Sunni Shi’ite
Split
Marshall Berkeley
Robbie Martin
Paul Schmidt
632 AD – Prophet Muhammad died
 Abu Bakr named 1st successor (Caliph)

– Most Muslims accepted decision, but some supported
Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law
– Followers of Ali believed that the Prophet Muhammad
named Ali as his successor
– Abu Bakr and his next two successors, Umar and
Uthman, were considered illegitimate by Ali’s
followers
– 656 AD – Uthman was murdered by some of Ali’s
followers
– Ali was named as the successor
– 661 AD – Ali was assassinated by forces of Uthman
The 2 Sides

Disagreement over who should be the
successor to the Prophet Muhammad
– Some believed in succession based political
merits communal consensus
 “Sunni” – meaning “followers of customs”
– Others believed in succession through
“bloodline” of the Prophet
 “Shi’a” – meaning “supporters” or “helpers of Ali”
Distribution of Muslims
Green – Sunni
Blue – Shi’ite
Sunni Islam
Religious Practices and Beliefs
Majority of Muslims are Sunnis
 Accepted first four Caliphs as “Rightly
Guided”
 Less powerful religious hierarchy
 Lenient on who leads prayer
 Perform Salat 5 times daily

Interesting Fact

Osama Bin Laden was a Sunni
– Extreme Sect
Sunni Law

Based on
– Qu’ran
– Hadiths
– Sunna

The four legal schools
–
–
–
–
Hanafi
Maliki
Shaf’I
Hanbali
Sectarian Divisions

Ibadi Sect
– Has been misrepresented as a Sunni Sect
Shi’ite Islam
Religious Practices and Beliefs

Centers around Ali’s younger son
– Hussein
Shi’ites permit Muttah
 Salat – can pray twice consecutively (1+2+2)
 Three Schools of Law:

– Twelver Shiism
– Ismaili (Sevener) Shiism
– Zaydis (Fiver) Shiism
Core Fundamentals between Sunnis
and Shi’ites

Share common doctrines and beliefs
– Qu’ran
– Muhammed is the messenger
– Hadiths somewhat differ
– Qiyas (Analogy)
– Ijma (Consensus)
– Ijtihad (Individual Reasoning)
Both recognize the Five Pillars
 Recognize each other as Muslims

Interesting/Crazy Stuff

Shi’ite Muslims – Ashoura Day
– Ritual in which they cut their scalps to
remember the death of Imam Hussein
– Shows the Shi’ite suffering from Sunnis
- During the Islamic holy
month of Moharram
- Some of the
demonstrators
flagellate themselves