Sunni Islam

Part of a series on Sunni Islam
Beliefs God Prophets and Messengers Holy books Succession to Muhammad Angels Judgement Day Predestination Sahaba
Five Pillars Declaration of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage
Rightly-Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr Umar Uthman Ali
Sunni schools of law Hanafi Maliki Shafi'i Hanbali Others Zahiri Awza'i Thawri Laythi Jariri
Sunni schools of theology Ash'arism and Maturidism (Ahl al-Ra'y) Atharism (Ahl al-Hadith) In terms of Ihsan: Sufis (Ahl al-Wijdan wa al-Kashf)
Contemporary movements Barelvi movement Deobandi movement Salafism Wahhabism Ahl-i Hadith Modernism Farahi school Neo-traditionalism
Holy sites Mecca Medina Jerusalem
Lists Literature Kutub al-Sittah History Persecution
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This article is part of a series on:
Islam
Beliefs and Practices Oneness of God Prophets Angels Profession of faith Prayer Fasting Alms Pilgrimage Jihad
Texts and laws Qur'an Sunnah Hadith Fiqh Sharia Kalam
History and leaders Muhammad Abu Bakr Ali Umar Ahl al-Bayt Sahabah Rashidun Imamate Caliphate Spread of Islam
Denominations Sunni Shia Shurat Sufism Muwahhidism Salafism Wahhabism Ibadi Ahmadiyya Nondenominational Quranism Nation of Islam Five-Percent Nation Mahdavia
Culture and society Academics Architecture Art Calendar Festivals Mosques Philosophy Science Women
Related topics Criticism Islamism Islamophobia Anti-Shi'ism Terrorism
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Sunni Islam (Arabic: أهل السنة) is the largest branch of Islam. They are the branch of Islam that came through the Rashidun Empire, which started with Abu Bakr and ended by Ali ibn Abi Talib. Sunni beliefs are based on the Quran and the Kutub al-Sittah. Sunnis make up around 90% of the world's Muslim population.^[1][2][3] With approximately 1.8 billion followers, it is the largest religious denomination of any religion in the world.^[4] Catholicism is the second-largest. There are four sub-groups (Madh'hab)s within Sunni Islam; Malikis, Hanafis, Hanbalis and Shafi'is.

Adherents of Sunni Islam are Sunnis or Sunnites. The word Sunni comes from the word sunna (سنة), which means the tradition of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Sunnis are also called ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah (Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة), which means people of tradition and congregation; this means that the Sunnis are united.

1. ↑ "Politicsdaily.com". Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
2. ↑ Sue Hellett; U.S. should focus on sanctions against Iran Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 13 December 2012
3. ↑ Quick guide retrieved 13 December 2012
4. ↑ Religious Diversity and Children's Literature: Strategies and Resources, Sandra Brenneman Oldendorf - 2011, p 156