The Sunni Shias split is often a question asked by many. Those curious to learn about Islam often would want to know what is the difference exactly between the two major sects of Islam.
Keep in mind that, Islam is unique, Islam’s teachings, scripture, and history are fully preserved, making it very easy to go back to in cases of disagreements, big or small.
So, here are the major differences between Sunni and Shia:
Here we will learn the following:
Definition of Sunni and Shia:
First, let’s define some terms. Sunni and Shias are both Arabic words.
Sunni comes from the word Sunnah, which means a habitual practice, and in the Islamic context it refers to the way of Prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him-.
A Sunni is someone who seeks to follow the prophetic tradition and sticks to it, rejecting innovations in religion.
Shia means a political party of someone, and in historical context, the term was first used in the dispute that happened between the fourth Islamic caliph (Ali) (May Allah be pleased with him) and Mu’awiah (May Allah be pleased with him) – Shia Ali and Shia Mu’awiah.
This was the first time the term (Shia) was used and popular, and it was used to refer to both of the opposing parties. Then, the term became more associated with Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and the term turned from a political term to a religious one.
Similarities between Sunni and Shia
There are many similarities between Sunni and Shia.
And it’s important to understand that within Shi’ism, there is a whole spectrum of very different denominations:
On one end, Zaidi Shia who are very close to Sunnis in their beliefs…
And on the other, the old Saba’i and today Alawi Shia, who made Ali a god, making them a completely different religion and Ali himself punished them severely by burning them in trenches.
There are many other Shia sects but the Twelvers who are called Imami Shia or Rawafid are the most popular. They make the majority of Shias today. And typically when the term Shia is used, it refers to them.
Sunni vs Shia countries
Shias make up around 10~20% of the total population of Muslims, while 80~90% are Sunnis.
Shias are typically found in Iraq and Iran, with minorities in Lebanon, Syria and Afghanistan. Zaidis are mainly found in Yemen, while the rest of the Islamic countries rarely have any Shia population. And it’s important to note that Sunnis have a very big presence even in the mentioned countries.
How to know if someone is Shia or Sunni?
You can know if someone is a Sunni or Shia by knowing the differences between the two, and knowing what Shias believe in will help you know if a person is Shia or mainstream Sunni Muslim.
Why did Sunni and Shia Split?
Shias split from the original Sunni orthodox Islam due to historical political reasons that became apparent when reading the history of Shi’ism and Islam.
This is clearly apparent by the fact that Shi’ism is centered on historical political events that happened 1400 years ago.
Shias nowadays would still open up these ancient historical files, and argue who was right and wrong about it, while Sunnis simply follow the mainstream view of Muslims from those times and until today, that it’s ancient history that there is no benefit in arguing over.
Sunnis must argue only in response to Shia’s serious yet faulty accusations to central Islamic figures (I.e: Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Mu’awiah), and accusations even spread to the whole first generation of Muslims (the companions of the prophet)!
Muslims are brothers and it’s only natural to defend the honor and dignity of our brothers, especially since we are instructed to do so in the Quran, and since an attack on the first generation that delivered the Islamic message to the world is an attack on the Islamic message itself.
10 differences between Shias and Sunnis
Here are the 10 most important differences between Imami Shias and Orthodox Sunni Muslims.
- Imamah
Shias believe that the Imam (Leader of Muslims) is directly appointed by Allah (Link) Himself by name, and that it is his right and duty to be the ruler over Muslims.
Shias believe that to avoid dispute over power, the choice of leadership should be left to Allah almighty, He will choose the most capable leader to do the job, like He chooses prophets and messengers. Shias Believe (Imamah) started with (Imam Ali), the fourth Caliph, and his lineage after him.
After Imam Ali, Shias differed a lot in deciding on who is an Imam, with each sect having its own list of (Imams). The Twelvers, who make the majority of Shias Today believe there are only Twelve Imams, starting from Ali and ending with Al-Mahdi.
Imamah as in the Shia belief is completely Alien to the Quran, prophetic tradition, and the consensus of the Companions. This puts Shias in a major problem to justify this innovation and actually validate it.
- Tawheed
Tawheed, is the belief in one God and worshiping Him alone. It’s the core of Islam, and any infringing on it makes the person a non-Muslim.
Shias have problems in Tawheed in Four ways:
- Claim that Ali or any Imam is God.
- Claim that Ali or any Imam has divine powers (All knowing-All powerful- Reason of Creation and so on).
- Rejecting the attributes of God almighty that are mentioned in the Quran.
- Worshiping, invoking, or making Dua to Ali or any Imam (Like: Ya Ali, Ya Hussain, Ya Mahdi).
It’s a slippery slope, most Shias who start infringing on the right of Tawheed start by saying Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) is a mediator between them and God, and may end up making him into another God!
It isn’t uncommon to hear a Shia calling (Ya Husain) or (Ya Ali) asking them for help which is an invocation and prayer that should only be for God alone. Yet, many Shias are starting to see how these are major problems that get them out of the fold of Islam.
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء
Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases
Surah Nisa aya 48
- Enemies of the Sahabah (Companions)
Another major difference between Sunnis and Shias is their antagonizing behavior towards the first generation of Muslims, the companions of Prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him-.
When Shias developed the concept of Imamah, they were faced with major problems of retrospect.
The primary authority on what Islam is and isn’t, are the companions, the first generation of Muslims who were alive while revelation of Allah was made, and it’s their beliefs and actions that Allah described as “Completely Islamic”.
They are the ones who passed the words of Allah and the teachings of Prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him- to the rest of the world.
How come a major principle like Imamah or the explicit appointment by name for Imam Ali, be missed by a whole generation of people?
After the prophet -peace be upon him- passed away, people were confused and didn’t know who should be the leader, the successor (I.e: the caliph).
They all finally settled with choosing Abu Bakr to lead them, as they saw him as the best of them and most fit to lead. This included Imam Ali as well, who never claimed to be appointed by Allah to begin with!
Shi’ism is in direct conflict with the beliefs and practices of the first Muslim generation. And in response (the Rawafid) are famous for openly attacking the first righteous generation of Muslims and accusing them of blasphemy!
In reality, the most befitting of criticism and proved blasphemy are Shias.
Between the two, Shias or Sahabah, the Quran and the prophet clearly state that we should follow Sahabah.
والسابقون الأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه
And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him
Surah Tawbah aya 100
- Taqiyah
Shias believe that they can lie, hide or change their beliefs so that they can spread Shiaism. They use this principle not only in practice but also to try and justify the historical contradictions and challenges they face.
Taqiyah, as Shias believe in, is purely a Shia innovation and has nothing to do with mainstream Sunni Muslims. Lying to hide contradictions and problems and to spread and preserve the faith is something only Shias believe in.
The original principle in the Quran is that if someone is forced into disbelief, Allah wouldn’t punish them for what they were forced on, and they are still counted as Muslims.
Islamophobes often use Taqiyah to attack Islam, while deliberately ignoring that this is something exclusive for Shi’ism and mainstream Islam has nothing to do with!
In a way, Islamophobes practice Taqiyah more than Shias themselves do!
- Shia Shariah
The Sunnis and Shias split resulted in the Shias not only developing many unorthodox beliefs, but also having their own forms of Fiqh and Shariah (Islamic rulings).
Shias have a system of scholarship much like the clergy in churches, where Shia institutions not only teach and educate Shias on the rulings of the religion, but also practice a form of authority over them and even collect money and get involved in political affairs.
Here are the three most infamous Shia rulings that are rejected by Sunni Mainstream Muslims:
- Al-Khums (the Fifth):
1/5 of a Shia’s wealth should be given yearly to the clergy!
This is very different from the Zakat (Alms Given) that Muslims give to charity, where Zakat is only for the capable ones, it is only 1/40 and more importantly it’s given only to the 8 types of people mentioned in the Quran, mainly the poor and needy.
Zakat is given to the society while Al-Khums is for the Shia clergy.
- Nikah Mut’a (pleasure marriage):
The man and woman agree to be married, but only to a predetermined amount of time they agree on. Like marrying for a year, month, week, day or even an hour!
Usually these marriage contracts are made within a few hours timer, where they get together for (pleasure) then go their separate ways afterwards!
Pleasure marriage is strictly forbidden in the mainstream Islamic rulings, because it’s not different from fornication or prostitution, and the marriage contract in this case loses its value of making a family and preserving it, which in turn nullifies it.
Pleasure marriage’s main purpose is pleasure not family, making it no different than Zina.
- Latm (self beating and whipping)
Self-beating, harming oneself, and excessive grieving are also exclusive to Shias.
This is usually done over remembering the story of Husain martyrdom (May Allah be pleased with him).
There is nothing as bizarre as watching people whipping themselves using their own hands with metal whips until their backs crack open! And much more less severe forms of it, all just to get themselves to cry over Husain!
These acts are so alien not just to mainstream Sunni Muslims, but to humanity in general!
- The Awaited Mahdi (a lie has no legs)
Modern Shias are called Twelvers because they believe in 12 Imams with Imamah being their right and duty. One would Ask, why only Twelve! That’s where (the Mahdi) comes in, and being curious about the simple number is nothing compared to his story!
The 11th Shia Imam, who is called Al-Hassan (Al-Askari), died and was known to have no lineage, he was unable to bear children!
This puts the claim of Imamah in a conundrum, because their claim is that this divine choice of Imam is made by lineage, lineage passed down this right of Imamah, and lineage is pure and holy.
But for the 11th imam to die with no heir at all …reasonable people would ask where the divine choice and protection are!
Beginning of lies
That’s when some of the Shia clergy came out and said that there is a 12th Imam, called Muhammad (Al-Mahdi)!
Who is He? He is the hidden son of Al-Hassan, that only a couple of people knew about.
The narrations about Al-Mahdi’s mother are even more contradicting, where he is said to be born of 8 different women, with completely different stories.
The lies continue
They claimed he was kept hidden because they feared the ruling authority would kill him if they found him. Hiding in a cave somewhere in Iraq, biding his time until he is youthful and can come out.
Time went by and Shias have made all sorts of stories of how (Al-Mahdi) is destined to actually fulfill the imamah, rule the Muslims and fill the land with peace after it has been filled with tyranny.
And so Shias waited, for years with no sign of Al-Mahdi!
People started to be very skeptical, and became very doubtful that this person that was never seen in public, has never existed!
The Ambassadors of Lies
That’s when four people came out and claimed to be (Ambassadors of Mahdi)! They take letters and questions from the people and bring it back with answers and signs!
No one knows why Mahdi was hiding when his supposed ambassadors could walk and talk freely! But the answer is simple, anyone could and still can claim to be Al-Mahdi, but once he shows up, he would be expected to fulfill all these stories!
Unite the Muslims, Vanquish enemies, Rule over them, and bring justice and prosperity.
If the liars ever brought any man to the public and said he is Al-Mahdi, time will expose them even more!
1200 years of waiting
Then, no one else was able to reach this (Mahdi), and it was said that he is just biding time until he has the chance to fulfill his duty….. That was about 1200 years ago.
Summary
Shias believe what any person with common sense would call a pure lie, filled with gaps. Starting from the fact that historically, Al-Hassan didn’t have a son, to the fact that only a select few are feeding them information about Al-Mahdi and no one is allowed to see him, and when that became old, they told them he just chose to cut communication and remain hidden! For 1200 years a man who is supposed to take charge of the Muslims, or at least the Shias and bring them peace and prosperity, has been hiding away…… why and doing what! Don’t even ask!
Al-Mahdi is a clear Myth. A Lie Made up to cover another lie that was made up to cover another lie!
It is easy to tell lies from truth, it’s only hard for those who judge by emotions and bias!
The more they lie, the more it gets bigger and history and facts expose for pure myths and deception.
Note: Many stories they took actually capitalized on prophetic tradition that in the end of times a man named Mahdi will come and rule over muslims and bring prosperity. Sunnis believe in tradition, but Mahdi is not awaited and is yet to be born.
- Hadith methodology (How the Shia hadith methodology is flawed and fragile)
Sunni Hadith methodology was established to have an objective authenticity that’s not based on faith.
While the Shia narrations aren’t only based on blind faith, but under the simplest objective scrutiny or cross reference with history, it became an apparent lie.
And one simple observation that shows the difference between the Sunni and Shia hadith is by simply observing the general trends and patterns.
Propagation pattern
Sunni Tradition shows a pyramid pattern, where the hadith originates from the source (the top) and by time, more and more know about it and it can be found in many chains, until the times it was written down by Bukhari and many others.
The base of the pyramid is so big, it testifies for tradition, and that pattern is the normal pattern for propagating authentic narrations.
Fabritaction pattern
On the other hand, Shia tradition shows the pattern of an Inverted pyramid!
Where from the bottom, only a selected few knew about it, all of them in the city of (Qhom).
Yet, as you go back in time, it keeps getting bigger and bigger giving the illusion it’s well known.
That pattern is a pattern you would find for fabricated stories, where the liar claims many told him something, yet no one else ever heard about it other than him! In this case, the fabrications are originating in Qhom.
Shias try to mimic the Sunni Hadith because it’s based on objective verification not blind faith; yet, they ended up validating the fact that their tradition is unreliable.
- Rejecting their own hadiths (Example: the alternative Quran)
Nowadays, the majority of Shias reject a lot of myths that are rooted in their own traditions.
For example, the claim that there is another Quran that Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) hid away, and gave to his sons, all the way until Al-Mahdi.
Majority of Shias reject this completely because of its sheer blasphemy.
This claim is not only mythical but it’s also countered by the miraculous nature of the Quran and the eternal Quranic challenge.
This exposes the corrupt nature that is in the heart of the Shia narrations and traditions.
The source that narrated these types of hadiths is the only source they have for the rest of the tradition!
- History
The contradiction between Shia claims and simple known history is a clear sign that it’s a manmade fabrication.
Shias can’t just rewrite history as they wish, unanimously known facts cannot be changed, like the fact that Ali was the fourth Caliph, which means he was a key figure in the Islamic country and a pillar of it, until he became the fourth leader.
Also, Ali’s known honesty and courage is a clear response to the majority of the lies fabricated against him.
And not to mention the non-existent yet awaited Mahdi!
History and common sense are in clear contradiction with all the claims of Shia. Shi’ism is historically a man-made faith.
- Shia minority
A Noteworthy difference between Sunnis and Shias is in their numbers.
Shias and Sunnis are often compared to Catholics and Protestants, but reality is very different.
From the beginning of Islamic, and until today, the overwhelming majority, between 80~90% of mainstream Muslims are Sunnis. Shias were always a very small minority.
Shi’ism adoption is attributed mainly to emotional attractions and following the social norm, that’s why it was always a minority. And it is very different from the split of Christians for example.
Shia vs Sunni, who is right?
Islamic history clearly shows that rather than the companion’s celebrity rejecting Islam by rejecting the command of Imamah, such command never existed to begin with, apparent by plethora of evidence:
- Ali himself never claimed Imamah. Ali never fought Abu Bakr, Omar, or Othman to begin with! Ali was a central figure in the Islamic state and a pillar of its success.
People even chose him as the fourth caliph and gathered around him.
- How the Caliphs were chosen. History clearly shows that nobody including Ali believed in Imamah!
– AbuBakr was chosen unanimously by Muslims, because he was the best Muslim and the closest to Prophet Muhamed -peace be upon him-; this includes Ali!
– AbuBakr Suggested Omar and Muslims accepted him as well, including Ali!
– Omar Suggested Six candidates, Ali was among them but not his own son! Ali was one of the Top two candidates for ruling, yet Othman was chosen instead and Ali accepted!
– When Othman was assassinated, people gathered again and chose Ali to be the caliph, just as they did with Abubakr! - It’s irrational to think that a major conspiracy happened by a whole generation of people all at the same time, just to usurp the right of Ali, only to give it to him later on! That’s a simple and pure delusion.
- Hypocrisy is only conducted by the weak minority to hide from the influence of the strong majority, and to say that the whole companions were hypocrites, not real Muslims and were only showing Islam, makes no sense.
Mind you these are the same people Shias claimed to have stripped Ali from his divine right! - With the death of the prophet, Islam and the Quran would have been lost in history and no Shias of today would have ever knew about it, if it weren’t for the first generation, Muslims remaining steady and zealous in practicing Islam and spreading it across the world facing off insurmountable odds and passing them by divine aid against Persians and Romans.
- The only explanation to the unity of the first generation of Companions and the unification of Arab is their devotion to the message of Islam, and it is senseless to say that all of them would just ignore Imamah, and such things would magically have no impact on Islamic history!
Last but not least, when asking Who is more orthodox, Shia or Sunni? Sunni, is the obvious answer.
The religion of the companions is obviously the orthodox and Shiaism, is an innovation.
Islam is the message of the Quran and tradition of Prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him-, as he taught it to his companions and they taught it to the world.
Reasonable people acknowledge that between the companions and the Shia, the ones who present real Islam are obviously the companions.
Can a Shia and Sunni get married?
This question depends on the individual Shia person as we know Shia beliefs can range from being an innovation in Islam and can be Kufr or Shirk that takes the person out of Islam entirely.
If the person is someone who curses the companions, believes in a different Quran, believes that Imams are better than messengers, believes that Imams have supernatural powers or Gods, or is actively making Duaa to Imams like (Ya Ali ) or (Ya Husain), then this person is not a Muslim and a Muslim can’t marry him, because of the clear forbidding of all of this in the Quran.
If he is a Shia but rejects those severe transgressions which can make him fall into the fold of innovation, then scholars say its (Makruh) –better avoided- to marry such a person, because of the general ruling that a Muslim searching for a spouse should pick the one with best piety in Religion, and Bid’ah (Innovation) is obviously a very bad characteristic for a future husband.
Summary:
Islam is the message of the Quran and tradition of Prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him-, as he taught it to his companions and they taught it to the world. Even non-Muslims would clearly acknowledge that between the companions and the Shia, the ones who present the real Islam are obviously the companions, and Shias are simply an attempt to change that.
Shi’ism is simply a politically and historically developed ideology that mixed into the faith of Islam due to the nature of the time when it was a new faith spreading all over the world. Examining Shia’s claim clearly shows it is filled with myths and falsehoods and not backed by any evidence, but rather goes against all evidence from primary Islamic sources and history.
