Non-denominational Muslim

a Muslim who does not belong to, does not self-identify with, or cannot be readily classified under one of the identifiable Islamic schools and branches

Non-denominational Muslims (Arabic: مسلمون بلا طائفة, romanized: Muslimūn bi-la ṭā’ifa) are Muslims who do not belong to, do not self-identify with, or cannot be readily classified under one of the identifiable Islamic schools and branches.[1] Such Muslims do not think of themselves as belonging to a denomination but rather as "just Muslims" or "non-denominational Muslims."[2] Muslims who do not adhere to a sect are also known as non-sectarian Muslims.[3]

Unlike Sunnis, Shias, and Ibadis, non-denominational Muslims are not affiliated with any madhhab (school of thought).[4][5][6] In Lithuania, non-denominational Muslims fall into the category of "non-traditional religious communities", and are formally separated by law from Sunnis.[7]

While the majority of the population in the Middle East identify as either Sunni or Shi'a, a significant number of Muslims identify as non-denominational.[8] According to a 2012 study by the Pew Research Center, Muslims who do not identify with a sect and identify as "just Muslim" make up a majority of the Muslims in eight countries: Kazakhstan (74%), Albania (65%), Kyrgyzstan (64%), Kosovo (58%), Indonesia (56%), Mali (55%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (54%), Uzbekistan (54%), and a plurality in four countries: Azerbaijan (45%), Russia (45%), Nigeria (42%), and Cameroon (40%).[9] They are found primarily in Central Asia.[9] Kazakhstan has the largest proportion of Muslims who do not identify with a sect, who constitute about 74% of the Muslim population.[9] According to WorldAtlas, 30% of Moroccans are non-denominational Muslims, while two-thirds belong to the Sunni denomination.[10] Southeastern Europe also has a large number of Muslims who do not identify with a sect.[9]

Notable individuals

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Notable figures who have espoused an anti-sectarian stance include:

References

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  1. Benakis, Theodoros (13 January 2014). "Islamophoobia in Europe!". New Europe. Brussels. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  2. Thompson, Katrina Daly (11 April 2023). Muslims on the Margins: Creating Queer Religious Community in North America. NYU Press. ISBN 9781479814367.
  3. Clarke, Peter (June 2002). The World's Religions: Islam. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-93195-8.
  4. Tan, Charlene (2014). Reforms in Islamic Education: International Perspectives. ISBN 9781441146175. This is due to the historical, sociological, cultural, rational and non-denominational (non-madhhabi) approaches to Islam employed at IAINs, STAINs, and UINs, as opposed to the theological, normative and denominational approaches that were common in Islamic educational institutions in the past
  5. Rane, Halim, Jacqui Ewart, and John Martinkus. "Islam and the Muslim World." Media Framing of the Muslim World. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014. 15-28
  6. Obydenkova, Anastassia V. "Religious pluralism in Russia." Politics of religion and nationalism: Federalism, consociationalism and secession, Routledge (2014): 36-49
  7. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BHxTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA111&dq=In+Lithuania,+non-denominational+Muslims+fall+into+the+category+of+“non-traditional+religious+communities”&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGjayyxZiIAxXlzgIHHYZRICwQ6AF6BAgMEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  8. Seyfi, Siamak; Michael Hall, C. (28 September 2020). Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa: Complexities, Management and Practices. Routledge. ISBN 9781000177169.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  10. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-morocco.html
  11. https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Mamun#:~:text=al%2DMaʾmūn%20(born%20786%2C,subjects%20a%20rationalist%20Muslim%20creed.
  12. https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1035023
  13. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=deNfpU7HUJMC&pg=PA24&dq=The+non-sectarian+tone+of+the+poems+of+Hafiz+struck+Debendra-+nath&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7rNPRkdSHAxVizAIHHXVWKfUQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Jones, Justin (24 October 2011). Shi'a Islam in Colonial India: Religion, Community and Sectarianism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9781139501231.
  15. Cughtai, Muhammad Ikram (2005). Jamāl Al-Dīn Al-Afghāni: An Apostle of Islamic Resurgence. p. 454. Condemning the historically prevailing trend of blindly imitating religious leaders, al-Afghani refused to identity himself with a specific sect or imam by insisting that he was just a Muslim and a scholar with his own interpretation of Islam.
  16. Hosen, Nadirsyah; Salem, Ahmed Ali; Rashid, Samory; Reda, Nevin. "American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:2".
  17. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mJrEMImPkMYC&pg=PA78&dq=Kassim+Ahmad:+Hadiths+are+“sectarian,+anti-science,+anti-reason+and+anti-women”&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNmaW4oP2IAxW8ZkEAHcMbB2oQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  18. Ahmad, Kassim. "Hadith: A Re-evaluation", 1986. English translation 1997
  19. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-dM4hPlxMw8C&pg=PA98&dq=Abduh+held+that+the+extreme+fervour+of+sects+was+responsible+for+the+divide+of+Muslims&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiuycPk5dmHAxVgVkEAHWLHM5IQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  20. Ahmed, Khaled. "Was Jinnah a Shia or a Sunni?". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  21. Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 116. Iqbal's vision was Ummatic and hence he should be referred to as "the poet philosopher of Muslim unity."
  22. Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 120. Iqbal was no longer writing for Indian Muslims alone but for his coreligionists scattered all over the world. He had switched from Urdu to Persian to make his message available to the largest number of the adherents of Islam.
  23. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3gRqEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT244&dq=especially+around+the+Arab+movement+and+the+Arab+government+under+Faisal.&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjy9Lvg78eHAxUaV0EAHcbtKJEQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  24. https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2014/02/11/man-of-the-moment
  25. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_t_AAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA480&dq=Faisal+was+angry+with+him,+for+as+the+King+was+trying+to+save+Iraq+from+the+poison+of+sectarianism&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4iaS278eHAxWdVkEAHWawAwoQ6AF6BAgOEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  26. "The aim and objective of the Tolu-e-Islam". Tolu-e-Islam. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  27. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rqpQEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7&dq=Words+of+a+Leader+Sheikh+Zayed+Bin+Sultan+Al+Nahyan+Father+-+against+sectarianism,+factionalism%C2%A0&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvzNSkxtCHAxWLV0EAHZCZHyIQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  28. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Rnb3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA171&dq=King+Abdullah+acts+to+stem+rising+tide+of+regional+sectarianism&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFjvm14c-HAxVEU0EAHWjTBvYQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  29. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vZxvEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=The+ruler+of+Jordan+is+King+Abdullah+II+and+the+monarch+of+Morocco+is+Muhammad+VI.&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiiiK27y9CHAxX3Q0EAHfpHAaIQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  30. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vZxvEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=The+ruler+of+Jordan+is+King+Abdullah+II+and+the+monarch+of+Morocco+is+Muhammad+VI.&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiiiK27y9CHAxX3Q0EAHfpHAaIQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false