countries. Meanwhile, in Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia, those who lead any prayers in any places such as at home, are also called imam. Category:Islamic religious leaders From that point forward, Muhammad was ostracized in Mecca. Author of, Professor of Arabic and Islmic Studies, University of Edinburgh, 196479. Muslim Religious Leader Called WebSunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a believe that these imams are chosen by God to be perfect examples for the faithful and to lead all humanity in all aspects of life. It is an Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word or Khalfah, which means "successor", that is, successor to the Muhammad. He led the Farewell Pilgrimage to Mecca, the precedent for the hajj, in 632, the year of his death. Due to animistic belief of ancient Javanese people, the title "Kyai" is also used to call almost all persons and things venerated. For instance, a Syriac chronicle dating from about 640 mentions a battle between the Romans and the Arabs of Muhammad, and an Armenian history composed about 660 describes Muhammad as a merchant who preached to the Arabs and thereby triggered the Islamic conquests. The roots of the Sunni-Shia divide can be traced all the way back to the seventh century, soon after the death of the prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. The Hijra Several Iranian places and institutions are named "Imam Khomeini", including a city, an international airport, a hospital, and a university. Other, smaller Muslim denominations within the Sunni and Shiite groups exist. [1] The title was also used by the Zaidi Shia Imams of Yemen, who eventually founded the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (19181970). He is usually said to have had 14 wives or concubines during his lifetime. Several trade routes intersected at Mecca, allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west coast of Arabia, north to Syria, and south to Yemen. All Rights Reserved. Some titles for traditional Islamic leaders include Caliph, Imam, Sheikh, Mufti, Mujtahid and Allamah. Shaykh/Shaykha: spiritual leader (usually male, occasionally female), especially of a Sufi Circle.