The Muslim world, since the time of the early history of Islam, is divided into two religious areas - these are Sunnis and Shiites. In the 7th century, immediately after the death of the great Muhammad, the question arose of who would lead the Muslims and the entire Arab caliphate. Some (Sunnis) supported the friend of Muhammad and the father of his wife Aisha - Abu Bakr. Others (Shiites) claimed that only the blood relative of the Prophet could succeed. They said that before his death, Muhammad appointed the heir of his cousin and beloved son-in-law Ali. So the first division of Islam took place. As a result, adherents of Abu Bakr won. Although for some time Ali received the title of the fourth caliph and even ruled the Arab caliphate.
For some time, the Sunnis and Shiites maintained a neutral relationship. However, in 680, the split among Muslims worsened. The fact is that in Karbala (on the territory of modern Iraq) the son of Ali-Hussein was found killed. The killers were soldiers of the ruling caliph, who was then a representative of the Sunnis. Then gradually political power was monopolized by the rulers of the Sunnis. Shiites had to live in the shade and focus on imams, of which the first 12 were direct descendants of Ali. Today, the Sunnis are the dominant
branch of government. They make up the majority of Muslims. Shiites are in the minority (10%). Their religious direction is widespread in the
Arab countries (except North Africa), Iran (where their center is located), Azerbaijan, and in some places in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan.
So, what is the difference between Sunnis and Shiites? Both religious branches originate from the Prophet Muhammad. However, over time, in connection with the separation, their religious beliefs acquire more and more differences. Today, the Sunnis and Shiites believe in the one god Allah and consider the Prophet Muhammad his messenger on Earth. They honor and unquestioningly fulfill the five pillars (ritual traditions of Islam), recite a fivefold prayer every day, fast in Ramadan and recognize the Koran as the only
scripture .
Shiites also sacredly honor the Quran and the Great Prophet. However, not implicitly. Their clergy have the opportunity to interpret the deeds and sayings of Muhammad. In addition, Shiites believe that their imams are representatives of God on Earth, that the last twelfth imam is currently “hidden from everyone,” but someday he will come to fulfill the divine will. The main difference between the Sunnis and the Shiites is that, in addition to the holy Quran, they are unconditionally guided by the Sunna, the teachings of the Prophet. This is the set of rules that Muhammad compiled, taking his life as a basis. They interpret them literally. Sometimes it takes extreme forms. For example, in Afghanistan, the Taliban even paid attention to the size of a
male beard, since everything had to meet the requirements of the Sunna. Most Sunnis consider Shiites "the worst of people", heretics and "infidels." They believe that killing Shiites is the way to paradise.
Sunnis and Shiites shed each other's blood more than once. The longest conflict of the Muslim world consists not so much in hostility between Israel and the Arabs or between Muslims and the West, but in a long internal split of Islam itself.