https://theconversation.com/what-is-...i-divide-78216
What beliefs set Zaydis apart from Sunni Muslims? That is an old story, dating back to the seventh century when the Prophet
Muhammad died.
Shiites and Sunnis disagree about who should have been selected to succeed Muhammad as head of the Muslim community. Two
groups emerged after his death. One group of the Prophet’s followers – later called Sunnis – recognized four of his
companions as “rightly guided” leaders In contrast, another group – later called Shiites – recognized only Ali, the fourth of
these leaders, as legitimate.
Ali was the Prophet’s first cousin and closest male blood relative. He was also married to Fatima, Muhammad’s youngest
daughter. For these and other reasons, Shiites believe that Ali was uniquely qualified to lead. In support of this claim,
they cite sources describing Muhammad’s wish that Ali succeed him. Shiites consider Ali second in importance only to the
Prophet.
History of divide
Both Sunnis and Shias – drawing their faith and practice from the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad – agree on most
of the fundamentals of Islam. The differences are related more to historical events, ideological heritage and issues of
leadership.
The first and central difference emerged after the death of Prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. The issue was who would be the
caliph – the “deputy of God” – in the absence of the prophet. While the majority sided with Abu Bakr, one of the prophet’s
closest companions, a minority opted for his son-in-law and cousin – Ali. This group held that Ali was appointed by the
prophet to be the political and spiritual leader of the fledgling Muslim community.
Subsequently, those Muslims who put their faith in Abu Bakr came to be called Sunni (“those who follow the Sunna,” the
sayings, deeds and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) and those who trusted in Ali came to be known as Shia (a contraction
of “Shiat Ali,” meaning “partisans of Ali”).
Abu Bakr became the first caliph and Ali became the fourth caliph. However, Ali’s leadership was challenged by Aisha, the
prophet’s wife and daughter of Abu Bakr. Aisha and Ali went to battle against each other near Basra, Iraq in the Battle of
the Camel in A.D. 656. Aisha was defeated, but the roots of division were deepened. Subsequently, Mu’awiya, the Muslim
governor of Damascus, also went to battle against Ali, further exacerbating the divisions in the community.
In the years that followed, Mu’awiya assumed the caliphate and founded the Ummayad Dynasty (A.D 670-750). Ali’s youngest son,
Hussein – born of Fatima, the prophet’s daughter – led a group of partisans in Kufa, Iraq against Mu’awiya’s son Yazid. For
the Shias, this battle, known as the Battle of Karbala, holds enormous historical and religious significance.
An Iranian Shiite Muslim mourns after covering herself with mud during Ashura rituals in Iran. AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
Hussein was killed and his forces defeated. For the Shia community, Hussein became a martyr. The day of the battle is
commemorated every year on the Day of Ashura. Held on the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic lunar calendar, scores of
pilgrims visit Hussein’s shrine in Karbala and many Shia communities participate in symbolic acts of flagellation and
suffering.
Leadership disagreements
Over time, Islam continued to expand and develop into evermore complex and overlapping societies that spanned from Europe to
sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa to Asia. This development demanded more codified forms of religious and political
leadership.
Sunnis and Shias adopted different approaches to these issues.
Sunni Muslims trusted the secular leadership of the caliphs during the Ummayad (based in Damascus from A.D. 660-750) and
Abbasid (based in Iraq from 750-1258 and in Cairo from 1261-1517) periods. Their theological foundations came from the four
religious schools of Islamic jurisprudence that emerged over the seventh and eighth centuries.
To this day, these schools help Sunni Muslims decide on issues such as worship, criminal law, gender and family, banking and
finance, and even bioethical and environmental concerns. Today, Sunnis comprise about 80-90 percent of the global Muslim
population.
On the other hand, Shias relied on Imams as their spiritual leaders, whom they believed to be divinely appointed leaders from
among the prophet’s family. Shia Muslims continue to maintain that the prophet’s family are the sole genuine leaders. In the
absence of the leadership of direct descendants, Shias appoint representatives to rule in their place (often called
ayatollahs). Shias are a minority of the global Muslim population, although they have strong communities in Iraq, Pakistan,
Albania, Yemen, Lebanon and Iran. There are also different sects within Shia Islam.
Differences masked during Hajj
Other disputes that continue to exacerbate the divide include issues of theology, practice and geopolitics.
For example, when it comes to theology Sunnis and Shias draw from different “Hadith” traditions. Hadith are the reports of
the words and deeds of the prophet and considered an authoritative source of revelation, second only to the Quran. They
provide a biographical sketch of the prophet, context to Quranic verses, and are used by Muslims in the application of
Islamic law to daily life. Shias favor those that come from the prophet’s family and closest associates, while Sunnis cast a
broader net for Hadith that includes a wide array of the prophet’s companions.
Shias and Sunnis differ over prayer as well. All Sunni Muslims believe they are required to pray five times a day, but Shias
can condense those into three.
The Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, when both Shia and Sunni Muslims come together to pray. Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA
During the Hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca, held annually and obligatory for all Muslims once in a lifetime – it may seem that
these differences are masked, as both Sunnis and Shias gather in the holy city for rituals that reenact the holiest
narratives of their faith. And yet, with Saudi authorities overseeing the Hajj, there have been tensions with Shia
governments such as Iran over claims of discrimination.
And when it comes to leadership, the Shia have a more hierarchical structure of political and religious authority invested in
formally trained clergy whose religious authority is transnational. There is no such structure in Sunni Islam.
The greatest splits today, however, come down to politics. Although the majority of Sunni and Shia are able to live
peacefully together, the current global political landscape has brought polarization and sectarianism to new levels. Shia-
Sunni conflicts are raging in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan and the divide is growing deeper across the Muslim world.
This historical schism continues to permeate the daily lives of Muslims around the world.
