It is standard these days to describe Shi’ah Islam as a splinter group that formed very early in the history of Islam as a result of disagreement over the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. But the student of religion should consider this explanation as part of the sacred history (traditional narrative) of Islam and not as historical fact.
Tag Archives: Islam
The Neverending Story : Sunni and Shi’ite
Filed under Origins, Religious Controversy, Religious Literacy
Tagged as history of Islam, history of religion, Islam, Islamic, Major religious groups, Mosque, Quran, religious controversy, religious sect, sectarian, Shi'ah, Shi'ah Islam, Shia, Shia history, Shiite, Studying World Religions, Sunni, Sunni and Shia
Two Kinds of Religious Texts
When studying religion, either on your own or in university, it is helpful to recognize that there are, almost always, two types of literature associated with a religion, that is, if the religion has a written tradition.
The two types of religious texts are 1) sacred scripture, and 2) non-sacred, but cherished, traditional writings and commentaries.
Filed under Religious Literacy, Revelation, Ways to Learn the World Religions
Tagged as dhammapada, hadith, Hindu texts, Hinduism, Islam, jain scripture, Rabbinic Judaism, Religion and Spirituality, religious texts, religious writings, sacred texts, scripture, scriptures, Studying World Religions, sutra, talmud, World Religions
The Term ‘Abrahamic’
It is endlessly troublesome to create helpful categories for the myriad religions of the world.
The centuries of hostility between the so-called Abrahamic religions originate from their competitive claims to the Hebrew prophetic tradition and from their mutually exclusive claims to the revelations attributed to Abraham and the canon of Israelite prophets. I’m not sure why this category title ever felt right to anyone, religious or otherwise. Continue reading →
Filed under Origins, Religious Controversy, Religious Literacy, Ways to Learn the World Religions
Tagged as Abrahamic Religions, ancient religion, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, history of religion, Islam, Judaism, Major religious groups, Rabbinic Judaism, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Studying World Religions
Recipe for Happiness
Most all religions have at one time or another described themselves as a path to truth and a recipe for happiness. As these recipes are believed to come from a spokesperson for the divine, it’s fair to say that some part of religion consists of a ‘how to’ set of instructions, like a recipe, revealed, as it were, from the Divine Chef.