Sunni

Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad did not appoint any successor and left the choice of his successor to the Muslim community. They believe that his father-in-law and closest friend Abu Bakr rightfully succeeded him as the caliph, being appointed at Saqifa. This contrasts with Shia Islam, which holds that Muhammad appointed Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, as his successor at Ghadir Khumm. Nevertheless, Sunnis revere Ali, along with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as 'rightly-guided caliphs'. The term Sunni means those who observe the sunnah, the practices of Muhammad.