Ulama. Ulama (Arabic: علماء ʿUlamāʾ, singular عالِم ʿĀlim, "scholar"), also spelled ulema and "uluma", refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies and Polymath.
They are well versed in legal fiqh (jurisprudence) and are considered the arbiters of sharia law, being Islamic lawyers and are the foundation of the law. A female Islamic scholar is an alimah. The Islamic jurisprudence includes: the hadith: reports of statements or actions of Muhammad andthe tafseer: explanation and interpretations of the Qur'an. Some Muslims use the term ulama to describe only the body of Muslim scholars who have completed several years of training and study of Islamic disciplines, such as a mufti, qadi, faqih, or muhaddith.
Teaching[edit] Ulama learn at Islamic religious schools, madrasahs, where they also teach students about Islam and other areas of study. Shia Islam. The Shia (Arabic: شيعة Shīʿah) represent the second largest denomination of Islam and adherents of Shia Islam are called Shias or the Shi'a as a collective or Shi'i individually.[1] Shi'a is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī (شيعة علي) meaning "followers", "faction" or "party" of Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin Ali, whom the Shia believe to be Muhammad's successor in the Caliphate.
Twelver Shia (Ithnā'ashariyyah) is the largest branch of Shia Islam and the term Shia Muslim is often taken to refer to Twelvers by default. Shia Muslims constitute 10-20% of the world's Muslim population and 38% of the Middle East's entire population.[2] Although there are myriad Shi'i subsects, modern Shi'i Islam has been divided into three main groupings: Twelvers, Ismailis and Zaidis.[6][7][8][9] Etymology[edit] Beliefs[edit] Imamate[edit] Succession of Ali[edit] Oh people!
Shia Muslims believe this to be Muhammad's appointment of Ali as his successor. Twelver. Twelvers, Twelver Shī'ite or Imamiyyah (Imami Shi'a Islam) (Arabic: اثنا عشرية, Athnā‘ashariyyah or Ithnā‘ashariyyah; Persian: شیعه دوازدهامامی, pronounced [ʃiːʔe-je dævɑzdæh emɑmiː]) is the largest branch of Shī'ī (Shi'a) Islam.
Adherents of Twelver Shī'ism are commonly referred to as Twelvers, which is derived from their belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imāms, and their belief that the Mahdi will be the returned Twelfth Imam who disappeared and is believed by Twelvers to be in occultation. A majority of Shī'a Muslims are Twelvers. The term Shi'a Muslim may also be used to refer to Zaydis and Ismailis. People of the Twelver faith form a majority in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain, and form a plurality in Lebanon and form a significant minority in Kuwait. Alevis in Turkey and Albania, and Alawis in Syria, also believe in the twelve Imams of the Twelver faith. Alternative names[edit] Overview[edit] Sufism. Sufism (or taṣawwuf; Arabic: الصوفية) is a branch of Islam,[1] defined by adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam; others contend that it is a perennial philosophy of existence that pre-dates religion, the expression of which flowered within Islam.[2] Its essence has also been expressed via other religions and metareligious phenomena.[3][4][5] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ).
Sufis believe they are practicing ihsan (perfection of worship) as revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad: "Worship and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you". Sufis consider themselves as the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. Sufism is opposed by Wahhabi and Salafist Muslims. Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr, (a practice of repeating the names of God, often performed after prayers)[19] and asceticism. Etymology[edit] Two origins of the word sufi have been suggested.