Fariqayn

Farīqayn (Arabic: فَریقَیْن) or Farīqān (Arabic: فریقان) linguistically denotes two parties or distinct groups. In Muslim scholarly literature, the term is predominantly employed to refer to the two major denominations of Islam: the Shi'a and the Ahl al-Sunna. Consequently, expressions such as the sources or books of the Fariqayn, narrations of the Fariqayn, scholars of the Fariqayn, jurists of the Fariqayn, and beliefs of the Fariqayn have become prevalent. Drawing upon a hadith attributed to Imam Hasan al-Askari (a), some scholars maintain that the term "Janibayn" is synonymous, similarly alluding to the Shi'a and the Ahl al-Sunna. Occasionally, the term Fariqayn is also used to designate the collective entities of Jinn and humans.