In Arabic, this branch of Islam is referred to as ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah (Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة), "the people of the sunnah and the community", which is commonly shortened to ahl as-sunnah (Arabic أهل السنة). All three of these are accepted by Muslims around the globe, and are considered within "Islamic orthodoxy". pp. [93][97] Thus, the Qadiriyya order was Hanbali, with its founder, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, being a renowned Hanbali jurist; the Chishtiyya was Hanafi; the Shadiliyya order was Maliki; and the Naqshbandiyya order was Hanafi. [104] Muslim scholars have through the ages sifted through the hadith and evaluated the chain of narrations of each tradition, scrutinizing the trustworthiness of the narrators and judging the strength of each hadith accordingly.[105]. Sunnī (Classical Arabic: سُنِّي /ˈsunniː/), also commonly referred to as Sunnīism, is a term derived from the word sunnah (سُنَّة /ˈsunna/, plural سُنَن sunan /ˈsunan/), meaning "habit", "usual practice",[18] "custom", "tradition". 1996. p. 201. Sunni Muslims accept the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim as the most authentic (sahih), and while accepting all hadiths verified as authentic, grant a slightly lesser status to the collections of other recorders. [22][23][24] Ali, during his rather brief regime after Uthman maintained austere life style and tried hard to bring back the egalitarian system and supremacy of law over the ruler idealised in Muhammad's message, but faced continued opposition, and wars one after another by Aisha-Talhah-Zubair, by Muāwiya and finally by the Khārjites. However, none of these creeds gained the importance attributed to the Nicene Creed in Christianity. However, some scholars, such as the Commentators of Al-Azhar University, reject this approach, arguing the Qur'an is a text for religious guidance, not for science and scientific theories that may be disproved later; thus tafsir'ilmi might lead to interpreting Qur'anic passages as falsehoods. Historically, Sufism became "an incredibly important part of Islam" and "one of the most widespread and omnipresent aspects of Muslim life" in Islamic civilization from the early medieval period onwards,[93][94] when it began to permeate nearly all major aspects of Sunni Islamic life in regions stretching from India and Iraq to Senegal. [87] In matters of faith, they were pitted against Mu'tazilites and other theological currents, condemning many points of their doctrine as well as the rationalistic methods they used in defending them. The expediencies of cold war resulted in encouragement of Afghan refugees in Pakistan to be radicalised, trained and armed to fight the communist regime backed by USSR forces in Afghanistan giving birth to Taliban. Many traditional scholars saw Sunni Islam in two groups: Ahl al-Ra'i, or "people of reason", due to their emphasis on scholarly judgment and discourse; and Ahl al-Hadith, or "people of traditions", due to their emphasis on restricting juristic thought to only what is found in scripture. [30][31][32][33] This was followed by a considerable rise in Wahhabism, Salafism and Jihadism under the influence of the preaching of Ibn Taymiyyah a self proclaimed advocate of the traditions of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. A trial of strength ensued and the most powerful party won and expected favours of the caliph they supported once he ascended the throne. The Taliban regime was recognised by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia till after 9/11, perpetrated by Osama bin Laden – a Saudi national by birth and harboured by the Taliban – took place, resulting in a war on terror launched against the Taliban. ABC-CLIO. [102], The Quran as it exists today in book form was compiled by Muhammad's companions (Sahabah) within a handful of months of his death, and is accepted by all sects of Islam. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Contrary to the Mu'tazilites, they say that ethics cannot be derived from human reason, but that God's commands, as revealed in the Quran and the Sunnah (the practices of Muhammad and his companions as recorded in the traditions, or hadith), are the sole source of all morality and ethics. Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God [2 volumes]. The Ash'aris insisted that these attributes were as they "best befit His Majesty". Sunni Islam (/ ˈ s uː n i, ˈ s ʊ n i /) is the largest denomination of Islam, followed by 87–90% of the world's Muslims, characterized by a greater emphasis upon the traditions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions. It is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque and Muslim community among Sunni Muslims.In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance.