Sunnis and Shias split after the death of the Prophet Muhammad over who should lead. Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr, while Shias believe leadership belonged to Ali and his descendants.
Origin of the split
After Muhammad died in 632, Muslims disagreed on who should lead. Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr, chosen by community leaders, as the first caliph. Shias held that leadership belonged to Muhammad’s family, namely his cousin and son-in-law Ali.
Numbers
About 85 to 90 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 10 to 15 percent are Shia (Pew Research Center). Shias are a majority in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain.
Leadership
Sunnis have scholars and caliphs historically. Shias follow imams, and Twelver Shias believe in 12 imams.
Practice
Both share the Quran and the five pillars. Shias commemorate Ashura (martyrdom of Husayn at Karbala in 680).
Law schools
Sunni: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali. Shia: Ja’fari.
Relations
Relations range from peaceful coexistence to conflict.
Origin of the split
The division began after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE over who should lead the Muslim community. Sunnis held that the community should choose a leader, and accepted Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s close companion, as the first caliph. Shia held that Muhammad had designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali became the fourth caliph in 656 CE. The split deepened after the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, where Ali’s son Husayn was killed by forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid. Shia commemorate this on Ashura.
Numbers
About 85% to 90% of the world’s roughly 1.9 billion Muslims are Sunni, and 10% to 15% are Shia, according to the Pew Research Center. Shia form the majority in Iran (about 90%), Iraq (about 60%), Azerbaijan and Bahrain, and large communities live in Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan and India. Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey have the largest Sunni populations.
Leadership
Sunnis recognize the first four caliphs as “rightly guided” and have no clergy hierarchy with divine authority. Religious scholars (ulama) interpret law. Shia believe in Imams, divinely guided descendants of Muhammad through Ali and his wife Fatima. Twelver Shia, the largest branch, believe in twelve Imams, the last of whom, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is in hiding and will return. Ismaili and Zaydi Shia follow different lines of Imams. Shia have a clerical hierarchy with titles such as ayatollah.
Practice
Both follow the Quran and the Five Pillars: faith, prayer, charity, fasting in Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca. Differences include:
- Shia often combine the five daily prayers into three sessions, while Sunnis pray five times separately.
- Shia prayer is often performed on a clay tablet from Karbala.
- Shia observe Ashura and visit shrines of Imams in Najaf, Karbala and Mashhad, while many Sunnis (especially Salafis) discourage shrine veneration.
- Shia allow temporary marriage (mutah) in some traditions.
Law schools
Sunni Islam has four main schools of jurisprudence: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali. Twelver Shia follow the Ja’fari school.
Relations
Sunni and Shia have lived together peacefully for centuries, but there have been sectarian conflicts, including in Iraq after 2003, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. Many conflicts are driven by politics and power, as well as religious differences. Many Muslims reject sectarian labels, and Muslims from both traditions pray together at Mecca.
Demographics and religious practice
About 85 to 90 percent of the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims are Sunni and 10 to 15 percent are Shia, according to the Pew Research Center. The split dates from the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE and a dispute over succession. Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr as the first caliph, while Shia believe Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son in law, was the rightful successor. Shia Muslims follow a line of Imams, and the Twelver branch, the largest, believes the twelfth Imam is in hiding. Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain have Shia majorities, while Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey are mostly Sunni. Both groups share the five pillars of Islam and the Quran. The holiday of Ashura, marking the death of Husayn at Karbala in 680 CE, is observed with special mourning by Shia Muslims. Relations vary by country, and many communities live side by side peacefully.
Based on data from Pew Research Center and the Encyclopaedia Britannica
