derived from the Sunna of the Prophet — that is, the
Traditions (Hadith) as interpreted by Muslim scholars
throughout history.
The Wahhabis, who are prevalent in Saudi Arabia, are a
Sunni subsect. Muhammad ibn Abd alWahhab (1703–
1792) was a reformer. He wanted to rid Islam of everything
that had developed after the first few centuries. He stressed a
literal reading of the Koran and Hadith that made the
Wahhabis a furious, violent sect that even made war against
other Muslim groups it considered heretical. The Wahhabis
control Saudi Arabia today, and from there aggressively
export Wahhabism around the world. Some of the terrorists
involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks were members
of this group.
- Shi’ites. The word Shi’a is short for Shi’at Ali, or ‘‘the
party of Ali.’’ This is the largest nonSunni sect. Shi’ite
Muslims believe that Ali, the husband of Muhammad’s
daughter Fatima, was the Prophet’s only rightful successor
as leader of the Muslim community. Shi’ites have traditions
and practices that are quite distinct from those of the Sunnis.
Notable among these is the belief that the Imams (that is,
leaders) who succeeded Ali in Muhammad’s prophetic line
inherited Muhammad’s prophetic spirit. Most Shi’ites
believe that there were twelve such Imams, and that the last
one disappeared from the earth and will return as the Mahdi,
a Messianic figure, at the end of the age. - Sufis. The Sufis are the mystical sect in Islam, although
Shi’ite Islam also bears strongmarks of mystical influence.
The Sufis stress love for Allah and union with him in terms