Syria Islam forms the main religion of the land, comprising four minority Shia cults and a major Sunni sect. Being the majority, Sunnis compose about 65 percent to 70 percent of the total Syrian population. Only a small handful of the Syrian people, about 20 percent is the total Shia strength of the land, with four different sects as:
- Twelver Shiites
- Druze
- Twelver Shiites
- Alawi
The Sunni Muslim groups set the true religious tone in Syria. They are followers of nearly all occupations, and are parts of the main social and political groups on national level. Theoretically, they directly approach their God as
Syria Islam offers them no provision for sacred commands, saints or religious mediators and planned priestly hierarchy.
The Shias in Syria on the other hand, are more unusual or heretical types of orthodox
Syria Islam, identified as outcomes of Schism. Their distinct institution is known as the ‘Imanmate’, which firmly believes that the successor of Prophet Mohammed is far more superior to a political leader. It is only on him, that the power of interpreting the internal mysteries of the Quran and the Sharia rests. The Syrian Shia Muslims are staunch followers of five religious principles, namely division of unity or ‘Tawhid’, prophecy or ‘Nubuwwah’, resurrection or ‘Maad’, divine justice or ‘Adl” and belief in the Imams as Prophet’s successors (Imamah).
Here are a couple of pilgrimage destinations, considered holy by the believers of
Syria Islam:
- Ummayyad Mosque (Jaami al-Amawi)
- Tomb of Lady Zaynab
- Bab Saghir ( or Goristan-e-Ghariban)
- Tomb of Lady Ruqayya
- Salera (Hill)
- Cave of Ashab al-Kahf
- Koh-e-Raqim
- Mausoleum of Sakina
- Prison of Ahlul Bayt
- Pulpit (minbar) of Imam Zaynul Abideen
- Niche (mihrab)
- Masjid Sulayman
- Small Masjid
- Tomb of Lady Umm Kulthum
- Tomb of Umm Salma and Umm Habiba, the Prophet's wives
- Tomb of Lady Fidha
- Forty (arbain) Mosallas
Though there are a handful of other religious communities on Syrian mainland, the impact which
Syria Islam exerts on overall population, is immense and all encompassing.
