So many people are confused by Islam and particularly the factions of Sunni and Shia Islam. But, when one understands these things - today's news and today's prophetic fulfillment come into much sharper focus. I will not try to be all inclusive in this short teaching - but I will give you enough for you to understand with much greater clarity - what is really happening in the world around you - you will also be able to see how scripture and 2500 year old prophecies fall into today's events....
Islam was born in the early 600's AD. Muhammad lived in the Middle East and could not read or write, by his own admission in the Quran. In his early 40's Mohammed retreated to a cave in the wilderness and here in the month of Ramadan - reportedly began to have visions - these visions were often accompanied by epileptic type seizures with which he was often plagued.
At first, Mohammed thought he was having visions of demons - but soon became convinced that he was hearing from God - or ALLAH - as God is pronounced in Arabic - through the angel Gabriel. Mohammed shared his visions and revelations with those closest to him and they encouraged him in his preaching as a prophet from God.
To Mohammed's great consternation his teachings were rejected by the Jewish and Christian leaders of his day and area. At first he was also rejected by many of the tribal Arabs. This rejection by the Jewish and Christian leadership soon turned into a deep seated hatred for all Jews and Christians and his message ultimately became one of outrage against the Christians and Jews in the name of Allah.
For the next 20 years or so Mohammed gathered up followers to his side and his cultic movement grew rapidly. He gathered men around him who were learned, important and influential- particularly in the Arab world by the time of his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam, and he had united the tribes of Arabia into a single Muslim religious polity. At his death, in 632 AD, his inner circle of leaders or Caliphate began to write down the words, teachings and visions that Mohammed had related to them in the 20 year period of his cultic ministry. The writing became known as the Quran. The Quran only mentions Muhammad directly four times.
Not long after his death, various leaders in the relatively new movement of Islam... struggled for leadership power and authority. Eventually two traditions of valid leadership succession developed. There were those who believed that the succeeding Imams, or priests, or leaders of the Caliphate ought to come from Mohammad's bloodline. This began the Shia tradition. The Shia Muslims make up only about 20% of the total of the Muslim world today. Their bitter rivals within Islam are those who hold to the Sunni tradition that Muslim leadership ought to come from Muhammad's original caliphate or governmental organization that he had gathered around him in the early days.
The line of Mohammed through his direct descendents extinct in 873AD when the last Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who had no brothers disappeared within days of inheriting the title at the age of four. The Shia 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 Ayatollah Khomeini, whose portrait hangs in many Shia homes to this day.
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. Shia believe that their supreme Imam is a fully spiritual guide, inheriting some of Muhammad's inspiration ("light"). Their imams are believed to be inerrant interpreters of law and tradition.
Sunnis and Shia agree on the core fundamentals of Islam - the Five Pillars - and recognize each others as Muslims.
However, there remain significant differences between the two forms of Islam and these are what tend to be emphasized. Many Sunni's would contend that Shia seem to take the fundamentals of Islam very much for granted, shunting them into the background and dwelling on the martyrdoms of the early bloodline descendants of Muhammad.
Iran is overwhelmingly Shia - 89%. Shia also form a majority of the population in Yemen and Azerbaijan, Bahrain and 60% of the population of Iraq. There are also sizeable Shia communities along the east coast of Saudi Arabia and in the Lebanon. The well known guerilla organization Hezbollah, which forced the Israelis out of southern Lebanon in 2000, is Shia. Worldwide, Shia constitute ten to 20 percent of the overall Muslim population.
Within Shia Islam there are different sects. Most Shia are "Twelvers", i.e. they recognize the 12 Imams in the line of Muhammad and they are waiting upon the soon arrival of the 12th and final imam - MAHDI - their messiah - they believe that he cannot come until Israel and all infidels are annihilated from the middle east. They have no problem with a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East if it rids the land of Israel and Christians and ushers in the Mahdi.
The Middle Eastern Muslim world is divided between Sunni and Shia. There is a continual struggle for power and dominance between the two. In some instances the rulers of the land are Shia with predominately Sunni populations -in other instances they matter is reversed. It is a continual game of religious chess.
The Muslim brotherhood dates back to 1928. They formed for the express purpose of keeping the land free from an Israeli nation state. They joined alliances with Hitler in WWII to attempt to exterminate the Jews from the Land. The Muslim Brotherhood is Sunni. Al-Qaeda is also Sunni and was formed by Osama Bin Laden in 1988. Its purpose is the global extinction of Jews and Christians - a Jihad. The recent unrest in Egypt and Libya is largely a Sunni uprising - giving much power and prominence to the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda factions in those regions - This is why Israel is aghast concerning the current unrest in the Muslim world. - It also explains their disturbance that the POTUS would involve US military assets without congressional approval in the attempted overthrow of the Libyan regime. Barack Hussein Obama was raised in the Sunni tradition of Kenyan and Indonesian Islam.
Perhaps now you have a clearer understanding of what is happening in the world of prophecy and politics. If you understand this video - you now know more than most of our politicians and talking news heads. KEEP PRAYING - we are living in prophetic times.
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