Islam is the second largest religion in the world and is practiced by over 1.6 billion followers across the world. Islam is a religion that is based on the ideology of having adherents who peacefully surrenders to God. It is a religion and the word Muslim does not refer to people of particular race. Islam is practiced in many lands across the world. Consequently many groups and perspective have arisen regarding the practicing of the Islam faith.
Some of the factors that have led to formation of Islam grouping and diverse perspectives are the diversity in Muslim community in geography, ethnicity, culture and age. It is reported that over 50 countries in the world have majority of Muslim population and each has its own distinct history, culture and perspectives about the religion. The two major groups of Islam are Sunni and Shia (Shiite). This essay strives to highlight how the Sunni Muslims practice Islam faith and their perspectives about various life aspects.
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History of the Sunni Islamic group
The groups within the Muslim faith indicate that there hasn’t been original unit in this religion. The division leading to the formation of the groups is based on the political leadership and the proper interpretation of the Islamic spirituality (Stark, 2016). Sunni is the biggest Muslim groups in the world. It is composed of over one billion Muslims and makes around 90 percent of the Muslims. The Sunnis Muslims traces themselves back to the prophet Muhammad. The major division between them and the Shias is that they tend to have varying opinions on the question of proper interpretation of Islam.
The Sunnis are mostly found in Islamic countries such as Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain. The word Sunna can be loosely translated to the trodden path, the way, example or habitual practice. This implies that the Sunnis are inclined to the example or the path of Prophet Muhammad and his teachings. The Sunnis came to existence at around 7th century when there was disagreements over the successor of Prophet Muhammad (Blanchard, 2009). The Sunnis were advocating for election of the prophets successor while the Shias indicated that the prophet had chosen his son in law to succeed him. Despite these divisions, the Sunnis and Shias are on agreement on many other issues relating to matters of theology and practical life. The Sunnis are typically seen to focus on teaching the power of God (Allah), his determination of human life and fate. Religion, among Sunnis tends to play an important part in their public and political life. They rely on Sharia (Islamic law) on setting standards and dealing with life aspects such as marriage, social issues, divorce, inheritance, commerce and human rights (Blanchard, 2009).
Fundamental Tenets/Beliefs
According to Shahada (Testimony) there is only obey God Allah and Mohamed is his prophet. The Sunni Muslims have a faith that they should be obedient to Allah's will at all times. Allah is eternal, has always existed and will always exist. He knows everything and his power is beyond human understanding. Muslims believe that Allah has neither shape nor a definite shape; he can’t be seen, nor heard, he is neither male nor female (Stark, 2016).
The Sunni Muslim seems to be of a belief that there is no other God besides Allah. He (Allah does not have children, parents, nor partners. he was not create by a being. he does not have an equal, superior, or a lesser God. Allah is just in the sense that he rewards and punishes fairly. he is also depicted as a merciful God (Blanchard, 2009).
The belief that “there is no other god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet” is a paramount among the Sunni Muslim. It is taken as a profession of faith and is repeated in many ritual occasion, and its recital in full and unquestioning sincerity qualifies one as Muslim. The Sunni Muslim believes that a Muslim has five duties that they must undertake to become ardent believer. The five duties are Shahada (Affirmation of faith,), salat (daily prayer, Zakat (Almsgiving), Sawm (Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). The Muslim believers should undertake these acts of worship with a conscious intent and not as a habit.
The Sunnis also believe in angels, holy books (Quran and Hadith). They believe in Prophets such as Adam, Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud, and Isa. Mohamed, according to Sunni faith, was the last prophet. Lastly the Sunnis believe in the Day of Judgment – where the life of every human being will be assessed to see if they will go to heaven or hell (Melton, & Baumann, 2010).
Cultural Practices and Customs
In addition to making five daily prayers, giving Zakat, fasting during Ramadhan and performing Hajj, the Sunnis place great significance to the Salat al Jumah (Friday prayers). This is a service that is offered after midday on Fridays. It is a necessary service that must be performed by all male adults. Exceptions are for those who are ill, handicapped or those who are travelling. For women it is not an obligation to participate in this service but they can join if it does not interfere with their household duties (Moore, 2015).
People become members of the Sunni group by Saying Tarshud and taking was. Tarshud is the profession bearing witness that there is no other god except Allah and bearing witness that Muhammad is his Prophet. Then the new believer will need to understand and completely admit to pillars of Islam and the fundamental belief in Islam (Blanchard, 2009). Sunni Muslims are of the ideology that there is no basis for a hereditary privilege class of spiritual leaders. They don’t believe in veneration or intercession of saints. They don’t believe in leadership as birthright but a trust that is earned.
On date 5 of December, the Sunnis celebrate the Ashurah, this is in remembrance that the Prophet Muhammad fasted in solidarity with the Jews who were observing the Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement. This is a unique holiday for the Sunnis though they celebrate other holidays such as Eid ul fitr and Eid ul Adha (Sarfraz, & Liu, 2015).
Impact of Beliefs on Member’s Daily Life
Being a Sunni Muslim affects ones daily life in many perspectives. Firstly, the believer must offer daily prayers without failing. The prayers are offered five times a day and it is preceded by washing (Wudhu) of hands, arms, feet, legs and head. The believers can pray anywhere provided they are facing Mecca. Secondly Sunni Muslims are required to dress modestly at all times in effort to discourage showing nakedness and minimizing sexual temptations. Women have to cover their heads using a Hijab or scarf. Muslim men are also encouraged to dress in loose clothes and wear kufi (Sarfraz, & Liu, 2015).
Additionally, the Sunni Muslims are impacted in their daily lives through some prohibitions. Muslim has some prohibitions regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs, infidelity and other sexual sins are also prohibited by the Islam faith (Moore, 2015). Sexual sins are strictly prohibited because they are seen to be a disrespect of the sanctity of marriage. Sunnis, like all other Muslims are prohibited from ever eating pork because pigs are regarded as dirty animals. Other prohibitions relate to theft, cheating, showing disrespect to elders or parents and especially mothers. It is also a necessity to be charitable to widows, orphans and neighbors. Muslims are required to treat all people with courtesy and respect. Other impacts on daily life include being forgiving and forbearing (Melton, & Baumann, 2010).
Behaviors and Policies in the Workplace or Education Settings
Understanding the behaviors of the Sunni Muslim is the first step towards embracing their beliefs and customs. For many decades have suffered from discrimination in the workplace because people fail to understand them. Typically people from the Muslim faith tend to keep long beards and women have to wear hijab at all times. The Muslims who are practicing in the food and beverage industry sometimes are faced to shave their beard and this goes against their beliefs and customs. Women who want to pursue modeling career have a problem because they cannot modeling when they are dressed in hijabs and long clothes.
At the workplace, the Sunni Muslims demands they should be given time for prayer (five times a day). When t the workplace or in education setting they have to be provided with a quiet, clean, dry place to offer players in. The average time required for making prayers is about 45 to 90 minutes. During the holy month of Ramadan the Muslim employees might continue to work but they cannot eat during the day (Melton, & Baumann, 2010). Sometimes they might need to have their schedules adjusted.
Summary
I have learnt that the Sunni Muslim is more inclined to Shari law (the Muslim laws). They have strict belief in God (Allah). I have learnt that the Muslim faith advocates for peace and forgiving one another. Understanding the Muslim customs can be used to eliminate discrimination. It is surprising to learn that Muslims can only eat meat and poultry that has been slaughtered in particular manner. This research has provided insights on how I can interact with people who profess Muslim faith.
References
Blanchard, C. M. (2009, January). Islam: Sunnis and Shiites. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE.
Melton, J. G., & Baumann, M. (Eds.). (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, [6 volumes]: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices . ABC-CLIO.
Moore, J. (2015). The Sunni and Shia Schism: Religion, Islamic Politics, and Why Americans Need to Know the Differences. The Social Studies , 106 (5), 226-235.
Sarfraz, M., & Liu, S. (2015). Empirical Study on Why Expatriates Fail in Different Environments: Case from Workers Working in Muslim Environment. Global Journal of Management And Business Research .
Stark, H. (2016). Old Islam in Detroit: Rediscovering the Muslim American Past.
