What is the difference between Sunni and Shi’a Islam?

[Andywelikandy]

What is the difference between Sunni and Shi’a Islam?
by: Sa'dullah Khan

The fundamentals of the Islamic faith are agreed upon by all Muslims. These fundamentals include the belief in the oneness of God, the role of the Prophet Muhammad as his final messenger, prayer, the requirement to perform Hajj once in one’s lifetime, and the requirement to give to charity.

Sunnis and Shi’is do not disagree on these issues. The rift between the two, rather, developed along historical and political lines, on the question of who was to be the legitimate leader of the Muslim community after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad.

The passing on of Prophet Muhammad in 632 C.E. thrust the nascent Muslim community into a protracted debate over who would be their next leader. Some companions felt that the Prophet had designated his nephew and beloved son-in-law ’Ali as his political and religious successor, and thus the Imam (leader) of the Muslim community. The majority, however, opted for the procedure of choosing from among a group of elders, and thus an old friend of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, was elected as the first Caliph. The group that historically held to the view that ’Ali and the descendants of Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima (who was also ’Ali’s wife) are the legitimate successors of the Prophet’s mantle of leadership are referred to as Shi’ati ’Ali (the supporters of ’Ali).

This issue has led to the development of the largest institutional division within the Muslim community, without any drastic variation in fundamental beliefs or practices.

Political machinations often deepened the wounds of division, and the historical Sunni-Shi’a differences are still passionately employed by people with vested interests for political or “religious” hegemony.

Groups with extremist beliefs have emerged from both sides. Among those who claim to be Sunni Muslims are the Qadianies, who believe that a person by the name of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed appeared in the Indo-Pak subcontinent over a hundred years ago, and that he was a prophet of Allah who received divine revelation. Among the Shi’a there are the Abadiyyahs, who believe that ’Ali was partly divine; the ’Alawies, who consider ’Ali virtually a prophet; and the Druze, who consider an 11th-century descendant of ’Ali, al-Hakim, to have been the embodiment of God. All groups that hold such views are diametrically opposed to the agreed-upon fundamentals of Islam and are not considered within the fold of Islam by the mainstream Shi’as and Sunnis who constitute more than 90% of those who claim to be Muslim.

Complete aritcle here.

With the goings-on of today (in these times) I see Muslims murdering Muslims with no end on the horizon. It means that sooner or later Shiites and Sunnis will annihilate the off-shoots of Islam. And then they both will turn on each other until there is only one--either Shiite or Sunni left. And according to the Hadith, Isa Al Massih will come from heaven and join with the Mahdi and only PURE Islam will be left which Islam they will teach for ever and ever.

 

[Andywelikandy]

Who says he is not here? He may already be here, but not yet known to most.

If he is here, why is he hiding from the world? Any good reasons?

 

[Woodrow LI]

With the goings-on of today (in these times) I see Muslims murdering Muslims with no end on the horizon. It means that sooner or later Shiites and Sunnis will annihilate the off-shoots of Islam. And then they both will turn on each other until there is only one--either Shiite or Sunni left. And according to the Hadith, Isa Al Massih will come from heaven and join with the Mahdi and only PURE Islam will be left which Islam they will teach for ever and ever.

At most the Shi'ite make up 15% of all Muslims and over half of all the world's Shi'ite being in Iraq and Iran. The majority being Iranian. I am quite certain nearly all of the violence between Sunni and Shi'ite occurs in Iraq and Pakistan and is a political not religious issue.

 

[icehorse]

Since Muslims are murdering one another by the thousands right now I don't think it matters what they believe. Hate is what fuels them. It is because thier differences are so great and UNMANAGEABLE by themselves that they hate one another. They call each other brother or sister but they don't know what brotherly love is. Loving each otherr is not one of the teachings of thier holy book. I believe that if they are allowed to massacre one another eventually there will be only one sect left. That sect will be the one which managed to kill of all other sects. I think we in the West must let them settle their own petty feuds without trying to stop them murdering one another. Looks like thier god is powerless to stop Muslims murdering Muslims. Of course murdering NON-Muslims is kosher in the book. Since their god is NOT ABLE to handle this infighting while calling himself a god of power over human beings, then why should the Western powers try to bring peace among them. I am happy that Syria is no more a power to annihilate Israel. Saddam Hussain and Gadafi who vowed to annihilate the Jews are both gone for ever never to return except on the Day of Judgment to face the Judge of all judges.

The God of the Bible predicted this scenario between 2000 and 3000 yrs ago thru' His prophets. And here it is in Genesis 16:12: And he (i.e., Ishmael, son of Hagar) will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (The brethren include the sons of Isaac--the Jews. Isaac and Ishmael being "seed" of the same father Abraham). Maybe the whole of Genesis chap. 16 should be read to get a good idea

I agree that the West should stop *leading* interventions. That said, when I look at your post and your affiliation I'm tempted to say "How very Christian of you"