What are the origins of Shi'ism?

Question

What are the origins of Shi'ism? How did it begin?
Is Sunni'ism a reaction/response to Shi'ism?

edit:
Many of answerers have mentioned that a Jew who became a Muslim is the founder of Shi'ism. From what I understand this Jew became a Muslim for the purpose of causing mischief amongst Muslims. Allah knows best.
There are many excellent answers to this question.
There is tremendous ignorance about Islam amongst both Sunni's and Shi'a's. If indeed, the founder of Shi'ism was a Jew who wanted to cause problems, then he is doing so.
We, Muslims need to learn to keep an open mind and heart and to listen to others. We, need to always refer to The Qur'an and The Sunneh O f Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
A hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is: Say, we are Muslimeen, we are Mumineen, we are Ibaad Allah.

May Allah guide ALL of us!

Answer 1

Shi'ism isn't a product of Islam. It begun with a clever Yemenite Jew named 'Abdullah bin Saba. He only accepted Islam for self-interest and to destroy the peace of the Islamic state.

He only pretended to be Muslim, but in fact, he remained a Jew. It was because of 'Abdullah bin Saba that Hadrat Uthman was assassinated. Sunni'ism existed starting from the time of the Prophet Muhammad. I would think it's the other way around, with Shi'ism being the reaction to Sunni'ism.

I think most Shia are misguided people. I also think that even though Hizbollah claim to be Shia, in actions, they are Sunni, but that's only my opinion.

Answer 2

Shi'ism came into the scene during the reign of Muawwiya. A man named Abdullah, a Muslim but of Jewish origin, began to spread a new ideology stating that the Caliphate should belong only to Ali and his descendants. He rendered the Caliphate of Omar, Abu Bakr and Othman as void and declared that the first Caliph should have been Ali instead of Abu Bakr. This was a plot to declare the throne of Muawwiya as illegal and without spiritual clout. The ideology soon became widespread and people began inventing new doctrines along with it. They now have the Imamites and the belief in female angels. The ideology was first coined as Shi'i which means distortion or deviation as opposed to Sunni which means Sunnah (following the path of the prophet) but it gained popularity in non-Arabic land and later adapted as a new sect by many. But Shi'ism is of many forms. There are extreme and moderate sub-sects within Shiism. Some believe in the Qur'an as the complete word of Allah while others claim that the Qur'an is incomplete so they have the Safhah Fatima (their version of the Qur'an). Some respect the beloved wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Aisha, while others curse her in their prayers. Some even believe that the true prophet was Ali and that the Angel Gabriel committed mistake by giving the message to the Prophet Muhammad!

Sunni or Sunnah was never used to mean a sect in Islam. We are supposed to be all Sunnis (followers of the way of the prophet) but because of the popularity of the shiism, the word sunni now is use to differentiate the followers of shiism from the rest of the Muslim population. Honestly I feel awkward to say that I am a Sunni because we are supposed to be Muslims. But sometimes we have to make a stand in distinguishing ourselves from shiism.

I don't have any problem with the moderate shias but with the extreme form of shiism I totally reject it.

Please don't be confused by their tactic of making you doubt about your faith. It is not important whether Ali or Abu Bakr should be the first Caliph because we already have the prophet Muhammad's sunnah and the Qur'an. Cling to both of them and believe me you will never be at lost. You may be a Shia or a Sunni or whatever as long as you follow the qur'an and hadith, you will be a true Muslim...

Answer 3

Sunni, Shi'ite and Sufi groups developed after a battle of attrition (centuries old) to perpetuate particular interpretations of Islamic orthodoxy. This division took place after the death of 'Ali. The Shi'a (a 10% minority) followed a successor of 'Ali and were led by Imams. The Sunni (90% majority) were led until 1924 by a Caliph. They have profound differences. Shi'ites reject ijma (consensus) substituting it with what they call the divinely appointed, infallible spiritual guide (Imam). Ali is regarded by them as Muhammed's divinely ordained successor.

Sunni's are the traditionalists with 'ulama (scholars of Islamic law and theology). Warfare between them and the Shi'ites errupted when the 12th Shi'ite imam disappeared in mysterious circumstances. All Sunni's follow the precepts established by one of the 4 first schools, Maliki, Hanafi, Shafi'i or Hanbali. The majority of Shi'ites follow Imami law. Sunni and Shi'ite ineritance schemes differ in many respects. There are many other differences.

Answer 4

85% of world muslims are sunni rest 15% are shia muslims live mainly in Iran and Iraq, they both believe in prophet Mohammad pbuh but shia disagree who should of been the next leader after death of mohammad pbuh, i heard thet shiaism was started by a Jew to cause break up and wars between muslims, we must wake up and accept shia and sunni to be muslim and unite. STOP FIGHTING WITH OURSELVES THIS IS NOT WHAT ALLAH WANTED.

Answer 5

Shi'ism was started by some jew who wanted to cause a rift in Islam. His name was Abdullah ibn Saba. Those people have beliefs that have nothing to do with Islam at all. They are a small minority and a thorn in the side of the Muslim umma.

Answer 6

The division of islamic followers had been discussed by Muhammad pbuh when he still alive.He said that christianity would be divided into 72 groups and Islam into 74 groups.
In the era of Muawiyah a friend of Muhammad pbuh,in Iraq he attacked and killed Ali bin Abi Thalib the son of law of Muhammad pbuh as the leader of Islam country.He killed also the grandchildren of Muhammad pbuh.After that Islam followers are divided into shi'ah and sunni.Yes Sunni is the reaction of shi;ism.Sunni'ism followers want to defend the original Islam as had been demonstrated by Muhammad pbuh that the leader of Islam can be the descendat of Muhammad pbuh or the descendat of Muhammad pbuh's close friends who meet certain requirements.
Muawiyah was one of close friends of Muhammad pbuh who was thirsty of power.

Answer 7

Shi'ism is the original Islam, and it began with the teachings of the Prophet (SAW). This perfect Islam was maintained by the wali (successor) of the Prophet, Imam Ali ibn abi Talib (AS) after the Prophet died, and the 11 Imams after Ali continued the maintanance to keep the true religion alive.
Sunnism began existing when they rejected the order of the Prophet that Ali is his successor. Not only did they go against the order of the Prophet, they made their own invalid form of Islam and took power and became the majority through oppressing the Shia and spreading their lies. They got rid of some Islamic rights and modified the religion, introducing bidaa, so they made Islam into some weak and pathetic thing. Shia Islam remains the strong and valid true Islam as taught by the Prophet and explained by the Imams (AS).
Shia Islam == Islam original.

Answer 8

i think it was a tatic to split the islam and to bring war among the muslims..
I do not know the origins..

Answer 9

a s s a l a m o a l a y k o m

http://www.al-islam.org/guided
by Sayed Mohamed Tijani Smaoui

read & enjoy!

Answer 10

This question needs a very long answer I will advice to search for it on the net.