Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.
Islam is among the largest of the world’s religions. It has over one billion followers and the growth rate is approximately 20 percent per year (Akbar, 1999 pp 5; World History, 2002). Islam has two main branches; the Sunnis and Shiites. Worldwide, Shiites account for about 10 to 15 percent of the Muslim population but form a majority in Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Bahrain and Azerbaijan (Amin, 2000). They have certain similar beliefs such as, that Allah is one and God is the only god. They also believe that the last prophet was Mohammed and that Allah will resurrect humans and question their actions and beliefs. Further, they believe and agree on the five pillars of Islam and that things like murder, stealing adultery among others are in. However, this is where their similarities and agreements end.
The Sunnis believe that Allah has a body, but it is not quite human. For the Sunnis, Allah can be seen on the earth and in the afterlife while the Shiites believe that Allah does not have a body and cannot and will never be seen. Other theological differences include, that the Shiites believe that Allah does not command bad things; Sunnis believe that an act is made good because Allah has ordered it. For instance, the Shiites do not believe that Allah can order a murder, but for the Sunni if Allah has ordered it, then it is not a sin. Shiites also believe that all the prophets are sinless while the Sunnis do not exactly believe this.
According to Shiites, Allah does not control our will though he knows what our actions will be; Sunnis on the other hand believe that Allah is the creator of all the actions of humans. Sunnis have scholars and jurists who offer opinions and lack a formal clergy. Shiites have a formal clergy and believe in a supreme Imam who is a spiritual guide with some of Mohammed’s inspiration. They believe their Imams are interpreters of the law who cannot err. Martyrdom and suffering are strong features in Shia theology as well as glorification of Ali Shiite martyrdom and suffering focus on Ali’s, Hussein’s deaths and ether figures in the Shia succession. The Sunni have on occasion accused the Shia of moving away from the fundamentals of Islam.
Practical and cultural differences include the different ways in which the Sunnis and Shiite perform prayer. The Shiites perform the wudu and salat in a different way from the Sunni. They place their foreheads on a piece of hardened clay from Karbala, rather than directly on the mat when they are prostrated. The Shia also combines prayers and may pray three times instead of five times. Their ahadith are also different from those of the Sunni.
They have a great preference for those narrated by Ali and Fatima while those narrated by people in opposition to Ali for example Aisha are the least favored. Islamic Shiites accept much-a temporary marriage but this is banned among the Sunnis. At the time of Prophet Mohammed, muttah was permitted and presently it is being supported and promoted in Iran by both conservatives and feminists. The feminists support it because it is a means to reduce the great focus on female virginity present among the Sunnis and Shiites. (Amin, 2001).
The Sunni/Shia split originates from the time of death of Prophet Mohammed in 632. Ali is the main figure around their contention. The debate was whether the prophet’s successor would be a qualified and individual pious or whether it would be someone in the prophet’s bloodline. Community leaders settled this by naming Abu Bakr the first caliph. This was unacceptable to Ali’s followers.
Sunnis view Ali as the last of the caliphs (successors to Mohammed) after Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. (Amin, 2002). Shias feel that Ali was the first caliph and the caliphate ought to be handed down to Mohammed’s direct descendants through Ali and Fatima. When Uthman was murdered while praying, Ali succeeded him as caliph, but Ali was opposed by Aisha, Muhammad’s wife and the daughter of Abu Bakr.
She accused Ali of not bringing Uthman’s killer to justice. Mu’awiya Umayyad, Uthman’s cousin refused to recognize Ali until Uthman’s killer was brought to justice. This led to battle in which Mu’awiya and Ali sought a compromise, but Ali was struck down by one of his supporters who were shocked at his agreement to a compromise. Mu’awiya then declared himself caliph and Hassan, Ali’s son got a pension for not laying claim to the caliphate. It is alleged that he was poisoned, as he died soon after. Ali’s younger son Hussein agreed to put a claim to the caliphate when Mu’awiya’s death but Yazid, Mu’awiya’s son usurped the position, upon his father’s death.
Yazid formed the Umayyad dynasty upon defeating Hussein’s army. Hussein had an infant son Ali who survived enabling the continuation of the line. The division between the Shia and Sunni was thus set (Akbar, pp43-44. 1999). Supporters of Ali’s descendancy became known as Shia (Supporters of Ali) (Akbar, Pp44). The Sunni who respected and accepted his caliphate but opposed the succession based on bloodline formed the majority of the Muslims. Sunni means followers of the prophet’s customs (Blanchard, 2008).
The differences between Sunni and Shiites have often formed the basis for religious intolerance, sectarian violence and political infighting. With time the position of the caliph began to decline and in 1924 Turkey’s first president Mustafa Kemal abolished it. This decline led to the growth of activism for the restoration of the caliphate. Some Sunni activists argue that the Islamic world leaders have undermined the caliphate and abandoned true Islamism. This has contributed to the emergence of figures like Osama Laden who are activists for pure Islamism.
Islamic theology and sectarian differences have often been used to fuel sectarian hatred and violence. In Iraq, years of Sunni dominance ended with the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The shift had led to transformation of local and individual political and economic disputes into sectarian confrontations in some cases. This may be associated with Shiite resentment that lingers on and fears of the Sunni (Blanchard, 2008).
Works cited
Akbar SA. Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World I. B. Tauris; Revised Edition (1999) ISBN-10: 1860642578 pp. 4, pp. 42-44.
Blanchard C, 2008 Islam: Sunnis and Shiites. Web.
World History 2002 Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents. Web.
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.