Page 131 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

The Religion of Islam

After Nabi Muḥammad had passed away, the conflict over the Khalifa or Caliph
(the successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad), caused the Islam religion to divide into two
main denominations, the Sunni or Sunnah, and the Shiah.
The Sunni or Sunnah Islam strictly follows the original practice, guided by the
Noble Qur’an and Al-Hadith. The Sunni Muslims regard only four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar ibn
al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan and Ali ibn Abi Talib as “al-Khulafā’ur-Rāshidūn” or “The Rightly
Guided Caliphs. The majority of the Muslims worldwide belong to the Sunni denomination,
including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The Shia Islam : Shia means followers of Ali ibn abi Talib, who was the son-in-law
of Nabi Muḥammad. This branch of the religion believes that only Ali ibn Abi Talib is the
righteous successor. The majority of the Shiah followers are in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, India and the
East African countries.
Most of the Muslims in Thailand are the Sunnis, although there are some Shiahs.
In the past, the Shiahs were people with significant roles in society, especially in the Ayutthaya
period. Their descendants are ones in families of the Bunnags, the Sripens, the Ahamad Chulas,
the Chularats and many families in the lineage of the Chularatchamontri Chao Phraya Rattana
Ratchasetthi (Sheikh Ahmad). The influence of the Shiahs declined after the period of the
Chularatchamontri Son Ahamad Chula in the reign of King Rama VII. It was then that the influence
shifted to the Sunnis (Chularatchamontri Cham Phanomyong) in the reign of King Rama VIII.

1 The Central Masjid in Songkhla
Province
2 The Interior of the Central Masjid
in Songkhla Province
2

1
129

129