Difference Between Kurds and Sunni

As the wheel of religions and practices started making its way through human evolution, Islam managed to evolve and give birth to several branches on the way to human civilization.

The two groups; Kurds and Sunnis originated from similar territories with quite many similarities. The division of the Asian subcontinent resulted in the formation of Kurdistan, where the ethnic group, ‘Kurd’ is found. Sunnis, the majorly practiced Islam group shares many common aspects with the Kurds but, they surely aren’t the same.

Kurds vs Sunni

The main difference between Kurds and Sunni is that Sunnis are the people whose practices and culture are embraced by Islam and they strictly follow the Quran and the Hadith collections, whereas, Kurds are an ethnic group that resides in the Western side of the Asian subcontinent who particularly aren’t Islams. The group is seen sometimes to practice the teachings of the Quran and sometimes they don’t.

Many Kurds are directly or indirectly influenced by the Islam culture due to geographical conditions, and researches show that Kurds and Sunnis shared the same ancestor as well as practices. However, some Kurds don’t particularly adhere to the Muslim way of life and are more tilted towards Zoroastrianism. “Kurd” doesn’t particularly represent any religion but a group, an ethnic group that started to reside in Kurdistan along with the neighboring Sunnis. Not only Sunnis, but many Kurds also follow Alevism, Shia Islam as well as Yarsanism, and Yazidism.

The Sunnis on the other hand are a populous group that strictly follows the teachings emitted by Quran. The word “Sunni” is derived from the Arabic term “Sunnah” meaning the teachings and actions of Prophet Muhammad. These teachings and sayings were recorded in a chronicle called the ‘hadith collections’ which is another core book in understanding the Sunni way of life and their religious practices. They reside in almost every part of the world and account for around 24.1 to 25 percent of the world population.

Comparison Table Between Kurds and Sunni

What is Kurds?

Kurds are a group of native Western Asians residing in the mountainous regions of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. It’s a small ethnic group that emerged in the late sixteenth century as a minority group with diverse religious practices.  Iraq owns the geographical extent of a country formed of Kurds namely, Kurdistan.

Kurdistan is a geo-culturally diverse territory formed by the Kurds in the 20th century but the concept was versed from the late 11th century. Here, the Kurds reside in the majority and freely practice the Kurdish culture and Kurdish languages without any bars. The majority of the Kurdish population adhere to the Sunni Islam concept of life and practice it as their religion. However, there are minority populations of Kurds who devote themselves to other religions like Zoroastrianism and Yarsanism.

The variegated population of Kurds is not only the fourth largest ethnic group present in the Middle East but also is spread throughout many European countries. There are many Kurds who reside in Central and southeastern Iraq, they are called ‘Fayi Kurds’.

What is Sunni?

The Sunni population in Islam religion is sky-high. It’s the most populous group that preaches the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and abides by the guidelines of Quran Sharif. Originated from the early Seventeenth century after the death of Prophet Muhammad, the growth of Sunnis never stopped throughout the history of mankind.

Mainly emerged from the Middle Eastern countries; like Saudi Arabia and Jordan, the Sunnis eventually spread across the European countries and Asia as well. Their laws and jurisdictions strictly adhere to the ‘ijima’ and ‘giyas’. The Sunni population practices the Hadith chronicles and all the laws are brought up as per four different schools of opinions known as Madh’hab.

As surprising as it may sound, many Kurds belong to the Sunni Islam group. Although seeking the timeline, Kurds existed for a long time and the Sunni group’s traditions and cultures affected the lifestyle and religious tilt of the Kurdish population back in the seventeenth century. Today, approximately a total of 24 percent of the world population consists of Sunni Muslims spread vastly throughout the world.

Main Differences Between Kurds and Sunni

Conclusion

Sunnis and Kurds, two groups that reside near each other and the majority (Sunni) influenced many Kurds in adopting their religion as their way of life. These groups both possess an interesting perspective towards living and existing.

Sunnis have a strong belief in Sunni Islam which abides with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Quran Sharif whereas, the Kurds have a flexible approach towards their religious practices. Both the groups are vastly rich in cultural history especially the Kurds, who existed even earlier than the Sunnis.

The Sunnis have exponentially grown in the mid-eighteenth and early nineteenth century which resulted in their worldwide spread,  and the Kurds continued to dwell in the Turkish and Iran-Iraq provinces.

Reference

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