SunniEdit

Sunni Islam is the largest branch of the religion, shaping religious life, law, and education across a wide arc of the Muslim world. It traces its origins to the early Muslim community formed after the death of the Prophet Muhammad and to a tradition called Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama'ah, or the people of the Sunna and the community, which emphasizes fidelity to the Qur’an, the Prophetic sunna, and the consensus of the community. This orientation has produced a robust body of jurisprudence, theology, and institutional life that has endured through centuries of change and challenge. Islam

The Sunni tradition is deeply plural in its expression. It encompasses diverse cultures—from the Arab heartlands and Turkey to South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa—yet it shares a common methodological core: scriptural primacy, reliance on the sunna as a second source of guidance after the Qur’an, and a historically influential role for jurists and scholars in interpreting law and practice. Within Sunni Islam, four main schools of law—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali madhhabs—have historically provided the ordinary mode of deriving rulings in civil and religious life. Alongside law, Sunni theologians have developed a spectrum of doctrinal schools, including Ash'ari and Maturidi traditions, as well as more scripturalist positions represented by Athari thought. These intellectual currents have shaped how Sunnis understand creed, worship, and ethics in relation to modern states and societies. Hadith

Overview - Core beliefs and practice: Sunnis affirm the central tenets of Islam, including the oneness of God, reverence for the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an as divine revelation, and the sunna as a model of exemplary conduct. They observe the five pillars of Islam and view the sunna as a primary guide to implementing the Qur’an in daily life. See the Five Pillars of Islam and Prophethood for context. - Sources of law and guidance: The Qur’an is the foundational text, supplemented by the sunna. In jurisprudence, consensus (ijma) and analogical reasoning (qiyas) have long played roles, especially within the four major madhhabs. See Qur'an and Sunnah for the two principal sources, and Ijma and Qiyas for methodological concepts. - Religious authority: Sunni communities typically rely on a class of learned scholars (the ulama) to interpret scripture, issue legal rulings, and teach doctrine, while political authority has varied across time and place. See Ulama for a discussion of scholarly authority.

History Sunni Islam emerged in part as a pragmatic approach to leadership and community life after Muhammad’s death, prioritizing the community’s continuity and unity. The early period saw the Rashidun Caliphs and subsequent caliphates, during which the Muslim world expanded rapidly in politics, scholarship, and culture. The division with other Muslim communities—most notably the Shia—also took shape in this era, centered on questions of leadership and succession. Over the centuries, Sunni governance and law became institutionalized in a range of political formations, from medieval caliphates to modern nation-states, while retaining a vibrant legal and theological culture. See Islamic history and Caliphate for related topics.

Beliefs and practices - Creed and cosmology: Sunnis typically affirm the central tenets of traditional Islamic creed, including belief in God, angels, prophets, revealed books, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree. For broader discussions of these beliefs, see Aqidah and the Articles of Faith. - Worship and ritual life: The daily and seasonal worship patterns, community prayers, fasting during Ramadan, almsgiving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca are central to Sunni practice. See Salah, Ramadan, and Hajj. - Sunna and hadith: The sunna, as the practical example of the Prophet Muhammad, is preserved and transmitted through collections of hadith. See Hadith for the vast corpus that informs sunnī practice. - The path of learning: Sunni jurisprudence has historically organized itself around the four main schools of law, each with its own methods and emphasis, while remaining within a shared framework of belief. See Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools.

Law and jurisprudence - The four madhhabs: Each school offers particular methodologies for deriving rulings on worship, family law, commerce, and public life. They differ in some details but share core principles, such as dependence on the Qur’an and sunna, respect for ijma, and use of qiyas in many cases. See Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali for overviews of each tradition. - Theological underpinnings: Sunni theology has developed through several schools of creed, with Ash'ari and Maturidi traditions offering node-based accounts of divine attributes and rational certainty, while Athari approaches emphasize textual primacy. See Ash'ari and Maturidi for doctrinal history; see Athari for a more text-focused approach. - Law in society: Sunni jurists have addressed questions ranging from daily conduct and ritual purity to commerce, criminal law, and governance, illuminating how faith interacts with social order. See Islamic law for a broader legal framework and Sharia for the concept in practice.

Political and social role - State and religion: In many regions, Sunni interpretations have shaped legal codes, educational systems, and public rituals. The degree of church-state separation, or the integration of religious authority with political institutions, has varied with time and place. See Islamic law and Islam and politics for related discussions. - Reform and reformism: Across the modern era, reform movements within Sunni contexts have debated how to reconcile tradition with modern governance, economic development, and human rights. Some currents emphasize gradualism and pluralism, while others advocate more rapid changes or revivals of traditional practices. See Islamic modernism and Salafism for competing reformist and revivalist tendencies. - Diversity within the tradition: Sunni communities are not monolithic. Sufi orders have long contributed mystical and devotional dimensions to practice, while more conservative reformist currents have sought to recalibrate norms around gender, education, and public life. See Sufism and Wahhabism for related strands.

Controversies and debates - Modern governance and pluralism: Debates persist about how to align Sunni principles with liberal-democratic norms, minority rights, and religious freedom in diverse, pluralistic societies. Proponents argue that Sunni tradition supports rule of law, peaceful political participation, and protection of individual rights when anchored in constitutional processes. Critics sometimes claim that exclusive reliance on religious authority can hinder reform; supporters counter that open jurisprudence within established schools allows adaptation without wholesale rupture with tradition. - Reform versus tradition: Within Sunni communities, there are ongoing discussions about gender roles, education, and civil liberties. Proponents of reform emphasize education, economic opportunity, and equal rights within a religiously grounded framework, while traditionalists stress continuity with established practices and caution about rapid social change. - Extremism and nonstate violence: Mainstream Sunni scholarship broadly repudiates violence and terrorism, arguing that sectarian hatred or political violence undermines social stability and the common good. Critics of extremist movements often point to political grievance or misreadings of religious texts as factors, while many Sunni scholars and communities actively work to counter radicalization through education, community engagement, and dignified public life. - Woke criticisms and defenses: Critics from other political perspectives sometimes claim that traditional religious communities resist modernization or pluralism. Defenders argue that many Sunni-majority societies have tailored reforms to local contexts, uphold rule of law, and integrate faith with civil institutions. They contend that sweeping broad-brush judgments about a religious tradition mischaracterize the diversity and resilience of Sunni communities and overlook positive contributions to education, philanthropy, and public service.

See also - Islam - Shia - Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama'ah - Sunna / Sunnah - Qur'an - Hadith - Hanafi madhhab - Maliki madhhab - Shafi'i madhhab - Hanbali madhhab - Ash'ari - Maturidi - Athari - Islamic law - Islam and politics - Sufism - Wahhabism