Lack of Succession Plan Continues to Cause Wars in Islamic Nations
Lack of Succession Plan Causes Wars....
Who would have thought that the lack of a succession plan would have caused wars for over 1,500 years? When Mohammad died, he left a new religion, that had grown through a philosophy that mixed religion, politics, guilt, judgment and holy war, in a recipe that created growth and expansion. The religion borrowed from many other religions and had doses of compassion and tolerance, but the more graceful aspects of Islam have historically been overwhelmed by "succession issues". The wars and divisions of the Middle East for 15 centuries, have been dominated by these fights. One side, Shiites, believe they are the rightful heirs to the throne of the Mohammad, and the Sunni's believe just as strongly that they are the heirs and voice of Mohammad. Even today in Syria and Iraq, we see thousands of people killed and fighting wars in the name of religious battles of Shia vs Sunni.
A little background: (our thanks to internet sources for this information)
The historic background of the Sunni–Shia split lies in the schism that occurred when the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in the year 632, leading to a dispute over succession to Muhammad,. The dispute intensified greatly after the Battle of Karbala, in which Hussein ibn Ali and his household were killed by the ruling Umayyad Caliph Yazid I, and the outcry for his revenge divided the early Islamic community. Today there are differences in religious practice, traditions, and customs, often related to jurisprudence. Although all Muslim groups consider the Quran to be divine, Sunni and Shia have different opinions on hadith.
Sectarian violence persists to this day from Pakistan to Yemen and is a major element of friction throughout the Middle East.Tensions between communities have intensified during power struggles, such as the Bahraini uprising, the Iraq War, and most recently the Syrian Civil War and the ISIL attempt to conquer Iraq.
Today there are differences in religious practice, traditions, and customs, often related to jurisprudence. Although all Muslim groups consider the Quran to be divine, Sunni and Shia have different opinions on hadith.
Successors of Muhammad
Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr, the father of Muhammad's wife Aisha, was Muhammad's rightful successor and that the method of choosing or electing leaders (Shura) endorsed by the Quran is the consensus of the Ummah (the Muslim community).
Shias believe that Muhammad divinely ordained his cousin and son-in-law Ali (the father of his grandsons Hasan ibn Ali and Hussein ibn Ali) in accordance with the command of God to be the next caliph, making Ali and his direct descendants Muhammad's successors. Ali was married to Fatimah, Muhammad's daughter from his wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.
Aisha endorsed her father Abu Bakr as the successor to Muhammad. In the Battle of the Camel (656), Aisha opposed her step son-in-law Ali outside the city of Basra because she wanted justice on the perpetrators of the assassination of the previous caliph, Uthman. Aisha's forces were defeated and Muhammad's widow was respectfully escorted back to Medina.
Sunnis follow the Rashidun "rightly guided Caliphs", who were the first four caliphs who ruled after the death of Muhammad: Abu Bakr (632-634), Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644), Uthman ibn Affan (644-656), and the aforementioned Ali Ibn Abi Talib (656-661).
Shia theology discounts the legitimacy of the first three caliphs and believes that Ali is the second-most divinely inspired man (after Muhammed) and that he and his descendants by Fatimah, the Imams, are the sole legitimate Islamic leaders.
The Imamate of the Shia encompasses far more of a prophetic function than the Caliphate of the Sunnis. Unlike Sunni, Shias believe special spiritual qualities have been granted not only to Muhammad but also to Ali and the other Imams. Twelvers believe the imams are immaculate from sin and human error (ma'sūm), and can understand and interpret the hidden inner meaning of the teachings of Islam. In this way the Imams are trustees (wasi) who bear the light of Muhammad (Nūr Muhammadin).
Mahdi
While Shias and Sunnis differ on the nature of the Mahdi, many members of both groups, especially Sufis, believe that the Mahdi will appear at the end of the world to bring about a perfect and just Islamic society.
In Shia Islam "the Mahdi symbol has developed into a powerful and central religious idea." Twelvers believe the Mahdi will be Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam returned from the Occultation, where he has been hidden by God since 874. In contrast, mainstream Sunnis believe the Mahdi will be named Muhammad, be a descendant of Muhammad, and will revive the faith, but will not necessarily be connected with the end of the world.
WAR AND CONFLICT: War and conflict, again and again, with untold cruelty up to today, with the new emergence of ISIS (Now calling themselves ISIL), is yet a new emanation of the same conflict. Over the centuries, especially in the last 1,200 years, these groups have made mixing politics with religion a deadly art. Millions of Islamic people have been killed in the name of God, (or as they say, Allah) when the true motives are most likely based upon control, power, or politics. See a few examples of how far beyond the original Koran, this has evolved. 1. The Qur'an shows a high degree of respect, even tolerance, and a promise of peace with Christians and Jews. See the words from the Holy Book of Islam:
Surah 2:62 The Heifer
"Those who believe (in the Quran) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians and who believe in Allah and the Las Day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." 2. Qur'an teaches that when "Allah" returns, Jesus will be at his side, as will Abraham. In other references the Qur'an shows great respect and agreement with other religions:
Al-Baqara 2:136 "We believe in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham....Moses and Jesus and that given to all prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and other of them" Jesus is mentioned more times than Muhammad in the Qur'an and Islam considers him to be the Messiah. In Surat-Aal Imran it says: "Oh Mary! Alah gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary held in honor in the world and the hereafter and of those nearest to Allah (3:45)
Surah 2: 256 The Heifer "Let there be no compulsion in religion."
Surah 2: 205 "His aim is everywhere to spread mischief throughout the earth and destroy crops and cattle. Allah does not love mischief".
The Qur'an teaches that if someone kills even one person it is as if he has "killed a multitude".
Examples like this could go on by the hundreds, and the point of this article is not to argue fine points of religion, but to point out that much of the violence we see in the Middle East, in Africa and other nations where the Sunni and Shiites are, there is conflict that is directly opposed to the ethic of their own religion. These battles are largely for politics, power, property and control, not for pure reasons of spirituality. Indeed, even the conflict between the Islamic sects, are not spiritual battles, they are control, political, power and greed oriented. It is time, and we call for enlightened men of integrity, men who love humanity, men who are spiritual, and men and women to raise your voice for peace, brotherhood and compassion. It is time, that we move away from the illusion that wars and killing will bring religious or cultural peace and harmony. War begets war. Killing begets killing. Love and compassion begets peace.