The majority of the world’s Muslim population follows the Sunni branch of Islam, and approximately 10-15% of all Muslims follow the Shiite (Shi‘ite, Shi‘a, Shia) branch. Shiite populations constitute a majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. There are also significant Shiite populations in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. Sunnis and Shiites share ...

Few physicians in the United States receive formal education related to principles of infant care in Islamic families. Breastfeeding has a religious basis in Islam and it is recommended that the mother suckle her offspring for 2 years if possible. Weaning from the breast before that period is allowed if mutually decided on by both parents. The infant's father has an obligation to support his wi...

Zhahirul Islam, Alex van Belkum, Alison J. Cody, Helen Tabor, Bart C. Jacobs, Kaisar A. Talukder, and Hubert P. Endtz Author affiliations: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Z. Islam, K.A. Talukder, H.P. Endtz); Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Z. Islam, A. van Belkum, H.P. Endtz, B.C. Jacobs); University of Oxfo...

The discussion of identity within Islamic archaeology is rare, and it is often treated as a given, as if Islam was a monolithic category, when in reality it is composed of a variety of identity variables, such as those revolving around sectarian affiliation, ethnicity or gender for example. Ideally, Islam should be structured by ‘emphatic ideological denial of the primacy of ethnic identity (an...

The expansion of Islam east of the Middle East has been, apart from a few notable exceptions, a relatively understudied subject. This is especially remarkable when one recalls that, by far, the world's greatest number of Muslims reside east of Karachi. The reasons for this neglect of scholarship, however, are not far to find. First is the identification of the Arab Middle East with the historic...

Using the POLITY IV and Freedom House indices, Rowley and Smith (2009) found that countries with Muslim majorities enjoy less freedom and are less democratic than countries in which Muslims are a minority. Because the POLITY IV and Freedom House indices have been criticized on several grounds, I reinvestigate Rowley and Smith ́s finding using the new Democracy-Dictatorship data from Cheibub et a...

Islam has a general principle of increase in population. But the Muslims are equally obliged to take care of health, education and the provisions etc. for their offspring and wives in the best possible way. The Muslims would have to regulate and manage the number of children, if any situation affects their duties regarding their wives or children. Islam accomplishes permissibility of temporary ...