What is the difference between a shite and a Sunni and why do they hate each other so much?

Question

I hear about them all the time and I have no clue as to why they hate each other so much.

Answer 1

Muhammad never designated who should be his successor as leader of Islam. After his death, Muslim leaders quickly decided that Muhammad's friend and father-in-law, Abu Bakr, should be caliph (chief executive, commander-in-chief, chief justice and leader, imam, of public worship). Abu Bakr was one of the first converts to Islam. The first four successors of Muhammad are called the "rightly guided caliphs." The fourth, 'Ali, was Muhammad's cousin. Ali was assassinated by fanatics in favor of Mu'awiya of the Umayyad family being the leader. Hasan and Husayn, sons of 'Ali and Muhammad's daughter, Fatima, were the surviving male heirs of Muhammad. Because of special interest in the family of Muhammad, there had been a "faction (shi'a) of 'Ali" that felt he and his descendants were the obvious successors. The Shi'ites call their leaders imams rather than caliphs, tracing them down through a number of generations from Imam 'Ali.
In all other important respects, the Shi'ites share the same story with the Sunnites, the majority group in Islam that looks to the four rightly guided caliphs as the proper successors to Muhammad.

Answer 2

I can't answer specifically John, but I draw a similarity with African tribes. African tribes have been fighting, enslaving, and killing each other for the same thousands of years that the middle eastern religious sects have been doing so.

Specifically in this case, however, Saddam was a Sunni and so Sunni's ruled Iraq, subjugating the Shiites and more so the Kurds (who are also Shiites). It's revenge at this point.

But the lesson to be learned is that no matter what you do, people are going to fight each other over something, be it tribal dedication or religion, or race, or color, or even the last piece of birthday cake.

Answer 3

they both think the religion was handed down to different folks after mohameds death

The death of Muhammad in Medina provoked a mayor crisis among his followers: The dispute over the leadership resulted in the most important "schism" in Islam: "Sunnis" and "Shiites:

- The Prophet's preference to follow him was Ali, the husband of his daughter, the Egyptian Fatima, and the father of his only surviving grandsons Hasan and Husayn. But, while the family was busy burying the Prophet, the leaders of Medina elected the aging Abu Bakr, the father of the Prophet's favorite wife, as the successor ("caliph"), even before the burial of the Prophet. Ali and his family were dismayed but agreed for the sake of unity, and because Ali was still young... however, after the murder of the third caliph, Ali was invited by the Muslims of Medina to accept the caliphate, with the mayor schism of Islam:

- The "Sunnis", followers of Abu, the majority, with 800 million Muslims.

- The "Shiites", followers of Ali, with 100 million Muslims (Iran, Iraq, Palestine).

Despite the differences in detail and politics, the various branches do accept the basic tenets laid down in the Koran.


1- The "Sunni": 800 million:

The followers of Abu, called "Sunni" because they accept the "sunnas", the oral traditions and interpretations of the Koran after Muhammad's death, called the "sunnas", and later the "Hadiths".

They are usually more liberal.

They belief the "caliph" ("successor" of Muhammad) should always be elected, not conferred by heredity. They claim they are the true followers of the faith, and until 1959 they refuse to recognize the Shiites as true Muslims. They believe in "predestination".

During the Ottoman Turks, the Caliphs were called "Sultans".

2- The "Shiite": 100 million:

The "Shiite ("partisans"), are the followers of Ali, more orthodox and militant, mainly in Iran, Iraq, and Palestine. In 656, Ali and Fatima's son Hussein led a fight against the Sunnis. Hussein was torture and beheaded, and today the Shiites of Iran honor the memory of Hussein's death with an annual procession in which marches in a frenzied demonstration beat and whip themselves with chains and branches.

The "Iman" and "Mahdi" (Messhiah):
Shiites created the office of the "Imam" ("leader" or "guide"), who were infallible, one for each generation, the only source of religious instruction and guidance, and all in direct descendence of Ali. There were 12 Imams since Ali; the last one, the 12th, went into hiding in 940, and he will emerge later to rule the world as "Mahdi" ("Messiah"). For this reason they are also called the "Imamites" or "Twelvers".

- The present "Ayatollahs", ("signs of God") see themselves as joint caretakers of the office of the Imam, until he returns at the end of time. The "Ayatollah Khomeini" claimed that he was a descendant of the 7th Imam, and hence the rightful ruler of the Shiites.

Answer 4

The Islam religion was founded by Mohammed in the seventh century. There are two branches of the religion he founded.

The Sunni branch believes that the first four caliphs--Mohammed's successors--rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War.

Shiites, in contrast, believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed. In 931 the Twelfth Imam disappeared. This was a seminal event in the history of Shiite Muslims. According to R. Scott Appleby, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, "Shiite Muslims, who are concentrated in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, [believe they] had suffered the loss of divinely guided political leadership" at the time of the Imam's disappearance. Not "until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978" did they believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

Answer 5

The difference is similar to Jews and Christians, Catholics and Protestants, Christians (Catholics included) and Mormons. In each case, a person or a supposed prophet came along an either substantially changed the source religion or added scripture to the accepted canon. The Shiites have included another prophet-like figure (I forget the name) who came several centuries after Mohammed and set down additional beliefs and laws not previously known. Therefore, the sunnis consider the shiites heretics, and vice-versa.

Answer 6

Shiite: Believe the caliphs (leaders) should be descended from Muhammad. They think the Sunnis corrupted the Qu'ran.

Sunni: Believe the caliphs should follow Sunna, or Muhammad's example. They think the Shiites corrupted the Qu'ran.

Answer 7

It has mostly to do with whom they think is the rightful descendant of Mohammed. The Shiites believe that only the lineage of Fatima (Mohammed's daughter) can become a cleric. They are the more "conservative" form of Islam.Sunnis believe that anyone can become a cleric, which is the more liberal.

Answer 8

Leadership! They both want to LEAD.
~~~~~~~~

The Great Pretender (Mo.) was born in 570AD or 571AD and died in 632AD.
Mo left no instructions as to which son or whoever should lead the cult after his death.
The Tikrit moon worshipers have been fighting and killing each other over the leadership ever since.
That is 1,375 (?) years....so much for the religion of PEACE !

Shia and Sunni both want to lead the pack.

Answer 9

Yes you can ask any of the abrahamic religions why do they profess love but hate so much?

Answer 10

Here is a great article and it is very detailed, it explains the origins of the two sects and much more.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20070108/cm_rcp/the_nature_of_our_enemy