Whats the difference between Sunni muslims and Shiite muslims>?

Answer 1

Shiite Muslims follow the leadership of Muhammad's brother, the line that they believe should have had leadership of the religion after Muhammad died. Sunnis are orthodox Muslims who follow the original line of caliphs from the beginning. There was a break off a couple of generations after the death of Muhammad which resulted in this split.

Answer 2

There are more than these two sects, but these are the largest.

The Sunnis make up around 80% of all Muslims ( Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia ). The name came from Sunnah, which means the tradition. They follow the traditions of Islam. They try to live like their example Muhammad.

The Shi'ites are in in countries like Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and parts of Africa. The separated from the main group of Muslims n the 1st century . I had to do something with the leadership after their "prophet's" death ( Muhammad ). They believed that the leader should come from Muhammad's family line, blood. And Sunni's opinion was that the Islamic leader should be elected by other leaders, and they won this battle.

Answer 3

Sunni believe that the Caliph or leader of the Islamic Community (Ummah) should be chosen from among the religious leaders while Shia believe that the leader of the Ummah must be a descendant of Muhammed. Ali was the founder of the SHia faith and the other three co-leaders of the Ummah directly after Muhammed's death declared war on the Shias and they have been killing each other ever since. It is really just a power struggle and doesn't have a lot to do with doctrinal differences like Protestant vs. Catholic. The Shariah is almost identical. If you look at Iran's law (Shia theocracy) and Saudi Arabia (Sunni theocracy. Both countries execute for leaving Islam adultery and drug dealing, amputate hands for theft, and publicly flog people for drinking alcohol, dress code violations and fornication. In practice it is virtually identical.

Answer 4

Sunni,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni

Shiite,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiites

Answer 5

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 !

Shi'a and Sunni both want to lead the pack.
Leaving out the Sufi, Kharijites, Ibadi, Ahmadis, Wahabi, and Bahii.

Answer 6

Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. They are also referred to as Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jamaa'h (Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة) (people of the example (of Muhammad) and the community) which implies that they are the majority, or Ahl ul-Sunna (Arabic: أهل السنة; "The people of the example (of Muhammad)") for short. The word Sunni comes from the word sunna (Arabic : سنة ), which means the words and actions [1] or example of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. They represent the branch of Islam that accepted the caliphate of Abu Bakr due to him being chosen by peoples consensus, thus elections, or Shurah on the caliphate being the first distinguishing factor in Sunni Islam. Most Sunni lawyers define themselves as those Muslims who are rooted in one of the four orthodox schools of Sunni law (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii or Hanbali).


ShÄ«‘a, also Shi'ah and Shi‘ite (Arabic شيعة Å¡Ä«Ê¿a), is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith after Sunni Islam. Shias adhere to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.) and the religious guidance of his family (who are referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt) or Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.)'s descendents known as Shi'a Imams. Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.)'s bloodline continues only through his daughter Fatima Zahra R.A. and her husband Ali ibn Abu Talib, who alongside the Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.)'s grandsons are among the Ahl al-Bayt ("people of the house [of Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.)]"). Thus, Shi'as consider Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H.)'s descendents as the true source of guidance while considering the first three ruling Sunni caliphs a historic occurrence and not something attached to faith. The singular/adjective form is Å¡Ä«Ê¿Ä« (شيعي.) and refers to a follower of the faction of Imam Ali R.A. according to the Shia ideology.

Shia Islam, like Sunni Islam, has at times been divided into many branches; however, only three of these currently have a significant number of followers. The best known and the one with most adherents is the Twelvers (اثنا عشرية iṯnāʿašariyya) which have a large percentage (90%) in Iran and Iraq; the others are Ismaili and Zaidiyyah. Alawites and Druzes consider themselves Shias, although this is sometimes disputed by mainstream Shias.[1] The Sufi orders among the Shias are the Alevi, Bektashi, Kubrawiya, Noorbakhshi, Oveyssi, Qizilbashi, Hamadani and Fatimid orders and denominations. Twenty percent of Turkey's population is Alevi while Lebanon and Syria have a large presence of Druze and Alawites.

According to most sources, including the US Library of Congress, present estimates indicate that approximately 85% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 15% are Shi'a. Today there are estimated to be between 130 and 190 million Shi'a Muslims[2] (including Twelvers, Ismailis, Zaydis) throughout the world, about three quarters of whom reside in Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and India

Answer 7

FOR UNBELIEVERS, NOT MUCH

Sunnis dont believe there is any religious significance to a blood linage of Muhammad, where Shias do.

Shias carry around big posters of their angry leaders, but Sunnis consider this idolatry, which is the number one justification for murder....polytheism.