what's the difference between a sunni and a shiite muslim?
929803
It’s a difference in leadership selection after a major civil war in history of Islam between Imam Hussain and Yazid.\n\nBoth Sunni and Shia regards Imam Hussain being just on war against Yazid as he was cruel self proclaim King/ Monarch (never before him there were a person in Islamic history who got Leadership/Kingship and or khalafat from father based on blood line.)\n\nSunni’s point of View:\nSunni’s claim that the way of leadership selection should be based on selection committee as in case of first four Sunni Caliphs after death of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Abu Baker his best friend and the first adult male convert to Islam after Prophet wife Khatijda. The later two were also Prophet’s companion. Lastly the 4th Imam Ali was prophet’s Son-in-law (also first male/teenage convert to Islam). Ali was a noble Muslim and become a advisor of all his precedent Caliphs. Imam Hussain the son of Imam Ali foght against Yazid who claimed to be first Monarch of Islam and Yazid have been regarded villain in both Shia and Sunni tradition. Unfortunately the Yazid was so cruel to martyred  Imam Hussain and become the self proclaim Caliph. Sunni’s view is that although the prophet’s grandson was the best righteous Muslim to be Chaliph on merite at the time; the Chaliphate or Leadership position in itself can not be just based on blood line for future succession.\n\nShia’s point of View (in my understanding):\nShia which means group (Group of Ali) consider that Prophet choose Ali for his succession i.e. Caliphate but after his death people rushed and elected Abu Bakar (his friend) as first Leader while Ali wasn’t present there due to his Father-in-law’s death. Later Ali only accepted Abu Bakar  as leader just to avoid a big political dispute in Muslim community of young Islamic capital city of Medina. Ali continued his help for later 2 caliph Umar and Osman as best advisor.\nWhen Imam Ali’s son Imam Hussain got Shaheed by Yazid armies Shia kept their royalty to Ali under cover in Yazid rule.\n\nFINAL NOTES:\nMost probably Shia believe that all the Civil war and Imam Hussain shahadat would have been avoidable if Ali were to be elected as First leaders of believers. After deaths of 11th Imams from Ali blood line the 12th Imam disappear.\n\nAfter the Imam’s disappears today Shia and Sunni should be more similar since now both elect their current leaders based on Shura (connsole) as in Iran (Shia dominant) and some semi democratic ( Islamic republics) of Sunni majority countries.\n\n\nPROPHET LAST SERMON: 632 C.E\n\nProphet Mohammad (peace be upon him)\nO people! Listen and obey though a mangled Abyssinian slave is your Amir if he \nexecutes the ordinances of the Book of Allah among you. ....\n\n(Majortiy of Shia’s and some Sunni’s don’t include above part in their books of Hadith sayings of Prophet, though they belief on later part of equality between Humans)\n\nAll mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action. ........\n\n==========================\nThe purpose of listing my thoughts is only for learning and understanding purpose no offence meant please, please do correct me in my mistakes and misconception; my Sunni & Shia friends.\n\nHope this will help.
503240
i think not important that he is shia or sunni...the important thing is he is a muslim and the most important thing is  :he is a good human...
304488
No, apparently Muslims are as divided as most other religions.  In Iraq the Sunni neighborhoods are making the Shites leave under threat of death and visa versa.   The differences between them stem from each sect believing in different lines of succession from the prophet Muhammad.  Under big daddy Saddam the Sunni enjoyed favoritism, Shites were persecuted although both sects are followers of Islam.
526165
Hiya, :)\nId be happy to answer your questions.\n\nA) They are fighting in Iraq (The Sunni led terrorists)because they are unhappy that they no longer rule the country as they did under Saddam.\n\nB) The largest Muslim sect in the world is the Sunni sect.\nSufism\n\nC) The following is about Sufism which is also a part of Islam. \n\n\nSufism (Persian: صوفی‌گری Sufi gari, Arabic: تصوف, taṣawwuf) is a mystic tradition of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism, known as Sufis, engage in the pursuit of a direct perception of spiritual truth or God, through mystic practices based on divine love. Sufism differs from other branches of Islam in its esoteric rather than exoteric focus.\n\nThe term Sufism can be used to describe a diverse range of beliefs and practises. Tariqas (Sufi orders) may be associated with Shi'a Islam, Sunni Islam, other currents of Islam, or a combination of multiple traditions. Sufi thought emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century, but adherents are now found around the world. In particular, Indonesia, the most populous Islamic nation in the world, was introduced to Islam through Sufism, and Sufi practises and beliefs are evident in mainstream religious life across the country.\n\nSufism has produced a large body of poetry in Turkish, Punjabi, Urdu and Persian, which notably include the works of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusro, as well as numerous traditions of devotional dance, such as Sufi whirling, and music, such as Qawwali.\n\n\n\nA few etymologies for the word Sufi have been suggested.\n\nThe conventional view is that the word originates from Suf (صوف), the Arabic word for wool, implying a cloak and refers to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. But one should also note that not all sufis wear cloaks or clothes of wool.\n\nAnother etymological theory states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word saaf (صاف), meaning pure, clean or blank. This etymology refers to the emphasis of Sufism on purity of heart and soul. One must consider that this theory does not hold strong, because it contradicts the root of the word saaf. Strictly speaking, considering Arabic grammar, the word would have been "saafi".\n\nOthers have suggested the origin of the word Sufi is from "Ashab al-Suffa" ("Companions of the Veranda") or "Ahl al-Suffa" ("People of the Veranda"), who were a group of Muslims during the time of the Prophet Muhammad who spent much of their time on the veranda of the Prophet's mosque devoted to prayer. It can also refer to the chosen ones.\n\n\n\nBasic beliefs\nThe central concept in Sufism is love. Dervishes—the name given to initiates of sufi orders—believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe.They believe that God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God looks at himself within the dynamics of nature. This is substantiated using the famous Hadith Qudsi (extra-Qur'anic utterance of God): "I was a hidden treasure, and I wanted to be known, so I created Creation." Since they believe that everything is a reflection of God, Sufis try to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly, and to open arms even to what is considered the most evil one. The Sufi conception of divine love is not restricted to what the term "love of God" implies, it also includes human loves with a perspective that views everything a manifestation of God.\n\nThe central doctrine of Sufism, sometimes called Wahdat or Unity, is the Sufi understanding of Tawhid. Put very simply Tawhid states that all phenomena are manifestations of a single reality, or Wujud (being), which is indeed al-Haq (Truth, God). The essence of being/Truth/God is devoid of every form and quality, and hence unmanifest, yet it is inseparable from every form and phenomenon either material or spiritual. It is often understood to imply that every phenomenon is an
56215
Their are two main group of islam 'Sena' and 'Shiit'\nthe sena are in all the world but the Shiit are only in Iran and a few amounts in some other countries.\nIn shiit group their are a different level (as university) the top level is ayatollah,\nthe imam is only the leader of the pray in the mosque, it's the same for shiit and sena.\ntheir are other group but not so big as ebadeyah, zaydeyah,....
285359
Did you mean Shiite?\n\nShiite is a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs.\n  Synonyms: Shi'ite, Shiite Muslim, Shi'ite Muslim\n\nShiites (shē'ītz) [Arab., shiat Ali,=the party of Ali], the second largest branch of Islam, Shiites currently account for 10%–15% of all Muslims. Shiite Islam originated as a political movement supporting Ali (cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam) as the rightful leader of the Islamic state. The legitimacy of this claim, as initially envisioned by Ali's supporters, was based on Muhammad's alleged designation of Ali as his successor, Ali's righteousness, and tribal customs, given his close relation to the Prophet. Ali's right passed with his death in 661 to his son Hasan, who chose not to claim it, and after Hasan's death, to Husayn, Ali's younger son. The evolution into a religious formulation is believed to have been initiated with the martyrdom of Husayn in 680 at Karbala (today in Iraq), a traumatic event still observed with fervor in today's Shiite world on the 10th of the month of Muharram of the Muslim lunar year.
234404
No they don't both Shiite and Sunni believe in God being one and Muhammad being the Messenger.\nAfter prophet Mohammad's death, shiit wanted ALI his nephew to succeed him whereas other want Abu-Bakr who was later voted the next leader. That's all!\nIn Iraq the situation is more complicated....
643902
So after Muhammad died, the Shias wanted Ali to be the Caliph, because they believed that the imam of Muslims should be from the family of the Prophet. This caused the split. The Sunnis believe the Shias glorify Ali to much, to the extent that it is against Islamic teachings. That's pretty much the basis of it. Nothing to do with what is stated in the Koran or any of the Prophet's hadiths, but just because they want their tribes to be in power. But if the Shias were in control of the leadership of Muslims, what about Muslims in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas?
214270
i think one of the main difference is that in Christianity Jesus is the son of God ,, but in Holy Quran God has no sons and Jesus is a prophet of God, and Muslims do beleive in Jesus and all the other prophets.\n\n"Islam means Peace.According to the "Holy Quran", the book from Allah for Muslims, Islam is the complete code of life. \n Islam is peace.Islam teaches muslims to be truthful, to be kind to weak and suffering people.Islam says dont go to bed, having your neighbours hungry.Islam says dont cheat people...........And a lot.If you really want to about Islam try collecting history books.May be u wonder, if Islam means peace, then why are muslims bombing in cities, attacking and killing peoples! My answer is Muslims are attacked, so they r protesting.But some are trying to kill innocent peoples, dont count them as Muslims, they are just spys, trying to worse the image of muslims, and want to destroy them.Its really hard to take their mask off". from one of yahoo answers
441828
Very good question.  As you know, there isn't any difference at all.  As a solider (freedom fighter) fighting for so-called democracy in Iraq, I kill an Iraqi insurgent.  In America (for the most part), I'm a hero, I'm right.  In Iraq (for the most part), I'm the devil, I'm the terrorist.  Yet, if you thought the destruction of the World trade Center was horrible, imagine living in the hell that is Iraq ever since U.S. Troops arrived.
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The differences of Shia and Sunni muslims are -\n\nShi'a Islam, Even though it is the second largest denomination of Islam, among the hundreds of millions of Muslims Shi'a muslims are considered to be a minority in number. Shi'a Muslims adhere to what they consider to be the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the religious guidance of his family whom they refer to as the Ahlul Bayt. Thus, Shi'as consider the first three ruling caliphs of Islam a historic occurrence and not something attached to faith. The singular/adjective form is Shī’ī (شيعي.) and refers to a follower of the Household of Muhammad and of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Imam Ali) in particular\n\nSunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. They are referred to as Ahl ul-Sunna . The word Sunni comes from the word sunna , which means the tradition of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Sunnis are also referred to as Ahl ul-Sunna wa-l-Jama'ah (people of tradition and congregation) which implies that the Sunnis are united. They represent the branch of Islam that came through the caliphate, which started with Abu Bakr.\n\nSunni (Arabic: سني ) means follower of the sunna of the Prophet, with some details.
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Sunni and Shiite muslims disagree over who was the caliph. The shiite believe that the grandsons of Mohammed should have been the caliph (leader of the Islamic ummah.) The Sunnah believe in a different line, led off by a friend of Mohammed Abu Bakr.\n\nThere are other subtle differences - such as the rites and celebrations. Shia tend to focus on the martyrdom of the grandsons at Karbala, and as such have a devotion for saints that is not entirely unlike the Catholics. Shia each are expected to devote themselves to an Imam (also almost the way a Catholic is under a bishop.)\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia
1028038
only shiites believe in the 12 imams. shiites make up a small minority of muslims. the majority, sunnis, do not believe in this.
415251
They are Shiite religious leaders. The Shiites believe that they are perfect and take their opinions as if they were of God's messenger peace be upon him. The title Ayatollah itself means the sign of God in Arabic.
306648
There is no problem between them, only some Sunni that kill shia, they believes shia aren't Muslim
1122527
That's a complicated question. Yes, they are all Christian but Christianity is an odd religion, really. Even if you have a same based religion, one branch of that religion is going to think that they're better than the others. And that's not limited to Christianity. Muslim's are divided into two groups: Sunnis and Shiites and they hate each other. It doesn't matter if it's the same religion, some people are always going to believe they're better than everyone else. Religions just a boundary we like to push down each other's throats.
1000481
This is not a good question. I would say define the fight that you see in the Muslim World, and I'll be able to tell you why you have the fight. \nIf Iraq is what you have on your mind, then Iraq has a large segment of Shia Muslims that were oppressed over the course of Sadam Hussein (who happened to be a Sunni, and who oppressed Sunnis as well) rule, and now the US enabled the Shia to claim power in Iraq. With that said now you have 3 reasons for fighting in Iraq:\n1- Getting the invaders (the US from the prospect of some Iraqis) out. \n2- Those who want to keep the old statuesque (mainly sunnis)\n3- Reprisal killings conducted by Death Squads (some infiltrating the current Interior Ministry) and those have been links to Shia factions taking out mostly Sunnis.\nHope that gives you a little bit of detail on the Iraqi situation.\n\nOne more element you need to take into account,  if I come out say "Christians in America are fighting each other, see what the Christian Eric Rudolph did to the abortion clinic run by fellow Christians, or see what the FBI Christian agents did to the Christians in Branch Davidian", I would not call these comments fair nor responsible. Muslims around the World who worship the one Creator of the Heavens and the Earth ought to get the same  fair and responsible treatment from the Christians in the West.