whats the difference between sunni and shia muslims?

Answer 1

Know, may Allaah guide us and you to the truth and enable us to follow it, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not die before he had shown the way clearly to his ummah [nation]. There was no major or minor matter but he gave us knowledge about it from Allaah. At the end of the last Hajj [pilgrimage] performed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there was revealed the aayah [verse] (interpretation of the meaning):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion” [al-Maa’idah 5:3]

The Sahaabah [Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] (may Allaah be pleased with them) adhered very closely to this path, and thus Allaah protected the followers of Islam from splitting in this blameworthy manner.

They were followed in that by the Taabi’een [the generation that followed the generation of the Sahaabah] (may Allaah have mercy on them), but some internal and external factors led to the emergence of some reprehensible divisions following the three best generations. Among the external causes of that were:

Mixing with other, non-Muslim nations, such as the Persians, Romans, Indians and Greeks, and contact with other religious groups such as Jews, Christians, Sabians, Magians, Indian religions and others.

Among the internal causes were:

Following whims and desires, giving room to doubts, turning away from learning the religion and sharee’ah of Allaah, ignorance, extremism, and imitation of non-Muslims… etc.

All of these reasons, and others, led to some small groups splitting from the right path which the majority of the Muslims followed, so there emerged some groups, innovations and opinions that differed from the path of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions, and the Taabi’een and those who followed their path.

But we may note that these groups and factions were in fact a discordant note that differed from the majority of Muslims, and their followers were shunned and opposed by the scholars, khulafaa’ [khaleefahs or Muslim rulers] and majority of Muslims, which meant that they were contained and their influence was prevented from becoming widespread during most periods of Islamic history.

The majority of Muslims remained on the Sunni path – in general – and when forms of bid’ah emerged among them, the scholars of truth have always hastened to oppose them and point out their falsehood. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that these divisions would emerge; he warned us about them and commanded us to adhere to the jamaa’ah [main body] of the Muslims. He said: “The Jews and the Christians split into seventy-two sects, all of which are in Hell; this ummah [nation] will split into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in Hell apart from one.” They asked, “Which one is that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Those who follow the path which I and my Companions are on today.” He said, “A group of my ummah will remain following the truth and will prevail, and those who oppose them will not harm them, until the Day of Judgement begins.”

There are many reasons why the Muslims have always felt a sense of unity, some of which we have mentioned above. But the most obvious reason is that this religion comes from Allaah and it is protected by Allaah. If any other religion had been exposed to the wars, conspiracies and plots that Islam has been exposed to, it would have vanished a long time ago (as we see in the case of other religions). Every rational person will see that a belief which for more than 1400 years has stayed exactly the same as it was at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and is still renewing itself in the hearts of its followers (in love and adherence) like the renweing of a flower in spring – this is the strongest evidence that the religion of Allaah is the true religion. And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

Anyone who calls people to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not of the misguided groups, rather he belongs to the saved group mentioned in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“The Jews split into seventy-one groups and the Christians split into seventy-two groups. My ummah will split into seventy-three groups, all of which will be in the Fire except for one.” He was asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Those who follow the path which I and my companions are on today.” According to one report: “They are the jamaa’ah.”

What this means is that the saved group is the group (jamaa’ah) which adheres steadfastly to the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them), i.e., believing in and worshipping Allaah alone (Tawheed), obeying His commands and heeding His prohibitions, and adhering steadfastly to that in word, deed and belief. These are the people of truth, the ones who call to right guidance, even though they may be scattered throughout the world, with some in Arabia, some in Syria, some in America, some in Egypt, some in the African countries, some in Asia. They are many groups, but they are known by their ‘aqeedah and their deeds. If they follow the path of Tawheed and belief in Allaah and His Messenger, and they adhere steadfastly to the religion of Allaah which was brought by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then they are Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah and the saved group, even though they may be scattered in many parts of the world. But at the end of time they will be very few in number.

In conclusion, the guideline concerning this issue is whether or not they adhere to the truth. If there is a person or a group which calls people to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and advocates belief in Tawheed and adhering to the Sharee’ah, then they are the Jamaa’ah and the saved group.

But those who call to anything other than the Book of Allaah, or anything other than the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then they are not part of the jamaa’ah; rather they belong to the misguided and doomed groups. The saved group is those who call people to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, even though they may be groups here and there. So long as their aim and their belief is the same, it doesn’t matter if one is called Ansaar al-Sunnah, and another is called al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen, and so on. What matters is their ‘aqeedah (belief) and their actions. If they adhere steadfastly to the truth and to Tawheed, and they are sincere towards Allaah and follow the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word, deed and belief, then names do not matter. But they have to fear Allaah and be sincere in that. If some of them are called Ansaar al-Sunnah, and others are called al-Salafiyyeen, or al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen, or whatever, it doesn’t matter so long as they are sincere and adhere steadfastly to the truth by following the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah, and judge according to them, and adhere steadfastly to them in belief, word and deed. If any group errs in some way, then the scholars have to warn them and guide them to the truth if there is clear evidence.

The point is that we must co-operate in righteousness and piety, and deal with our problems with knowledge, wisdom and good manners. If any of these groups or others makes a mistake that has to do with ‘aqeedah, or something that Allaah has commanded or forbidden, they should show them the shar’i evidence in a gentle, wise and polite manner, so that they will follow the truth and accept it, so that they will not be put off from it. This is what all the Muslims should do, co-operate in righteousness and piety, and advise one another to follow that; they should not let one another down in such a way that the enemy may take advantage of them.

1. Muslims Should be United


It is a fact that Muslims today, are divided amongst themselves. The tragedy is that such divisions are not endorsed by Islam at all. Islam believes in fostering unity amongst its followers.

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"And hold fast,
All together, by the rope
Which Allah (stretches out for you),
and be not divided among yourselves;"
[Al-Qur’an 3:103]

Which is the rope of Allah that is being referred to in this verse? It is the Glorious Qur’an. The Glorious Qur’an is the rope of Allah which all Muslims should hold fast together. There is double emphasis in this verse. Besides saying ‘hold fast all together’ it also says, ‘be not divided’.

Qur’an further says,

"Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger"
[Al-Qur’an 4:59]

All the Muslim should follow the Qur’an and authentic Ahadith and be not divided among themselves.


2. It is Prohibited to make sects and divisions in Islam


The Glorious Qur’an says:

"As for those who divide
Their religion and break up
Into sects, thou hast
No part in them in the least:
Their affair is with Allah:
He will in the end
Tell them the truth
Of all that they did."
[Al-Qur’an 6:159]

In this verse Allah (swt) says that one should disassociate oneself from those who divide their religion and break it up into sects.

But when one asks a Muslim, "who are you?", the common answer is either ‘I am a Sunni, or ‘I am a Shia’. Some call themselves Hanafi, or Shafi or Maliki or Humbali. Some say ‘I am a Deobandi’, while some others say ‘I am a Barelvi’.


3. Our Prophet was a Muslim


One may ask such Muslims, "Who was our beloved prophet (pbuh)? Was he a Hanafi or a Shafi, or a Humbali or a Maliki?" No! He was a Muslim, like all the other prophets and messengers of Allah before him.

It is mentioned in chapter 3 verse 52 of Al-Qur’an that Jesus (pbuh) was a Muslim.

Further, in chapter 3 verse 67, Al-Qur’an says that Ibrahim (pbuh) was not a Jew or a Christian but was a Muslim.


4. Qur’an says call yourselves Muslim


If anyone poses a Muslim the question who are you, he should say "I am a MUSLIM, not a Hanafi or a Shafi". Surah Fussilat chapter 41 verse 33 says
"Who is better in speech
Than one who calls (men)
To Allah, works righteousness,
And says, ‘I am of those
Who bow in Islam (Muslim)?’ "
[Al-Qur’an 41:33]

The Qur’an says "Say I am of those who bow in Islam". In other words, say, "I am a Muslim".

The Prophet (pbuh) dictated letters to non-Muslim kings and rulers inviting them to accept Islam. In these letters he mentioned the verse of the Qur’an from Surah Ali Imran chapter 3 verse 64:
Say ye: "Bear witness
That we (at least)
Are Muslims (bowing
To Allah’s Will)."
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]


5. Respect all the Great Scholars of Islam


We must respect all the great scholars of Islam, including the four Imaams, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi, Imam Humbal and Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with them all). They were great scholars and may Allah reward them for their research and hardwork. One can have no objection if someone agrees with the views and research of Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Shafi, etc. But when posed a question, ‘who are you?’, the reply should only be ‘I am a Muslim’.

Some may argue by quoting the hadith of our beloved Prophet from Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4579. In this hadith the prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My community will be split up into seventy-three sects."

This hadith reports that the prophet predicted the emergence of seventy-three sects. He did not say that Muslims should be active in dividing themselves into sects. The Glorious Qur’an commands us not to create sects. Those who follow the teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith, and do not create sects are the people who are on the true path.

According to Tirmidhi Hadith No. 171, the prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in Hell fire except one sect." The companions asked Allah’s messenger which group that would be. Where upon he replied, "It is the one to which I and my companions belong."

The Glorious Qur’an mentions in several verses, "Obey Allah and obey His Messenger". A true Muslim should only follow the Glorious Qur’an and the Sahih Hadith. He can agree with the views of any scholar as long as they conform to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith. If such views go against the Word of Allah, or the Sunnah of His Prophet, then they carry no weight, regardless of how learned the scholar might be.

If only all Muslims read the Qur’an with understanding and adhere to Sahih Hadith, Inshallah most of these differences would be solved and we could be one united Muslim Ummah

The most prominent characteristic of the saved group is adherence to the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in ‘aqeedah (belief), ‘ibaadah (worship), manners and attitude, and dealings with others. The saved group has distinct characteristics in these four areas.

In matters of ‘aqeedah you will find that they adhere to that which is indicated by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), i.e., absolute Oneness (Tawheed) of the Divinity and Lordship of Allaah, and of His Names and Attributes.

In matters of worship, you will find that this group is distinguished by its total adherence to and application of that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do with regard to different kinds of acts of worship, how they are done, to what extent, where and when, and for what reasons. You will not find them introducing innovations into the religion of Allaah, rather they show the utmost respect towards Allaah and His Messenger, so they do not put themselves forward before Allaah and His Messenger (cf. al-Hujuraat 49:1) by suggesting any innovated act of worship for which He has not granted permission.

In matters of manners and attitude, you will also find that they differ from others by virtue of their good attitudes such as wishing the Muslims well, being content, having a cheerful countenance, speaking well, being generous, being courageous, and other noble and good characteristics.

In matters of dealings with others, you will find that they deal with others in an open and sincere manner. They are the ones to whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) referred when he said: “The two parties (to a transaction) have the choice (of proceeding with the transaction or cancelling it) until they separate. If they are sincere and open, their transaction will be blessed for them, and if they are lying or deceitful, the blessing will be lost.”

If a person is lacking in any of these characteristics, then does not mean that he is not one of the saved group, but for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did (cf. al-Ahqaaf 46:19). Falling short in matters of Tawheed may put a person outside the saved group, such as lacking in ikhlaas (sincerity or purity of intention). The same applies to bid’ah, as a person may do acts of bid’ah which put him outside the saved group.

In matters of morals and dealings with others, defects in such matters do not put a person outside this group, although they may reduce him in status.

We need to look in more detail at the matter of attitude and manners. One of the most important matters of attitude and manners is unity and uniting upon the truth. This is what Allaah urges us to do in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“He (Allaah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nooh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Ibraaheem (Abraham), Moosa (Moses) and ‘Eesa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically) and make no divisions in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion)” [al-Shoora 42:13]

Allaah tells us that those who divide their religion and break up into sects, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has nothing to do with them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad) have no concern in them in the least” [al-An’aam 6:159]

Unity and harmony are among the most prominent characteristics of the saved sect – Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. If any dispute arises among them, stemming from ijtihaad in matters where ijtihaad is permitted – they do not bear ill-will, enmity or grudges against one another. Rather they regard one another as brothers even though these differences arise between them. One of them will pray behind another even if he thinks that he does not have wudoo’ whilst the imaam thinks that he does have wudoo’. For example, one of them may pray behind another who has eaten camel meat, and this imaam thinks that this does not break wudoo’ whereas the person praying behind him thinks that it does break wudoo’. So he believes that his prayer behind this imaam is valid, but if he himself were to pray in that state on his own he would think that his prayer is not valid. All this is because they believe that differences which arise from ijtihaad in cases where ijtihaad is allowed, are not really differences, because each of them has followed evidence (daleel) as he is obliged to do, and which should not be ignored. So they believe that if their brother differs from them with regard to some action because he is following the evidence (daleel), then in effect he is agreeing with them, because they advocate following the evidence wherever it is. So although he differs from them, he is still following evidence from the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The scholars are not unaware of the differences of this nature that arose among the Sahaabah even during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he did not rebuke them. When he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from the campaign of al-Ahzaab, and Jibreel came to him and told him to go out to Bani Qurayzah, who had broken the treaty, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told his companions, “None of you should pray ‘Asr until he reaches Bani Qurayzah.” They set out from Madeenah to Bani Qurayzah, and they were worried about missing the ‘Asr prayer. Some of them delayed the ‘Asr prayer until they reached Bani Qurayzah, and they prayed it after the time for the prayer had passed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had said, “None of you should pray ‘Asr until he reaches Bani Qurayzah.” Others prayed ‘Asr on time, saying that all the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had meant was that they should hasten to go out (to Bani Qurayzah); he did not mean that they should delay the prayer. These are the ones who were correct, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not rebuke either of the two groups, and neither expressed enmity towards the other. The Muslims who claim to follow the Sunnah should be one ummah and not divide into groups, fighting one another verbally and arguing and hating one another for a matter in which it is allowed to have different opinions. There is no need to mention every group by name; the smart person will understand what I mean.

I think that Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah should unite even though they differ in the ways in which they understand those texts which may be interpreted in different ways. That is a matter in which there is room for differences, may Allaah be praised. What matters is harmony and unity. No doubt the enemies of Islam want the Muslims to be divided, whether they are enemies who express their enmity openly or they are enemies who make an outward display of friendliness towards Muslims and Islam, but that is not real. We must be distinguished by this characteristic which is the characteristic of the saved group, i.e., being united.

Answer 2

The principal difference is found in early history of Islam. After the Prophet Muhammed died, there was something of a succession crisis. One of Muhammed's prominent followers, Abu Bakr (Muhammed's father-in-law), stepped forward and stated that he would be the successor, not another prophet, but simply a temporal leader (with some interpretation of the Qur'an rights) known as the Caliph. That this was the will of Allah is the basis of the Sunni sect.

Shiites, on the other hand, believe that the rightful successor should have been a direct relative. They believed that Ali, Muhammed's son-in-law and nephew, was the only true candidate for the position. Even though Ali would be Sunni Islam's fourth Caliph, Shiites reject the first three.

After Ali was murdered, the split became rather noticible. Sunnis continued to follow a Caliph, although by that time Muslim lands spanned so large a distance the caliphate was dividing up based on geography. Shiites, who were more concentrated, followed a line of Ali's decendents know as Imans. After the split, the two sects started to have differing interpretations of to a certain extent the Qur'an, but primarily the Hadith, a collection of laws that were compiled based on a number of Muhammed's sermons.

Both the Caliphate and the office of the Imans would end at some point, but by the time that this happened, the division was so prominent that it would be difficult to reconsile the two. That's pretty much how it is to this day.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

1. Sunni

The Sunni are the largest group in Islam. In Arabic, as-Sunnah literally means principle or path. Sunnis and Shi'a believe that Muhammad is a perfect example to follow, and that they must imitate the words and acts of Muhammad as accurately as possible. Because of this reason, the Hadith in which those words and acts are described are a main pillar of Sunni doctrine.

Sunnis recognize four major legal traditions (madhhabs): Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, and Hanbali. All four accept the validity of the others and Muslims choose any one that he/she finds agreeable to his/her ideas. There are also several orthodox theological or philosophical traditions (kalam).

2. Shi'a

Shi'a Muslims, the second-largest branch, differ from the Sunni in rejecting the authority of the first three caliphs. They honor different accounts of Muhammad (hadith) and have their own legal traditions. Shi'a scholars have a larger authority than Sunni scholars and have greater room for interpretation. The concept of Imamah (leadership) plays a central role in Shi'a doctrine. Shi'a Muslims hold that leadership should not be passed down through a system such as the caliphate, but rather, descendants of Muhammad should be given this right as Imams.

Answer 4

Sunni and Shia muslims interpret the Quran differently. The difference is similar to say Catholics and Protestants in Christianity.

Answer 5

I bear witness that "both are muslim sects". I bear witness that "Shia Islam holds that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt ("the People of the House"), and certain individuals among his descendants, who are known as Imams, have special spiritual and political authority over the community. Shia Muslims further believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three caliphs." I bear witness that "Sunni branch of Islam accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Muhammad and accepts hadiths narrated by the companions". Peace.

Answer 6

the sunni muslims believe in aboobakr,omar and osman but the shia muslims do not believe so,actually there are lot's of other differences too which you can find by studying books and asking the specialists in islum

Answer 7

the difference is based on where they first learned their religion. Can you imagine if we here in america fought the same way? It wouldn't be the North against the South, it would be the mountain folk against the flatlanders fighting in a nutural zone, the place we went for commerce and supposed trade.

Answer 8

this is a good question. im interesting in knowing why they are killing each other now.......or have they always been doing this?
i think the later
ill be watching this post

Answer 9

i used 2 know but i've forgotten
so i'll have 2 ask dad again!!!

Answer 10

Duno don't realy care!

Answer 11

Don't know.
Maybe so they have someone to kill if they run out of 'infidel'.