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The religion of Islam arose in Muhammad’s time in sixth century Arabia (its followers see it as having begun with God), but by the mid-seventh century CE, Islam had divided—over the source of religious authority within the faith—into two major divisions, Sunni and Shi’a. The word Sunni derives from the Arabic “code of behavior”, the body of traditional law that derives from the teachings and acts of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims form the majority of Muslims and hold that the first three caliphs (all three) were Muhammad’s true successors. The Shi’a believe that Ali was Muhammad’s first true successor, and the term Shi’a originally referred to the partisans of Ali. Following the capture of Constantinople in 1453, Islam spread into some of Europe, and by the 17th century had significantly expanded its presence there, albeit temporarily. Religious identity for Muslims goes hand in hand with ethnic, social and cultural identity. In many states, Islam is less a faith than a way of life. Shari’ah means the “clear path”, indicating correct ways of behavior covering religious, political, social, domestic and even private life. Taken from the Qur’an (Allah’s word) and the Hadith, the Shari’ah sets out for Muslims legal and ethical foundations and guidance for institutions as well as for relationships. Application of Islamic law differs considerably according to the branch, the school of thought (Sunni have four) or system of elders (Shi’a), on whether Islam is a majority religion in a state, and on the type of legal system (e.g., secular or not) in a state. —Source Acknowledgement: Joanne O’Brien and Martin Palmer, The State of Religion Atlas, 1993 Demographics Worldwide: there are now over a billion adherents. Islam, like Christianity, is a fast growing religion. —Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1994 United States: There are 1,104,000 Muslims (0.5% of the U.S. population) —Source: The ARIS 2001 study Table
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