Islam is a non-local religion, having more than 1.6 billion adherents. There are two large branches within this large community. These are the Sunni islam and Shia Islam. They share core beliefs. Nonetheless, they possess critical distinctions. These differences started centuries ago. Their disagreement began with politics. This developed with time as religious practices and traditions. This is one of the divides in understanding the history and the current events in the Muslim world.
In this post, the author will discuss the contrasts between Sunni islam vs Shia Islam. We are going to examine the historical division. The differences in religious leadership will be analyzed. We intend to offer an easy and straightforward explanation of this complicated subject.
The Historical Cause of the Division.
The rift between Shia and Sunni Muslims started when Prophet Muhammad passed away in 632 CE. His death left a vacuum of leadership. The Muslim community had to make a choice of a successor. This issue of succession was the source of the division.
The Sunni Perspective on Succession
One faction of Muslims considered that the leader must be elected. They believed that the most eligible member of society ought to be the Caliph. The leader would be the heir of the Prophet. This group chose Abu Bakr. He was a friend and the father of the Prophet Muhammad. He became the first Caliph. This was to be a guiding principle of this group that chose leaders through community consensus. This translates to individuals of the tradition. The Sunnis are adherents to the practices of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions.
The Shia Vision of Succession.
There was a different perspective among another group of Muslims. They felt that they should not have a leader outside the family of the Prophet. They claimed that Prophet Muhammad had appointed his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, as heir. This sect came to be referred to as the Shi’at Ali or the party of Ali. It is in this way that the term Shia is derived. In the case of Shia, the leader or Imam should be an heir to the Prophet. They perceive this family as a blessing from God. This assumption of a hereditary succession is one of the main Shia Islamic beliefs. Ali is the first Imam of the Shia.
Differences in Religious Leadership and Authority
The first political conflict resulted in conflicting beliefs on religious authority. This is among the most considerable differences between the two branches.
Sunni View of Leadership
Sunnis think that the Caliph is a political and military leader. He must enforce the Islamic law. The community that elects him gives him his power. The Quran and the Sunnah (teaching of the Prophet) provide religious guidance. These texts are interpreted by religious scholars or ulama. There is no clergy hierarchy in Sunni Islam. Any educated person could be a potential leader or scholar of the community. Being a leader is a given trust of the people.
Shia View of Leadership
There exists the idea of Imamate among Shias. They think that Imams are the successors of the Prophet who were divinely chosen. Such leaders are not only political leaders. They are also spiritual leaders. Shias have faith that the Imams are infallible. This implies that they are not sinners and are not erroneous. They owe their authority to God himself. The orthodox Twelver Shias hold in a succession of twelve Imams. According to them, the twelfth Imam entered into a state of hiddenness in the 10th century. He will come back at the end time as the Mahdi or messiah. This brings a more distinct clerical chain of command than Sunni Islam.
Central Ideologies and Scriptures.
Sunnis and Shias have common Islamic beliefs. Both are faith in a single God (Allah). They believe in the Quran as the sacred book. Therefore, they acknowledge that Muhammad was the last prophet. They also have common five pillars of Islam. These are declarations of faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. There are, however, certain differences in practice and interpretation.
Sources of Islamic Law
The two groups utilize the Quran as their main text. Both also rely on the Sunnah. The Sunnah contains the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, which are called Hadith. The distinction is in the collections of Hadith they believe in. The Sunnis believe in the use of Hadith that has been narrated by any of the closest companions of the Prophet. This encompasses the initial 3 Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman).
Shias mostly believe in the Hadith that was transmitted by the family of the Prophet. They adhere to the teachings of Ali and the successive Imams. They do not accept traditions as told by personalities whom they believed to have been against Ali. This discrepancy in the accepted sources creates discrepancies in the Islamic law and routines.
Disagreement in Religious Practices.
Such divergent interpretations lead to differences in worship. Sunnis and Shias, for example, conduct their daily prayers in different ways. Although both Muslims pray five times a day,the Shia tend to suppress a few prayers. They could jointly say noon and afternoon prayers. They can also have the evening and night prayers together. This makes three sessions of prayers a day rather than five.
Distinctions also exist in vital religious practices. Ashura is a key example. It is voluntary fasting for the Sunnis. It is a celebration of the day when Moses was spared by the Pharaoh. To Shias, Ashura is a day of sadness. It is a celebration of the martyrdom of the third Imam Husayn ibn Ali (grandson of the Prophet) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. This is the most eminent event in the history of the Shia. It is an emblem of conflicts with inequality and oppression.
Demographics and Worldwide Distribution.
The largest number of Muslim people in the world is the Sunni Muslims. They constitute about 85-90 percent of the entire Muslim population. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia are countries that have majorities of Sunni populations. Populations Shia Muslims constitute an estimated 10-15percent of Muslims in the world. In some countries, they constitute the majority. These are Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. There are also large Shia populations in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Pakistan. Regional politics frequently have an aspect of the geographic distribution of these populations.
Conclusion
The separation of Sunni and Shia Islam begins with a human question: who is supposed to be in charge? This one point of divergence brought about two different directions. Both directions formed their own traditions, orientations, and kinds of leadership. One was the direction that placed emphasis on community agreement and electoral leadership. The other was based on God-sent and hereditary designation.
But these two ways have always led in one direction. The Sunnis and the Shia have the same God. They follow the same Prophet. They read the same holy book. Their religious belief is the same. The variations, though remarkable, are on the same theme. They are as one river out of the same mountain. They cut various lines in the terrain. Thus, they feed various landscapes. Yet they both are finally drained into the same great sea of subjection to God. The acknowledgment of this common destination is the initial step to overcome the barriers and creating more understanding in the international Muslim community.
