ABSTRACT
There is no centralized religious authority or institution in Islam, particularly in Sunni Islam, to determine which interpretation of scripture is valid. In Sunni Islam, each religious scholar is a potential interpreter of the Qur’an and of religion. Thus there are innumerable schools, sects and trends within Islam – legal, religio-political, theological or mystical – some of which are labelled un-Islamic and even ‘heretical’ by those who oppose their beliefs and practices. Despite this labelling, each considers itself to be the true representation of Islam. In its sphere of influence, each is considered ‘orthodox’, while those opposed to it and differing significantly are considered ‘heterodox’ or are found to be wanting.
