Members of the two sects have coexisted for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices. There are many small differences such as how many times a day to pray, how to pray, how they should interpret the quran, etc. Choose from 500 different sets of shi sunni shi a flashcards on quizlet. Muslims consider the quran, their holy book, to be the verbatim word of god as revealed to the islamic prophet and messenger muhammad. Difference between shia and sunni compare the difference. In contrast, shiites read the quran for its revelations about life. The shia s are a minority in the islam community, which. May 19, 2018 the shia muslim community in cape town says worshippers are living in fear, following the attack at a shiite mosque in durban two weeks ago. Do sunni muslims and shia muslims read from the same quran. Their beliefs over who should have succeeded the prophet muhammad is the key theological difference between the two. Sunni muslims believe in a strict reading of the quran, the islamic bible.
The sunni muslims believe that the holy quran is safe and complete in all respects. Sunni and shia muslims all embrace the five pillars of islam, five core acts that are considered essential to commitment to the faith. Countries like saudi arabia, egypt, yemen, pakistan, indonesia, turkey, algeria, morocco, and tunisia are predominantly sunni. The sunni and shia split found its origins as a disagreement about the leadership of the muslim community after the death of prophet muhammad peace be upon him. The shia sunni distinction is one that has been at the centre of muslim conflict since the death of prophet muhammad, and has also gained influence within the twentyfirst century, due to the impact of 911 and ongoing sectarian violence in the middle east and surrounding regions. Jihad and the shiasunni conflict in the muslim world. The sunni scholar naasir sunniyath abu tahir muhammad thabib siddiqui dhana purri, writes as follows. Almost 80% of pakistans muslim population is sunni, with 20% being shia, but this shia minority forms the second largest shia population of any country, larger than the shia majority in iraq.
The sunni and shiite sects of islam encompass a wide spectrum of doctrine, opinion and schools of thought. Calculating their population is difficult because unless they form a large minority group in their country, they are often counted as sunni. Significant populations of shia muslims can be found in iran and iraq. In the shade of the quran fi dhilal al quran all 18 volumes. For example the shi as argue that the fajr azaan in sunni islam is altered although ill be honest i havent looked in this, the athaan for the rest of the prayers seem unaltered, as they pledge the first two statements there is no god but allah, and the prophet. Clashes between islams two big sects, the sunni and the shia, take.
The five pillars of islam refer to religious duties to god, to personal. The words sunni and shia appear regularly in stories about the muslim world but few people know what they really mean. Also, this book is not about dishonest whitewashing or dealing in lame apologetics about islam. Difference between sunni and shia muslims sunni vs shia muslims. Whenever a mughal emperor died, war of succession followed in which elites played a key role. Sunni and shia muslims share the most fundamental islamic beliefs and articles of faith and are the two main subgroups in islam. It is known that osama bin laden was inspired by many of the concepts. It also goes into some detail about sunni shia relations. The shia view of the quran differs from the sunni view, but the majority of both groups believe that the text is identical. The holy book of all the people who claim to be muslims is one and the only the holy quran.
The difference between sunni and ismaili is that sunni muslims believe in following the ways and verbal sayings of the last prophet whereas ismaili muslims is a sect of shia which differs from sunni islam. After his death, his companions were forced to choose the next leader, the ruler, the successor of the muslim community, commonly known as the caliphate. The differences between shia and sunni muslims business. The heirs of the prophet by barnaby rogerson goes back to analyze the most basic division and its roots from the first generation of muslims. The hadith is the second most important islamic book after the quran. Sunni and shia islam are the two largest branches of islam with significant similarities, as well as major differences, between their beliefs. Iraqs shiite population celebrated the start of eid on tuesday, a day after sunni muslims marked the end of the holy month of ramadan.
Those revelations were written in the muslim holy book, the quran. Religious law muftis judges traditionally administered religious law based on one of the 4 schools of law. What are some good and reliable books on shiasunni divide. Meaning of name tradition or welltrodden path partisans of ali current adherents. Despite differences between sunni and shia muslims, both respect the quran as the holy book. Islam muslim and sunni vs shiite shia flashcards quizlet. These include the declaration of belief in allah as the one true god and of his one prophet muhammad, daily prayer, charitable deeds or alms giving, ritual fasting during the muslim holy month of ramadan and a pilgrimage to mecca. Shia followers, also spelled shiite, are commonly found in iran, iraq, lebanon, bahrain, and a few other places. Sunni islam can be found in countries like africa, china, southeast asia, south asia and some of the arab world. The division between islam s shiite minority and the sunni majority is deepening across the middle east. Apr 23, 2019 sunni and shia muslims share the most fundamental islamic beliefs and articles of faith and are the two main subgroups in islam. Breaking down conflicts between sunnis and shiites youtube.
Ten to % are shia muslims, and 87 to 90% are sunni muslims. This book is dedicated to the ahlul bayt and the 12th living imam muhammad mahdi as. Shia muslims choose to ignore the elected sunni leaders, and instead follow their own leaders, direct descendents of muhammad called imams 15% of muslims are shia iran and iraq are the only countries that have a majority of shia muslims. Shia muslims believe in a temporary marriage where a marriage is set for a prefixed period of time. On the day of ashura, muslims both sunni and shia mourn the martyrdom of husayn ibn ali, who was alis son and muhammads grandson. After aurangzebs death, when the shia elites tried to play political role, the sunni elite used the sectarian polarization created by aurangzeb to undermine the shia elite. Najadis kufr beliefs, and this book addresses how muslims should deal with them. A difference between sunni and shia has originated from political and spiritual grounds. Most shia sects place importance on the belief that the twelfth and final imam is hidden called in occultation and will reappear one day to fulfill divine will. 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 prophets rightful successor. Although sunni and shiite muslims are both sects of the islamic faith, the. The other differences are on the basis of religious practices and rituals people follow. Religion permeates every aspect of life in muslim countries and understanding sunni and shia beliefs is important in understanding the. Learn shi sunni shi a with free interactive flashcards.
While some shia disputed the canonical validity of the uthmanic codex, the shia imams always rejected the idea of alteration of qurans text. Sayyid qutb has been associated with the religious ideology behind the radical sunni muslim groups such as alqaeda and the islamic state of iraq and the levant isis. Though the two main sects within islam, sunni and shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of islam, a bitter split between. Sunnishia sectarianism at root of much of middle east. Understanding the sunnishia issue free malaysia today. Until recently shiasunni relations have been cordial, and a majority of people of both sects participated in the creation the state of pakistan in the. Shia and sunni islam are the two major denominations of islam. Unlike the shia, sunni muslims tend to be good hearted and dont hate the shia, but regard them as misguided. Jun 18, 2018 differences between sunni and shia muslims. Like all muslims, sunnis believe that the quran is the inviolable word of god.
Oct 04, 2015 the conflicts between shia and sunni muslims go back to the 7th century and the death of the prophet muhammad. It is a daring expose about the evil people and also the corrupt holy books. The library of congress country studies all shia muslims believe there are seven pillars of faith, which detail the acts necessary to demonstrate and reinforce faith. Sep 12, 2019 sunni muslims appoint a caliph as leader. The sunni muslims believe that the holy quran is safe and complete in. Non muslims often mistake sufism as a sect of islam. They chose sides following the death of the islamic prophet muhammad in ad 632. A dispute over succession to islamic prophet muhammad as a caliph of the islamic community spread across various parts of the world, which led to the battle of jamal and battle of siffin. Key differences between shia and sunni muslims learn religions. Sunni muslims agree with the position taken by many of the prophets companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. Unfortunately, some socalled muslim scholars on their payroll have also played a key role in keeping these differences alive. The writers of the shia four books were iranian, as were many other scholars. Sunni muslims believe that the al mahdi is yet to come whereas shia muslims believe that he is already on earth. Estimates hold that between 10% and 20% of the worlds muslims are shia.
Outline of differences between shiite and sunni schools. The book is often referred to as the backbone of islamic culture because of its immense influence on islamic societies, morality, and spiritual life. Sunni muslims make up an 85 percent majority of muslims all over the world. The majority of muslims also follow the teachings and practices of muhammad as recorded in traditional accounts. What are the differences between sunni and shiite muslims.
What is the difference between sunni and shia shiites. Although imam tawhidi is a shia muslim, this book is about the whole of islam, both sunni and shia and more. The faith believes in the same monotheistic god as the old and new testaments, but that the final messenger of god was mohamed, who in a. I have read a lot about muslims and middle eastern governments and yet i never really had the whole story on this shia vs sunni issue. What is the difference between sunni and shia muslims. Shia are a minority sect making up only 10% to % of the total muslim population. Origins of shiism how shiism actually started and later evolved. Therefore, one cannot say, islamics practice islam or the quran is the islamic holy book. Only seven shia scholars have believed in omissions in the uthmanic codex. Exposing shia s beliefs excellent video series that sheds light on the blasphemous beliefs of shiism 4.
Shias believe that only the people in the direct line of the prophet should lead the muslims. Difference between sunni and ismaili difference between. The following is a list of suggested reading about the shiite sunni conflict. Shia muslims are the minority in the rest of the islamic world. Sunni is an arabic word which means the one who follows the traditions or sunah of the prophet whereas shia word is derived from shiayat e ali that means friends of ali. Cbs news correspondent clarissa ward takes a look at the history and. My observance of shiasunni islam shiasunni dialogue. Comparison of sunni and shia islam there are two main sects in islam.
Jan 21, 2008 the division between shia and sunni dates back to the death of the prophet muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the muslim nation. This has led sunnis to accuse shia of heresy, while shia point out that sunni dogmatism has led to extremist sects such as the puritanical wahhabis. But the most important schism in islam the event that split the faith into the majority sunni and minority shia branches that persist to the present day took place at the religions very. The primary difference in practice comes in that sunni muslims mainly rely on the sunnah, a. Shia hadiths differ from sunni hadiths mainly in that shia hadiths include the sayings of the ahlul bayt. Difference between sunni and shia difference between. Residents of the shiite sadr city were seen performing. Differences between shia and sunni muslims business insider. It contains all the verses revealed to the holy prophet may peace be upon him. Ahmadi qadiyani are not muslim as they belive in false person mirza gulam qadiyani.
How shia view their imams every muslim should read this. According to the shia, these are books divinely inspired from allah. Whats the difference between shiite and sunni muslims. Differences between sunni, shia and ibadi islam wikipedia. Do shia muslims have a different from sunni version of. Shia vs sunni discover shia islam, muslims, news,facts. The shi ah are frequently accused of belief in tahrif in holy quran which means believing that the holy quran has been tampered with and is no. With this book the authors try to bridge the gap between muslims by answering the most common questions that arise when sunni and shia debate. Sunni islam is the largest denomination, although in some countries it is a minority. Sunnis vs shia videos explaining the difference using videos. Sunni muslims and shia muslims have different theological beliefs. More than 85 per cent of the worlds muslims are sunni, and historically many have distrusted and disliked shias.
The enemies of islam to their benefit have always fanned these differences. However, akhbaris reject ijma and aql thus rejecting ijtihad. Eventually the religion broke into two main factions. Sunni and shia muslims share the most fundamental islamic beliefs and. Comparison of sunni and shi a islam there are two main sects in islam. The split occurred soon after the death of the prophet muhammad, nearly 1,400 years ago. 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. Within orthodox islam, there are two main ideological camps. The answers provided have as resources the holy quran and tradition books of ahlul sunnah. How conflicts within islam will shape the future, by vali nasr, w.
Sufism is more accurately described as an aspect or dimension of islam. The economist explains what is the difference between sunni and. Islam should solely indicate religion or acts of faith in the name of the religion, but not to pinpoint someone who practices the religion. The two denominations share many of the same fundamental beliefs and practices, and in many places their. Sunni muslims are also present in more countries and regions throughout the world, whereas most of shia muslims live in four countries. However, sunni and shia muslims believe in the same quran. The shrine of ali is one of shia islam s holiest places, and the city that grew up around it has remained a center of shia thought, even under sunni and secular governments. Yet the islamic revolution had a major effect outside iran. On the contrary, saying islamic community or islamic art, for example, is not wrong. They do differ, however, and that separation stemmed initially, not from spiritual distinctions, but political ones. Sunni muslims are the followers of abu bakr whereas shia muslims are the followers of ali. The shia revival by vali nasr is a good book on modern shia political power. He attempted to reach out to all muslims, but for sunni muslims khomeini represented shia iran, and thus his influence in the islamic world outside iran was limited. Yet a spotlight has been shone recently on the differences between the two religions.
Sufi orders tariqas can be found in sunni, shia and other islamic groups. They agree on the major elements of faith such as the belief in god, angels, prophets, books, and the hereafter. There are many shia hadith which refer to these three holy books, and we shall herein reference them. Apr 26, 2014 today, shia islam is more popular in countries such as iraq, iran, pakistan, bahrain, yemen, syria and lebanon. What is the difference between sunni and shia islam. What distinguishes sunni islam is a tradition of hadith literature that underwent its own processes of elaboration. The shia also believe in holy books after the quran, including the mushaf fatima book of fatima, aljamia, and aljafr the parchment. Books 5, 6, and 7 comprise biographies of later islamic scholars. Because shia muslims put emphasis on muhammads bloodline, the day of ashura is often seen as a more important holy day for shia islam than sunni islam. The centuries old shia sunni differences are the major obstacle to muslim unity shia sunni unity. Most people have no idea what the actual differences are between the two main sects of islam, the sunnis and the shiites. Both sunni and shiite traditions record a statement of muhammad according to which he left behind two weighty things.
All shia sects together represent 10% 12% of people who claim to be muslims. Importantly, this study does not argue or imply that violence perpetrated by sunni or shi a extremist groups is carried out for reasons that are inherent to one or the other tradition of islam. There is no difference of opinion amongst muslim schools that the religion of allah is islam. Today, there are differences in religious practice, traditions, and customs, often related to jurisprudence.