soennitisch

Soennitisch, also referred to as Sunni Islam, designates Muslims who trace their religious authority to the practice and example of the Prophet Muhammad (the Sunnah) and to the consensus (ijma) of the Muslim community. The term derives from the Arabic Ahl as-Sunna wa'l-Jama'a, meaning the people of the Sunnah and the community. Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and encompasses a broad range of traditions and practices.

Core beliefs center on the Qur'an as the primary scripture and the Sunnah as a key source of guidance. Sunnis emphasize the communal consensus of scholars and, where appropriate, analogical reasoning (qiyas) in legal and theological matters. The religion is united by five pillars of faith and practice, though interpretation and emphasis can vary regionally and culturally.

Jurisprudence in Sunni Islam is organized around four main legal schools (madhahib): Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali. These schools differ in method and detail but share the same core doctrines. Theological diversity within Sunnism includes schools such as Ash'ari and Maturidi, which emphasize different approaches to God, revelation, and rational inquiry; a more literalist Athari tradition is also present in some communities.

Historically, Sunnism emerged in the first centuries of Islam as a distinct approach to authority and practice, distinguishing itself from Shia Islam over leadership and succession. Today, Sunnism includes a wide spectrum of communities and movements, from traditionalist to reformist, and it remains the dominant tradition in most Muslim-majority countries. It is characterized by its lack of a centralized clerical hierarchy and by regional centers of scholarship and jurisprudence, such as Cairo and Istanbul, alongside local mosques and scholars worldwide.