“The division between Shi’a 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. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, [also Muhammad’s father-in-law,] became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation.... On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself. The Shi’a Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali.” (source) “The word ‘Sunni’ in Arabic comes from a word meaning ‘one who follows the traditions of the Prophet.’” (source) The word “Shi’a” derived from “Shiat Ali,” meaning “party of Ali.” (source, Thompson)
“Shia Muslims believe that the Imam [prayer leader and elder of mosque] is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession. Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.” (source)
Another difference is that “Sunnis generally go to mosques; Shiites go to Husseineyyahs. A Husseineyyah is, for all intents and purposes, a mosque where, in addition to the usual prayers and services, additional services are performed in mourning of the Imam Hussein (Imam Ali's son and Prophet Muhammad's grandson who is buried in Kerbala and who is much revered by most Muslims but particularly by Shiites for his heroic stand for what he believed in, in the face of certain death. In an uneven battle, he and all 72 of his extended family were massacred.)” (source)
Some other facts are that Sunni are allowed to conceal their faith under certain circumstances for self-protection. This is emphasized for the Shi’a. The Shi’a also “tend to combine prayers, sometimes worshipping three times per day instead of five” (source) like the Sunni. “Shia Islam also permits muttah - fixed-term temporary marriage - which is now banned by the Sunnis.” (source) The Sunni are found in most Muslim countries, but the Shi’a are mostly found in Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. Sunni take up most of the Muslim population with 90%, and Shi’a only 10%. About 1.1 billion people worldwide currently believe in Islam. That’s about the population of India! (source, Islam)
There are some differences between the Sunni and Shi’a, but they both have the same foundations for their beliefs, like the 5 pillars of Islam, the Koran, and the words and ways of the prophet Muhammad. They like to refer to themselves generally as “Muslims” and don’t like to emphasize that they are separated. I personally think that the main difference between the two is the argument of who was to be the leader after Muhammad died.
Works Cited
Islam-NBC News
Thompson, Linwood. High School Level—World History: The Fertile Crescent to The American Revolution-The Rise of Islam. Chantily, VA. 1997
Muhammad teaching
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