In Britain, the government is having talks with "muslim representatives" such as the MCB. How can the MCB influence the general muslim population? I had assumed that the main control came through the imams in the mosques.
If my assumption is correct then what is the point of talking to the MCB and similar organisations? Who elects the members of the MCB?
I am open to be educated on this matter and would greatly appreciate your comments.
From what I have gathered on the subject, that is a good question!
There is no "Pope", but I wonder if there is a hierarchy of sorts for the various clerics. I also am opened to some feedback on this subject.
As for the influence that Cleric leaders have over their followers, I imagine he'd be similar to your local version of a Pope, and that you would follow his wishes for the most-part.
Again, I am not pretending to know how the influence works, but I hope that the Brits get something going in the right direction, eh.
If the Clerics are local leaders and have general control over thier sphere of influence, is there any communication between the clerics? I mean do they get together once a year for a conference to hammer out what the believe in regards to X and how to respond to Y or are the autonomous? And also how does the different sects thing work and why don't they like each other? More questions, I hope an Islamic person will get on here soon so we can get some answers, or at least point us to some info on the subject.
There is no official hierarchy in Islam in the way that I think you mean. A muslim prays directly to God and does not require the intervention of a cleric in the way that many versions of christianity posit.
The position is complicated, however, when one considers the main branches of Islam - Shear, Sunni and Shi'ite. The Shi'ites tend to be more hierarchical than others and have a clerical structure similar to a christian-type hierarchy.
In core Islam, however, there is no such hierarchy and clerics have no more official standing than any other muslim.
Chris
From what I understand the other problem is that there are a multitude of denominations and factions in Islam (espesialy in the middle east and other parts of europe). It'd be like asking "who speaks for christians." The automatic answer can't be the pope becasue he only speaks for one faction of christianity. Namely: catholocism.
That is a misleading picture.
1)There is a qualitative difference. Muslims do not have a hierarchy in the same way that (all?) Christian sects have (using the word 'sect' in a non pejorative sense to mean simply a branch of a religion).
2) There are thousands of sects in Christianity but only a handful in Islam.
The main ones are:
a) Sunni - Vast Majority of Muslims (around 800 million. The 'leader' would be called the 'Caliph' and is an elected position.
b) Shi'ite - next largest group (around 100 million). Led by 'Imams' - 12 up to 940AD when the last Imam (Ali) went into hiding. The Ayatollah's are 'caretaker imams'until Imam Ali returns as Mahdi (Messiah). There is, therefore, no existing 'leader' although Khomeini claimed that he was a descendant of he 7th Imam and therefore Shi'ite 'ruler'.
c) Wahabbi - Fundamentalist Muslims. Relatively small number found in the ME.
d) Ismailis and Ismaili Druze - small sect. Found in parts of India, Egypt. Also number the rulers of Syria,Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Bahrain.
e) Sufi - mystic sect of Islam, known for it's wandering aesthetic holy-men.
f) Baha'ists - has about 5 million followers. This is the Mormon equivalent in Islam, in that they believe in a recent (19th century)prophet and have a idiosyncratic theology. Not recognised by most Muslims.
Regards
Chris
I find the Muslim way very similar to the Baptist way. Like the mode of prayer is almost similar when a Pastor/Imam is leading. And just like the Baptist there's no ultimate head. Imams just lead the prayer nothing else but lately suddenly the Imams seem to have become more vocal. Not that it is doing any good to anyone.
