sunnita

Sunnita, also known as Sunni or Ash-Sunnah, refers to adherents of Sunni Islam, the largest branch of the religion. The term comes from ahl al-sunnah wa al-jama’ah, meaning “the people of the tradition and the community,” signaling reliance on the Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah as a guide to belief and practice. Sunnis form the majority of Muslims worldwide, with significant populations in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia.

Sunnism rests on the Quran and the Sunnah (the sayings and actions of Muhammad) as primary sources of guidance. It accepts the consensus of the community (ijma) and, when appropriate, analogical reasoning (qiyas) in jurisprudence. Four major legal schools—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali—developed diverse approaches to interpretation within shared principles. There is no single centralized clergy; religious authority is distributed among scholars, jurists, and local imams.

Core beliefs include tawhid (the oneness of God), the prophethood of Muhammad, belief in angels, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree. The Five Pillars—profession of faith, prayer, fasting during Ramadan, almsgiving, and pilgrimage to Mecca—frame daily and communal practice. Sunnis emphasize following the Prophet’s example, the Quran, and the legitimate traditions of the early Muslim community.

Historically, Sunni Islam emerged in the early Islamic centuries amid disputes over leadership after Muhammad’s death. Over time, the madhabs and other traditions became established across many regions. While Sunnis and Shia Islam are the two largest branches of Islam, they represent distinct traditions with overlapping histories and diverse communities worldwide.