, 1873-07-27
THE DIVISIONS OF ISLAM.
Tho 8un11tg and ShtnsnllS.
From tho Pdft Hail Gdzeltc.

In order to form q correct opinion OF the pro-
ynliug religious croed of tho PersianB, and moro
especially Of tho tonots which distinguish 1t from
tho maas Of MuBl1ns in other parts Of tho world,
1t is necessary to understand tho theory which
undorlios Islam, or What Ia usually called
Muhammadansn. Muhammad, it's author and
founder, aspirod to bo, mud by ali truo Musiims
is recognized as tho apostle Of God, tho aoal Of
tho prophets, whose mission was to bring all
mon back to tho one truo religion. To this
apostleahip or primaoy waa conjoinod tho
Office and dignity Of sovereign loglslstor,
whose laws arc held to be
tho inspired dIcta Of tho Almighty. Like Moses
aud Christ, he claimed to bo prophet aud King;
like some Of the Roman Euaperors, lsnperator ct
Pontife1 Ma1imuS; and like the Pope, sovereign
pontih, barring, however, any protenson to
eacerdotalsm, which is utterly repugnant to
the teaohing of the Koran.
Tho death Of Muhamtnad leaving these offlcoa
| and dignitios vncant a Khnaifah-that is, suc-
cossor or vicar {" Caliph" WAS formerly tho in
! to succeed him "a the head Of Islam in religion
and politics throughout tho world. The first
| four Khalifahs wsre: Abu-Belr. Omar,
son.inaiaw 1e OF Of tho 't prophet. Tie The Khalif-
ate, after boing held for q fow months.b by Haaan,
tic tic hands m Is Of liz Donu. omeyyah. and from thom
to the Donu-Abbas, OF Abbaaides, who held it
till tho capture Of taghdad, its capital, and the
oyo1thro.y of tho dynasty By tho Moghuls under
uu1aku- Chan, 4. D. 1858. But tho spiritual
dignity was kept up for about three centurcs
1ater by certain members Of tho family who
found an asylum with tho Mamluk 6ultnna OF
Egypt, until tho conquest OF that country by tho
Ottomans, A. D. 154S, when the then Khalifall,
ol-Mutawakkil, is said to lave delegated hia Of
fec to selim I. Hence tho claim Of tho sultans
of Couatantinople to be thelcgitimate Successors
l Of Muhammad md commanders OF the faith
Now this question Of the Khalifate, which il
poaBibly destined to exercise a powerful inhu-
| once on tho future Of Mualim btateB was one Of
the principal causas Of sohiBm among the adhe-
rents OF islam while yet IN It's infancy some
should bo conferred by election others tllat Il
might bo hereditary; so1no that it was restricted
to tho descendants Of tho Prophet; aud others,
again. that it is not absolutely necessary thai
tLere should Khalifah. Tho latter belief IL
that Of tho Ibadhiyyhh Of Oman and Zanzibar:
Passing over niuor HchismH-Muslims pride
themselves on the assumption that their rocog
nized divisions BurpABs by one thoso Of any othel
crcetl-it will suffice for our purpose to point ou
tile fundamental difIerencoa between tho sunnif
and 8lia'ahs tho two principal sections intt
which the followers Of Ialam arc divided at tht
present day.
laws from the Koran, tho. traditions Of the
prophet, the concordance of curly dlscipllne, ant
analogy. They are divided into four orthoao'
socta Or schools. the Hapafy. shataiy, Malihy
and Haubaly 10 called from tho names of the 70
speotive doctors whose opinions thoy have adopt
Cd. With regard to tho succession, they admi
tho authority OF tho first four Khallfahs, includ
Ing 1ly, and generally accept the necessity Of
vicar, or living representative Of lalam, aud tht
legitimate transmission Of tho office through tn
Benu- -Omoyynh md the Benu-Abbns: 1tiH III
certain to what -oxtent they recognize the pro
tensions OF the Ottoman Su1tauB TO the Huprem
aoy formerly attached to the Khalifate. A
with other cree1H, 30 also with Islam. 1ts thoolo
| Ky III presumably capable OF being maoo Bubbor
, Won't to worldly wishes* Tic Turks arc al
! | Buunis, as arc also most OF tho A{unllms beyon
tho O11B in China, India, the islands Of the III
dian Archipelago and Africa.
, Tho word Shia'ah sg1.ifeB n sootarlan 9
. schismatio. and is applied by snnnls to I'LL wloI
} they regard ~ hetarolox; but in q more roHtric
Cd sonso i s intended to dosgnsstc s the ST.
s so aaonss senss 4bs Pessa ss Of e
, Bont the implied Insult, and en- repanche sty!
sa sses1 b. s s o 3s ooxsss I'll DRb u bot
scott sections acolao each other Of da1nnahle horeao
mud aoul-destroying delusions, mud tho antagol
Ism on tho part OF tho sha'ahB culmtnate
once yoar at the M1nharram ~ festival con
: and Husain, when they publicly Invoke ondl9f
!, curses on the loads Of their oppononts. parall'
l combinations nro, unfortunately. not u
. known to tho Christian Church, which ilae \
! Illuminating bulls and anathema foatiyaln.
J faot, tho violence and raucor which hayo aiwa,
0 existed and which atill Hubeist bosween Il
j. HunniA aud the Bhla'aha boar n striking nnalo{
to similar oharacterlatica, displayed by. PapiH
0 towards protosta,,ts, and yics yorsa. Neyerth
leaB, apart from tho blight differences Eespecti.
lilo arithorlty OF tradition, divorce, md Il
o manner Of performing tho prescribed ablutlon
+ tho only Fundamental dogma which separat
0 tic two partloH is that Of tho Succession
and believers In and opponents ct Il
r so~caloa Apostolic succoaHion viii
blo to appreciate to n9 tn orm" ao
, sIuaiimH: In opposition to the sunnis' tho sl.i
'ahs deny tho legitimacy Of tho first three Kila
falls, affirming the prior divine rIght Of Aly,
to succeed to that dignity, aud tho tranHnisSi
!, Of tue aame through his two sons, Hasan a
], IIuaan to nine Subsequent i1nams or represent
. uYoA~two!Ye IN al. Tho twelfth-napaely' u