A question for any of our DU Muslims

[Sandpiper]

Or anyone else who might know the answer to this.

I have only a very superficial knowledge of Islam, and I had a question. We hear in the news all the time about Imams and Clerics and Ayatollahs.

Is there any sort of hierarchy to Muslim Clergy? How exactly is it structured, and how does one become a religious leader within Islam?

[Mass_Liberal]

1. ya

an Imam is a prayer leader. An Ayatollah is like a bishop. A Grand Ayatollah is the spiritual leader of his sect or country. Sorta as if there were a Pope for each Catholic country.

[izzie]

2. Knew a pray leader in SA and he often talked of the Bible.

He said it was not the real word as it had been rewritten so many times.What can one say to that but yes it has. Interesting to view it from that also.

[Bridget Burke]

3. I'm not Muslim but knowledge is there for those who seek!

The "hierarchy" point is one of the differences between Sunni & Shia.

"The line of Mohammed ... through Ali and Hussein became extinct in 873CE when the last Shia Imam, Al-Askari, who had no brothers disappeared within days of inheriting the title at the age of four. The Shias refused, however, to accept that he had died, preferring to believe that he was merely 'hidden' and would return. When after several centuries this failed to happen, spiritual power passed to the ulema, a council of twelve scholars who elected a supreme Imam. The best known modern example of the Shia supreme Imam is the late Ayyatollah Khomeni, whose portrait hangs in many Shia homes. The Shia Imam has come to be imbued with Pope-like infallibility and the Shia religious hierarchy is not dissimilar in structure and religious power to that of the Catholic Church within Christianity.

"Sunni Islam, in contrast, more closely resembles the myriad independent churches of American Protestantism. Sunnis do not have a formal clergy, just scholars and jurists, who may offer non-binding opinions."

www.islamfortoday.com/shia.htm

There's a lot more at the site. It's also noted that conflicts between the two "sides" are not always blood-stained; moderates have been working toward greater cooperation. One might even wonder whether colonialists encourage the conflict; a divided populace is easier to rule. It's like encouraging Protestants & Catholics to fight, when they generally can get along well enough--but nobody would do that!