Differences in sunni and shia: What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam? | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam

Posted on 5 апреля, 2023 by alexxlab

What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam? | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam

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Sunni and Shia Muslims share many aspects of Islamic teachings in common and also have their differences. This article serves as a brief overview of the similarities and differences between the two groups.

Are most Muslims Sunni or Shia?

Sunnis make up the larger population of Muslims. Approximately 87-90% of Muslims are Sunni while the remaining 10-13% are Shia.

Where are they concentrated?

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims live throughout the world. However, Sunnis are heavily populated in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia. Shia Muslims make up a majority or significant population of countries like Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

What do they believe?

These differences stem from the extreme claims on both sides. Once this political difference took place, both Sunnis and Shias developed slight differences on larger theological issues. However, Sunni and Shia Muslims believe in the same Qur’an. They agree on the major elements of faith such as the belief in God, angels, Prophets, books, and the hereafter. Both groups share the main practices of Islam such as praying five times a day, fasting the month of Ramadan, performing hajj, and paying charity.

How do they differ in practice?

Islam is based on the Qur’an and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him were preserved and reported by his Companions. Differences between the two groups stem from which sayings of the Prophet Muhammad they accept. Shia Muslims tend to feel distrust toward certain Companions of the Prophet, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, and Aisha, based on their stances during the early days of discord concerning leadership. These Companions narrated traditions about the Prophet’s life, teachings, and spiritual actions. Shia Muslims do not accept the narrations of some Companions and therefore differ in some elements of religious practice.

How did the Sunni Shia Split Originate?

The difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims began as a political question in Islam’s early history. After the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him died his Companions needed to decide who became the leader of the Muslim community. Sunnis believe that the Prophet peace be upon him did not explicitly designate anyone to become the ruler after it. Shia Muslims, on the other hand, maintain that the Prophet peace be upon him did explicitly designate his cousin and son in law Ali to be the ruler after his passing.

Sunni Muslims believe that Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s closest Companion, was most fit to lead the Muslim community. Shia Muslims believe that the leader should have been Ali. Ali himself was not dissatisfied with the decision for Abu Bakr to be the ruler, but some remained dissatisfied. Abu Bakr was the first caliph, Ali eventually became the fourth. The theological differences between the two groups came from this political difference. If Ali was explicitly designated by the Prophet peace be upon him, that would imply that Abu Bakr unjustly usurped the right of the caliph.

Difference over Leadership

Sunni Muslims find this unacceptable because Abu Bakr, in Sunni tradition, is one of the best Muslims. If he usurped the caliph from Ali, this would imply that Abu Bakr was disobeying the commands of the Prophet. Furthermore, it would imply that the Companions who accepted Abu Bakr’s leadership were also disobeying the Prophet. Sunnis hold this view to be problematic because they hold all of the Companions in high regard based on the Qur’an’s praise of them. It is important to note that Ali is also important in Sunni thought.

Ali, like the second and third caliphs, was assassinated. His sons Hassan and Hussein, the grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, claimed the title of caliphs. However, Hussein and many in his family were massacred. Although both Sunni and Shia Muslims mourn the murder of Hussein, Shias mark a specific day in the Islamic month of Muharram to mourn his murder on an annual basis. Most Shia Muslims believe that after Ali there are 12 imams, the last of which disappeared in Iraq in the 9th century. They believe that he will return as a Messiah. Shia Muslims believe that imams always have a direct line from Ali whereas Sunnis do not have any hierarchy among clergy.

Conclusion

Some have compared the Sunni-Shia split to that of Catholics and Protestants in the sense that they share the same religion but differ on some important elements. It is important to note that despite their differences both groups have more in common than they do in difference. They ultimately share the same faith and are considered brethren in Islam.

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Differences Between Shia and Sunni Muslims

The conflicts between Shia and Sunni Muslims go back to the seventh century and the death of the Prophet Muhammad.

Yet a spotlight has been shone recently on the differences between the two branches of the religion as the number of clashes between both groups has intensified.

The vast majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world are Sunni, according to a 2009 study by the Pew Research center.

Between 10% and 13% are Shia Muslims, and 87% to 90% are Sunni Muslims. Sunni Muslims are also present in more countries and regions throughout the world, whereas most of Shia Muslims live in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India, and Iraq.

The distribution as of 2005.

Columbia.edu

The separation of the two groups started after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The majority believed that his rightful successor was his father-in-law and close friend, Abu Bakr, but a small group believed the Prophet Muhammad’s successor should be Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law and father of his grandchildren.

The Sunni majority got their way, as Abu Bakr became the first Muslim caliph and successor of the prophet. Although the divide was at first mostly political, as the minority group was a faction supporting the power of Ali, over time, the divide evolved into a religious movement.

One of the most crucial differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims is the importance that the Shiites give to Ali, whom the Sunni do not recognize as being the prophet’s rightful successor.

The Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the world with the largest proportion of Sunni Muslims.

Reuters

One of the most important dates for Shia Muslims is the tenth day of the holy month of Muharram (the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar). Shia Muslims celebrate the anniversary of the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Ali.

The occasion of “collective atonement through lamentation and self-flagellation” is called Ashoura. This practice is particular to the Shiites and often draws criticism and protests from Sunnis who do not celebrate that day nor view it as important.

Both groups, however, agree that Muhammad is God’s messenger and follow the five ritualistic pillars of Islam, which include fasting during Ramadan, five daily prayers, and the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca which devolved into a stampede this year, killing more than 700 people.

They also both share the holy book of the Quran. The primary difference in practice comes in that Sunni Muslims mainly rely on the Sunnah, a record of the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad to guide their actions while the Shiites more heavily on their ayatollahs, whom they see as a sign of God on earth.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses Iranian top officials in a mosque at his residence in Tehran, Iran.

Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

Although many Shia and Sunni Muslims cohabit peacefully, a Pew Research Center survey from 2012 shows that 40% of Sunni Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa do not accept Shias as fellow Muslims.

The conflicts in Iraq and Syria are also show a divide between the two, as many Sunni men have joined rebel groups, while men from the Shia community are most often fighting for or with government forces, the BBC reports.

How are Sunnis different from Shiites? | Eternal questions | Question-Answer

03/26/2015 17:38

Anastasia Anushevskaya,

Anastasia Supichenko

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

960705

Category:
Islam

Islam is divided into two major currents — Sunnism and Shiism. At the moment, Sunnis make up about 85-87% of Muslims, and the number of Shiites does not exceed 10%. AiF.ru tells how Islam split into these two directions and how they differ. nine0005

When and why did the followers of Islam split into Sunnis and Shiites?

Muslims split into Sunnis and Shiites for political reasons. In the second half of the 7th century, after the end of the reign of Caliph Ali * in the Arab Caliphate **, disputes arose about who would take his place. The fact is that Ali was the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad ***, and part of the Muslims believed that power should pass to his descendants. This part began to be called «Shiites», which in Arabic means «the power of Ali.» While other followers of Islam questioned the exclusive privilege of this kind and suggested that the majority of the Muslim community choose another candidate from the descendants of Muhammad, explaining their position with excerpts from the Sunnah — the second source of Islamic law after the Koran ****, which is why they began to be called «Sunnis «.

nine0005

What are the differences in the interpretation of Islam between Sunnis and Shiites?

Can Sunnis and Shiites perform namaz and hajj together?

Followers of different sects of Islam can pray (five daily prayers) together: in some mosques this is actively practiced. In addition, Sunnis and Shiites can carry out a joint hajj — a pilgrimage to Mecca (the holy city of Muslims in western Saudi Arabia).

Which countries have large Shia communities? nine0020

Most followers of Shiism live in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

*Ali ibn Abu Talib — an outstanding political and public figure; cousin, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad; the first imam in the teachings of the Shiites.

**The Arab caliphate is an Islamic state that arose as a result of Muslim conquests in the 7th-9th centuries. It was located on the territory of modern Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, southern Transcaucasia, Central Asia, northern Africa and southern Europe. nine0005

***Prophet Muhammad (Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammed) is a preacher of monotheism and the prophet of Islam, the central figure in religion after Allah.

****The Quran is the holy book of Muslims.

Islam Sunni Shiite Muslim

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nine0052

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90,000 Sunnis and Shiites — what is the difference (briefly about the differences of Muslims)

4.7

Average rating: 4.7

Total estimates: 170.

4.7

Average rating: 4.7

A total of assessments: 170.

Like Christians, Muslims have their own directions-religions within the same religion. The main ones are Sunnism and Shiism. Differences between them arose in the era of the Arab Caliphate, in the 7th-8th centuries AD. nine0005

Sunni

They represent the most numerous direction of Islam, that is, literally from Arabic «people of the sunnah and the consent of the community.» Also, “Sunnah” is translated as “the way”. The primary sources of religion for them are the Koran and the Sunnah.

Rice. 1. Sunnis.

To solve problems in life and faith they use:

The emergence of Sunnism was preceded by a split in the Muslim community in 656-661 and a civil war. One of the first Sunni theologians was Hassan al-Basri. The Sunnis set the goal of the Islamic community (Ummah) to maintain unity and not allow sects to split it. The Sunnis have their own legal schools — madhhab:

Hanafi.
Maliki.
Shafi’i.
Hanbali.

What is the difference between Sunni and Shia:

The Sunni recognizes the authenticity of six sets of hadiths of the 9th century AD. and the four law schools listed above.
He recognizes three schools of aqida (belief) — Asari, Asharite and Maturidi.
He recognizes the legitimacy of the rule of the four Righteous Caliphs of the 7th century AD. These include Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, Ali. nine0053

At the moment, the number of Sunnis is 1.5 billion people and is rapidly increasing due to the rapid population growth in Muslim countries. 90% of Muslims are Sunnis. Historically, Sunnism has spread from Morocco to Indonesia and from Tanzania to Kazan in Russia.

Rice. 2. Shiite Iran.

Shiites

The main points in which Shiites differ from Sunnis:

The belief that imams from among the descendants of the prophet, and not elected caliphs, should lead the Muslim community. nine0053
They recognize only one Righteous Caliph — Ali ibn Abu Talib. He lived from 599 to 661, and was the Shia Imam from 632 to 661.
Recognize 12 imams from the Ali family.
There is also a difference in the study of the Sunnah. Shiites study only the part of the Sunnah that deals with the Prophet Muhammad.
Five pillars of faith.
Shiites believe in the coming of the messiah — the «hidden imam».

There are several directions in Shiism — Ismailis, Twelvers, Vakifs, Shukkarites, Zaidis, Alawites. They perform the Hajj to Mecca in the same way as the Sunnis. nine0005

There are about 150 million Shiites on the planet. The largest community lives in Iran. This direction is also popular in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan (among the Hazaras), Pakistan (1/5 of the inhabitants), India, Jordan, Yemen and in Saudi Arabia itself, where Islam appeared. In Russia, one of the centers of Shiism is the village of Miskindzha in Dagestan.

Rice. 3. Ali ibn Abu Talib.

What have we learned?

Briefly about the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, one should know in order to better understand Islam as a religion and the situation in modern world politics, one of the active participants of which is, for example, Shiite Iran.