Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin and son-in-law, Ali bin Abu Talib. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Other Iraqi Shias are ethnic Arabs with roots in Iraq as deep as those of their Sunni counterparts.[63]. [18], An example of Sunni–Shia cooperation was the Khilafat Movement which swept South Asia following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the seat of the Caliphate, in World War I. Shia scholars "came to the caliphate's defence" by attending the 1931 Caliphate Conference in Jerusalem, although they were theologically opposed to the idea that non-imams could be caliphs or successors to Muhammad, and that the caliphate was "the flagship institution" of Sunni, not Shia, authority. Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali al-Zaidi. Arab states especially Saudi Arabia and GCC states have been funding extremist Deobandi Sunnis and Wahhabis in Pakistan, since the Afghan Jihad. 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[109][110][111] Thus, although the Iranian revolution's leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, was very much in favor of Shia–Sunni unity, and "the leadership position that went with it",[112] his revolution worked against it. [233] As of 2017, estimates of the number of Nigeria's 90–95 million Muslims who are Shia vary from between 20 million (Shia estimate), to less than five million (Sunni estimate).[234]. Many distinctions can be made between Sunnis and Shiaīs through observation alone: When prostrating during ritual prayer called Salah in Arabic. Shi'ism did not penetrate any land to the extent that it gradually could in Iran. [148], Soon after the 1979 revolution, Sunni leaders from Kurdistan, Balouchistan, and Khorassan, set up a new party known as Shams, which is short for Shora-ye Markaz-e al Sunaat, to unite Sunnis and lobby for their rights. In Shia Islam "the Mahdi symbol has developed into a powerful and central religious idea. [186][187] Such groups have been allegedly responsible for violent attacks and suicide bombings at Shi'a gatherings at mosques and shrines, most notably in Iraq during the Ashura mourning ceremonies where hundreds of Shias were killed in coordinated suicide bombings,[188][189][190] but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Now we are here to deal with you. [223] As in Iraq they "targeted Shia in their holy places and mosques, especially during times of communal prayer. Meaning of name "tradition" or "well-trodden path" "partisans of Ali" Current adherents. [38], The Shias accept some of the same hadiths used by Sunnis as part of the sunnah to argue their case. Many libraries and madrasahs were destroyed and Sunni scholars migrated to other Islamic areas such as Anatolia and Egypt. In addition to Iran, Iraq has emerged as a major Shia government when the Twelvers achieved political dominance in 2005 under American occupation. [202] Eight other Shia were injured. Some of the worst sectarian strife ever has occurred after the start of the Iraq War, steadily building up to the present. We don't have accurate statistics because in much of the Middle East it is not convenient to have them, for ruling regimes in particular. [158], Following the 2005 elections, much of the leadership of Iran has been described as more "staunchly committed to core Shia values" and lacking Ayatollah Khomeini's commitment to Shia–Sunni unity. [32], ...Shias are about 5-to-10 percent of the entire Muslim world. [94], The year of the Iranian Islamic Revolution was "one of great ecumenical discourse",[95] and shared enthusiasm by both Shia and Sunni Islamists. With the passage of time, Iranians' readiness to practise Shi'ism grew day by day. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, have sent thousands of volunteers to fight with the Taliban regime and "in return the Taliban gave sanctuary to their leaders in the Afghan capital of Kabul."[228]. They also adhere to ​the five pillars of Islam: shahada, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj. But six months after that they were closed down, bank accounts suspended and had their leaders arrested by the government on charges that they were backed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. [43][44][45][46][47], Twelver Shia as the main branch of Shia Islam[48][49] permit Nikah mut‘ah[50][51]—fixed-term temporary marriage—which is not acceptable within the Sunni community, the Ismaili Shia or the Zaidi Shia and is believed a planned and agreed fornication. ), Shia sources further claim that by the orders of the tenth Abassid caliph, al-Mutawakkil, the tomb of the third Imam, Hussein ibn Ali in Karbala, was completely demolished,[59] and Shias were sometimes beheaded in groups, buried alive, or even placed alive within the walls of government buildings still under construction. [246], In late 2006 or early 2007, in what journalist Seymour Hersh called The Redirection, the United States changed its policy in the Muslim world, shifting its support from the Shia to the Sunni, with the goal of "containing" Iran and as a by-product bolstering Sunni extremist groups. [115] However, Sunni are split ethnically among Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. [41], Shias and the followers of the Sunni Maliki school hold their hands at their sides during prayer; Sunnis of other schools cross their arms (right over left) and clasp their hands;[42] it is commonly held by Sunni scholars especially of Maliki school that either is acceptable. Several local Shia dynasties like the Marashi and Sarbadars were established during this time. Al-Banna killed 125 Shia and wounded another 150 in the 2005 Al Hillah bombing of a police recruiting station and adjacent open air market. Ambassadors were withdrawn from both countries. They both ideologize faith. All Muslims are guided by the Sunnah, but Sunnis stress its primacy. (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad). It was followed by the Mirdasid Shi'ite emirate in the 11th century, with both the emirates centered at Aleppo. In some countries like Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Bahrain, communities have mingled and intermarried. "[18], In these years Allama Muhammad Taqi Qummi travelled to Cairo and started his efforts for reforming Islamic unity at Al-Azhar University, since 1938. [102], Many in the Muslim world explain the bloodshed as the work of conspiracies by outside forces—"the forces of hegemony and Zionism which aim to weaken [Arabs]" (Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Yusuf al-Qaradawi),[99] unspecified "enemies" (Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad),[103] or "oppressive pressure by the imperialist front." [265], In a special interview broadcast on Al Jazeera on 14 February 2007, former Iranian president and chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and highly influential Sunni scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, "stressed the impermissibility of the fighting between the Sunnis and the Shi’is" and the need to "be aware of the conspiracies of the forces of hegemony and Zionism which aim to weaken [Islam] and tear it apart in Iraq. [99], In a milestone for the two countries' relations, on 3 March 2007 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held an extraordinary summit meeting. Zaidi are sometimes called "Fiver Shia" instead of Twelver Shia because they recognize the first four of the Twelve Imams but accept Zayd ibn Ali as their "Fifth Imām" rather than his brother Muhammad al-Baqir. Another important difference between the two sects is that Shia Muslims permit fixed-term temporary marriage, known as muttah. In contrast, most Shia were largely unaffected as their center was not in Iran at this time. Historically, the inner rifts within Islamic ideology were to be hidden from the public sphere, while the new violent outbreaks highlight said rift in an obvious manner and is nourished by the two extremes of their mutual rivalry which will strongly affect both globally and regionally. The Syrian war has affected Hezbollah, which was once lauded by both Sunnis and Shi'ites for its battles against Israel, but now has lost support from many Sunnis for its military assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. [53] Like Sunnis, some Shia women, such as those in Iran and Iraq, use their hand to hold the black chador, in order to cover their faces when in public. https://www.learnreligions.com/difference-between-shia-and-sunni-muslims-2003755 (accessed May 11, 2021). to Al-Qaeda, have even advocated the persecution of the Shia as heretics. Christians were pitted "against Muslims in Egypt, Jordanians against Palestinians in Jordan, and, above all, Sunnis against Shi’ites wherever possible.”[102], Shia–Sunni discord in Iraq starts with disagreement over the relative population of the two groups. [113], Olivier Roy, research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, sees the "Shia awakening and its instrumentalisation by Iran" as leading to a "very violent Sunni reaction", starting first in Pakistan before spreading to "the rest of the Muslim world, without necessarily being as violent." Both Sunni and Shia women wear the hijab. [26] Sources put the numbers of Shias in Yemen at 45%. Many Shias in the Levant were killed for their faith. Some see a precursor of Pakistani Shia–Sunni strife in the April 1979 execution of deposed President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on questionable charges by Islamic fundamentalist General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Although the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, supported good Sunni–Shia relations, there have been complaints by Sunni of discrimination, particularly in important government positions. It is in areas of the world where Sunni and Shiite populations are in close proximity that conflict can arise. “The schism between Sunni and Shiite stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Muhammad’s successors as caliph, the spiritual and temporal leader of Muslims during that period. ... Before the Safavid era Shi'i manuscripts were mainly written in Iraq, with the establishment of the Safavid rule these manuscripts were transferred to Iran.[68]. Both groups (especially in Iraq and Pakistan) saw Shia as the enemy. Former President Asif Ali Zardari is a Shia. The Shia faith in the Levant started spreading during the Hamdanid rule, which commenced in the start of the 10th century. [173], Relations between the Shia and the Wahhabis are inherently strained because the Wahhabis consider the rituals of the Shia to be the epitome of shirk, or polytheism. After the Iranian Revolution and the fall of Pahlavi dynasty, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini endeavored to bridge the gap between Shiites and Sunnis by declaring it permissible for Twelvers to pray behind Sunni imams and by forbidding criticizing the Caliphs who preceded Ali—an issue that had caused much animosity between the two groups. Although reformist President Mohammad Khatami promised during his election campaign to build a Sunni mosque in Tehran, none was built during his eight years in office. In the late 1920s, the Ikhwan (Ibn Saud's fighting force of converted Wahhabi Bedouin Muslims) were particularly hostile to the Shia and demanded that Abd al Aziz forcibly convert them. The low oil price is a problem for both. This group is also known as Shiites or followers of Ahl al-Bayt or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet). Mainstream Shia and Sunni women wear the hijab differently. Balochi Sunni Abdolmalek Rigi continue to declare the Shia as Kafir and Mushrik. The divide between Sunnis and Shia is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. Why and When Do Muslim Girls Wear the Hijab? [264] In Qatari another Shiite preacher, Nazar al-Qatari, "put on military fatigues to rally worshipers after evening prayers," calling on them to fight against “the slayers of Imams Hasan and Hussein” (the second and third Imams of Shia history) and for Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Buyids, who were Zaidi and had a significant influence not only in the provinces of Persia but also in the capital of the caliphate in Baghdad, and even upon the caliph himself, provided a unique opportunity for the spread and diffusion of Shia thought. According to scholar Vali Nasr, as the Muslim world was decolonialised and Arab nationalism lost its appeal, fundamentalism blossomed and reasserted the differences and conflicts between the two movements, particularly in the strict teachings of Sunni scholar Ibn Taymiyyah. Also, what are some of the perks/setbacks of each. Huda. Saudi officials had no comment about Ahmadinejad's statements, but the Saudi official government news agency did say: The two leaders affirmed that the greatest danger presently threatening the Islamic nation is the attempt to fuel the fire of strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and that efforts must concentrate on countering these attempts and closing ranks.[267]. Difference Between Sunni and Shia Sunni vs Shia A difference between Sunni and Shia has originated from political and spiritual grounds. In December 2015 the Nigerian government alleged that the Islamic Movement attempted to kill Nigeria's army chief-of-staff. Sunni–Shia clashes also occurred occasionally in the 20th century in India. [196][197] others put the number of Shias somewhere between 800,000[198] to about two to three million. Sunni Muslims make up an 85 percent majority of Muslims all over the world. Nafeez Ahmed cites a 2008 RAND Corporation study for the American military which recommended "divide and rule" as a possible strategy against the Muslim world in "the Long War." Saudi Clerics and Shia Islam, by Raihan Ismail, This page was last edited on 4 May 2021, at 06:53. Shia–Sunni strife inside of Afghanistan has mainly been a function of the puritanical Sunni Taliban's clashes with Shia Afghans, primarily the Hazara ethnic group. [211], The small Persian Gulf island state of Bahrain has a Shia majority but is ruled by Sunni Al Khalifa family as a constitutional monarchy, with Sunni dominating the ruling class and military and disproportionately represented in the business and landownership. Also, some Sunni-accepted hadith are less favored by Shias; one example is that because of Aisha's opposition to Ali, hadiths narrated by Aisha are not given the same authority as those by other companions. For the first time, the Shia could openly convert other Muslims to their movement. ", according to Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid. Among the explanations for the increase are conspiracies by outside forces to divide Muslims,[98][99] the recent Islamic revival and increased religious purity and consequent takfir,[100][101] upheaval, destruction and loss of power of Sunni caused by the US invasion of Iraq, and sectarianism generated by Arab regimes defending themselves against the mass uprisings of the Arab Spring. Until recently Shia–Sunni relations have been cordial, and a majority of people of both sects participated in the creation the state of Pakistan in the 1940s. [96] In addition, he designated the period of Prophet's Birthday celebrations from 12th to the 17th of Rabi Al-Awwal as the Islamic Unity Week, there being a gap in the dates of when Shiites and Sunnis celebrate Muhammad's birthday. [195], According to Pew, roughly 12% of Egyptian Muslims regarded themselves as non-denominational Muslims, whilst the rest are largely Sunni. [212] According to the CIA World Factbook, Al Wefaq the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature.
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