Sunni Islam

Guide Note

Sunni Islam is the most widely followed denomination of Islam. Sunni constitutes roughly 85% of the Muslim world population. Countries with the largest Sunni population are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Egypt.

The Shia/Sunni split occurred in the decades immediately following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D. Sunni regard Ali ibn Abu Talib or Ali as the fourth and last of the "rightly guided caliphs", or successors to Muhammad as leader of the Muslims. Shias, on the other hand, feel that the Caliphate should pass down only to direct descendants of Mohammed. They often refer to themselves as "ahl al bayt" or "people of the house".

The exact percentage of the world's Muslim population that adheres to the various the majority Sunni groups is indeterminate. There is no official Sunni–Shia breakdown available for many countries. The CIA World Factbook gives a Sunni–Shia breakdown only for countries where Shia are a significant minority. Fast Facts:

1. Full name: Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jamaa'h
2. About 80% of world's Muslims
3. Four schools of Sunni law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali