I had several people asking me to write about Sunni and Shi'a, so here is a brief comparison. more to come in sha'Allah.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHI'A AND SUNNI MUSLIMS?
Both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. They are both Muslims. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from religious and spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.
ORIGINS - A QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP
The division between Shi'a and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Mohammed -peace be upon him-, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation.
Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Mohammed's closest friend and companion, Abu Bakr -may the God be pleased with him-, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. The word "Sunni" in Arabic means "one who follows the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet)"
The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Mohammed's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi-Talib -may the God be pleased with him-. They believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.
The word "Shi'a" in Arabic means "a group" or "supportive party of people". The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shi'at-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet -peace be upon him-).
DIFFERENCES IN RELIGIOUS PRACTICE
This initial question of political leadership has led to the development of the largest institutional division within the Muslim community, without any drastic variation in fundamental beliefs or practices.
It is important to remember that despite these differences in opinion and practice, Shi'a and Sunni Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief and are considered by most to be brethren in faith. In fact, most Muslims do not distinguish themselves by claiming membership in any particular group, but prefer to call themselves simply, "Muslims."
The enemies of Islam, and in order to exploit the wealth of the Muslim lands and keep the Muslims as a weak nation, often try to deepen the wounds of division and cause enmity between the Muslims. The Sunni-Shi'a differences are passionately employed by those with vested interests for political or "religious" hegemony.
DISTRIBUTION
Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.
It's very important to note that Shia/Sunni differences shouldn't be seen as similar to Catholic/Protestants sects in Christianity (like some non-muslims may think). while the Catholic and Protestants follow different versions of the Bible*, the Shia and the Sunni follow the EXACT SAME QUR'AN. from cover to cover. I read in anti-Islamic websites some silly allegations that the Shia have a different Qur'an or that their Qur'an has more chapters than the Sunni. These false claims only aim to propagate the idea that the Qur'an was not preserved by the Almighty. in fact, they can easily be refuted. Anyone can go to a Shia mosque and a Sunni mosque and compare the Qur'an they have. so I repeat, the Shia and the Sunni have the exact same Qur'an.
I hope this was beneficial.
from [link] with some changes
more on the Shi'a and Sunni will come later, in sha'Allah [God willing]
* the Catholic Bible has 73 books, while the Protestant Bible has only 66 books.
I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE SAYING THIS, BUT SINCE WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE IN INTERNET, I'M OBLIGED: BE RESPECTFUL IN WHAT YOU WRITE. IF I FEEL THE SLIGHTEST ATTEMPT TO ATTACK ANY GROUP AIMING TO SPREAD FALSEHOOD AND DIVISION BETWEEN THE MUSLIMS, YOUR COMMENT WILL BE FLAGGED AS SPAM. I'M SAYING THIS TO THE MUSLIMS BEFORE I SAY IT TO THE NON-MUSLIMS. MY PAGE IS NOT AN OPEN SPACE FOR YOU TO ATTACK AND SLANDER AND TO MAKE EVERYBODY YOU DON'T LIKE INTO A KAFIR. IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE OR DEBATE, DO SO ELSEWHERE. DON'T SAY YOU WERE NOT WARNED.
If I'm right it's from the God. If I'm wrong, it's from myself.
