Ramadan on the Net - What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

Sunni and Shiite Muslims
What Is the Difference?

There are two branches within Islam: Sunni and Shiite. Like the Catholic/Protestant split, the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims is theological in nature, although both branches uphold the same basic tenets of faith.

The primary difference between the two branches is their divergent belief in religious succession. The Sunni branch believes that legitimate religious leaders are those appointed by consensus. They believe that the heirs of those leaders are connected to Muhammad's first four successors, his caliphs.

Shiites, on the other hand, believe that religious leaders must descend directly from Muhammad's bloodline. His forth caliph was Ali, the husband of Muhammad's daughter Fatima. Shiite Muslims believe that Ali is the true source of Islam and all religious leaders should descend from him.

The Sunni branch comprises the vast majority of the Muslim population today -- up to 90 percent. The Shiite minority is concentrated in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

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Comments

Erica DiLaurentis from Minnesota, US

12:51 12/13/2009

Is there a conflict between Sunnis and Shiites in Sierra Leone?

imam ali ameer anwar from New York, US

20:58 12/12/2009

imam ali ameer anwar

19:23 12/12/2009

Don't let ignorance or negitivity keep us muslim down

imam ali ameer anwar from New York, US

19:09 12/12/2009

Love God(ALLAH) and his creations that's all

M. B. from Venezuela

00:18 12/03/2009

we, all must ask f more wisdom,understanding from swt.ameen. wa salaam

Allisonn from Texas, US

13:29 11/09/2009

well I Agree With Jenny && I'm Only 13 && I'm Doing A Report On Ramadan Its Really Intresting I'm In Tech Class So Gtg Buut I So Agree Withh Jenny

jenny from Massachusetts, US

16:26 10/20/2009

no matter wat any of us think, we were made from God, no, not alla or watever his name is, but from the true one and only, and his son, Jesus died for all of us.I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I'm just laying out the definite truth. But this was useful for my history project.

mamoon rasheed from California, US

21:23 09/19/2009

first the last prophet is mohammad saw. and eid mubbarack

fuad from Saudi Arabia

14:34 09/19/2009

We are all muslim and pray five times for Allah only Thanks and Eid Mubark to all

Linda from Maryland, US

09:51 09/14/2009

Bottom line, we are all Muslims. Bottom line what happened to prophet mohammeds family by muawiah was wrong. Ali bin abi Taleb was the prophets cousin and son in law. And the 4 khalifa. No one desputs that Sunna or Shia . We All say shahadatain, we all read the holy e Quran. You should ask a shiate what he believes , there is a lot of wrong information being presented in the sunnih world about Shias including this explanation of the differen e between the two.

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Sunni and Shiite MuslimsWhat Is the Difference?

Sunni and Shiite Muslims
What Is the Difference?