Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/807

* SUNNITES. 705 SUOVETAURILIA. ethnic character, the Shiites l)eing found in the lands which wore opposed to the Onmiiads (q.v.), as Arabia, where independence was characteristic, and in Persia, which only by force of arms had submitted to Islam, liut the decision between the two parties was liy no means immediately reached. The fall of the Onnniads was brought about by Persian Shiite intluences (750), al- though the new Abbasside dynasty which was in- stalled soon threw in its lot with the Sunnites. In general the geographic centre of the Arab power, Mesopotamia and Syria, remained in the control of 'this party. But the Shiites main- tained the contest. The latter as liberalists and thcosopliists possessed a strong following, es- pecially among the cultured, and they often en- joyed immunity under free-thinking caliphs. The Empire was honeycombed with Shiite secret societies like the Assassins (q.v.). and Shiite dynasties arose in Eg^-pt and at Bagdad. ( See Shiites.) But by 1100 Sunnism was master in Southwestern Asia. This party was able to main- tain itself during the Mongol invasions, and with the favor of the Ottoman Turks it remains as the predominant body in Islam. At the pres- ent time orthodoxy outnumbers all its opponents by ten to one, and commands not only the whole Turki.sh Empire, but the millions of INIoslems in Africa, India, China, Malaysia and the Philip- pines, non-Turkish Arabia, and Northern Africa (Morocco being practically Sunnite). Within this conservative and orthodox body, apart from outer foes, there early developed all kinds of theological strife. Rationalistic and liberal parties developed, which opposed, one after another, the original principles of Islam, such as its views of God, and of heaven and hell, its doctrines of predestination and of the literal authority of the Koran. On the other hand, the crass views of the fanatical mob opposed any- thing like philosophy, even though orthodox. Traditionalism was not fitted to meet the dia- lectic methods of its opponents, who had learned from the ancient schools of culture, and was ignorant of the use of philosophy in self-defense. But the champion of orthodoxy arose in Al- Ashari (born 882). A member originally of the Mutazilite sect, which had gone to the extreme of rationalizing upon the faith and the Koran (see MoHAMJiEDAN Sects), he was led to the consciousness of this inconsistency, and openly abjured that heresy, henceforth devoting himself to the formulation of a scholastic philosophy in support of orthodoxy. This school encountered for long the opposition of the liberals and the ignorant, but about 10.50 Ashari's triumph be- came evident. His philosophy was continued and popularized by Al-Gazali (q.v.), who estab- lislied the pietistie principle of Sufiism, which may be compared to the Christian emotional principle of faith. Since Ashari and Gazali no commanding theologian has arisen and no further philosophic advance has been made in Islam. With reference to the head of Islam, Sunnism still as ever lacks a definite principle. Since lfi.58 the Ottoman Sultan has claimed the cali- phate, although he possesses but fictions of the traditional requirements, and he holds his power by force and through the agreement of the Faith- ful. Hence Sunnism is not bound to the dynasty at Constantinople, and many of its thoughtful minds would regard the fall of the Ottoman power in the light of redemption for the Church. Contrary, therefore, to tlu' original theocratic constitution of ^Mohammed there has arisen a division between the spiritual and the political forces. Political power is wielded by the Sultan, but the spiritual rule is in the hands of the Ulenia (q.v.) of Constantinojile, a close corpora- tion of lawyer-the(dogians. Its chief, the Slieik- ul-lslam. is appointed by the Sultan, but only out of that body, and he possesses large indepen- dent powers which the Sultan dare not invade. He is the chief spiritual person in orthodox Islam. Within the Sunnite body exist four dill'ercnt schools of law, those respectively of the Ilan- balites, the Hanifites, the Sliafiitcs, ami the Mali- kites (so named after their respective founders). The first code is confined to the Wahabites (see Wahauls) ; the second to Upper Egypt and North Africa; the third prevails in Lower Egypt, Southern India, and Malaysia; the fourth is followed by the Turks and by the Moslems of Central and Northern Asia. These schools arose in the second and third centuries of the Hejira and represent so many difl'crent compositions be- tween tradition and progressive law. They are at peace with one another now, and divide ortho- dox Islam among themselves, each people be- ing allowed to live by its law, and each lawyer electing his choice. But in the Ottoman Empire there exists the contrast between this canon law and the secular law. The latter proceeds from the authority of the Sultan or is the ancient secular law of the land ; the other, the law of the Church, is confined mostly to domestic matters, and it is one of the grievances of the orthodox that the legal authority of the Church is thus put into abeyance by the secular arm. Here again the analogy may be drawn with the dis- pute which has prevailed in European Christen- dom between the canon and the civil law. There- fore, both in its past history and in its present condition, Sunnism is by no means to be re- garded as a homogeneous body or practice. For literature, see Mohammedanism; Mohammedan Sects. SUNNYSIDE. A gabled stone house on the Hudson River near Ir'ington, three miles south of Tarrytown, noted as the home of 'ashington Irving, and described in Irving's sketch entitled Wolfcrt's lioost, the former name of the man- sion. The house, in which the author's study has been preserved in its original condition, is overgrown with ivy from Abbotsford. SUNSTONE, or >Heliolite. A variety of avcnturinc, oligoclase. or feldspar, which when polished yields internal yellowish or reddish re- flections emanating from crystals or flakes of iron oxide that are contained in the mass. The finest specimens, which show a brilliant play of colors, are found in Norway, although "gem varieties occur in the United States at Crown Point. N. Y.. and Media, Pa. SUNSTROKE. See Heat-Stroke. SUN-WORSHIP. See NATrRE-WoRSHip. SUO'VETAURILIA (Lat., sacrifice of a briar, a shee]i. and a bull, from .inn. boar + o-ms, sheep + tntiriis. bull). A Roman sacrifice, which was offered to Mars, in the lustrum, or purifica- tion of the people, on the Campus ^lartius at the Census, the Ambarvalia in May, the .mburbium in February, and other similar lustrations. It