By Shimon Gamel and Koby Desmond How the Muslim Culture Split into Shiites and Sunnis and the Two Groups’ Similarities and Differences. By Shimon Gamel and Koby Desmond

Common Beliefs and Practices of All Muslims Belief in Muhammad as the main prophet Belief that Allah is one Belief in the prophets of other religions, like Moshe Belief that the Qur’an is Muhammad’s last testament for mankind Pilgrimage to Mecca

Key Differences in Belief Among Muslims There are two branches of Islam, Sunni and Shiite. Sunni’s believe the Muhammad’s first four caliphs “successors” and their children are the legitimate religious leaders. The Shiite’s only believe that the fourth caliph, Ali, is the only successor of Muhammad and Ali’s children are the only legitimate religious leaders.

The Shiite/Sunni Split The Muslim culture split into two groups after Muhammad's death in 632 AD. It happened because of a dispute over who should be his successor. One group, the Sunnis, thought that the community should choose a new leader, but others, the Shiites, thought one of his relatives should lead. The name of this relative was Ali. Ali was married to Muhammad’s daughter. Ali was killed. His sons, Hassan and Hussein, were denied what they thought was their legitimate right to be the caliphates (Muslim leader). Hassan is believed to have been poisoned by Muawiyah, the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty. A war broke out, but eventually the Sunni prevailed choosing Abu Bakr as their leader. The Sunni leaders ruled the Islamic world until the end of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.

Sunni and Shiite – More Differences The word Sunni comes from "Ahl al-Sunna", the people of the tradition, the term Shiite comes from "Shiat Ali" or the party of Ali. Sunni’s believe that Mohammed was the final prophet and that the leaders after him are merely people whereas Shiites honor leaders that came after Mohammed, like Ali and Hussein, and other imams as holy people, with almost divine qualities. Shiites believe in the coming of a messianic like figure who will be the 12th Imam.

Shiites and Sunnis -Then and Now The great majority of Muslims are Sunni–somewhere around 90% Shia Muslims are in the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and, according to some estimates, Yemen. For centuries, these groups have co-existed and even intermarried There has been ongoing competition among their leaders Recent conflicts in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan have divided the two sects further In countries that have been governed by Sunnis, Shia tend to be poorer. They often see themselves as victims of discrimination and oppression. 

Sunni and Shia Muslim Population Distribution in the Middle East

Works Cited Shuster, Mike. "The Origins Of The Shiite-Sunni Split."Http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2007/02/12/7332087/the- origins-of-the-shiite-sunni-split. NPR, 12 Feb. 2007. Web. 1 Nov. 2015. Sunnis and Shia: Islam's ancient schism - BBC News. (2014, June 20). Retrieved October 12, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world- middle-east-16047709 "What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shiite Muslims--and Why Does It Matter?" History News Network. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/934>. "What's the Difference Between Shiite and Sunni Muslims?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/33071-whats-the-difference-between- shiite-and-sunni-muslims.html>.