Sunni

Sunni Islam is the largest denomination within Islam, representing the mainstream tradition of practice and interpretation in much of the Muslim world. The term Sunni derives from ahl al-sunna wa al-jama'a, meaning the people of the tradition and the community. Sunnis regard the Quran and the Sunnah—the practices and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad—as the primary sources of guidance, with authority also drawn from ijma, the consensus of scholars and the community, and qiyas, analogical reasoning, to apply scripture to new circumstances.

Following the Prophet’s death, disagreements over succession led to the formation of different branches. Sunnis traditionally accept the legitimacy of the first four caliphs, the Rashidun, and emphasize a form of leadership grounded in community consent rather than hereditary rule. The body of Sunni jurisprudence is organized into four main legal schools, or madhahib: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali. While they differ in method and detail, they share the same core sources and beliefs.

Theology within Sunni Islam is diverse. Major doctrinal tendencies include Ash'ari and Maturidi schools, which seek to harmonize faith with reason, and Athari or traditionalist approaches, which emphasize literal readings. Sufism is often present within Sunni contexts through various mystic orders.

Globally, Sunnis form the majority in most Muslim-majority countries, with large communities in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Sunni practice centers on the Five Pillars of Islam and observances such as daily prayers, fasting in Ramadan, zakat, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

In relation to Shia Islam, Sunnis differ mainly over leadership succession after the Prophet and certain jurisprudential and devotional emphases, though both branches share fundamental beliefs about the oneness of God, prophethood, and the Qur'an.