which is better: Sunni Islam, Shiite Islam or Sufism?
970890
How about D.  None of the above.
279503
OK I'll bite!! if you can see it is very much visually,and self explanatory.one is spelled SUNNI and the other is SHIITE HeHeHe!!!!!! SORRY I COULD NOT PASS IT UP JUST KIDDING.
579683
Shiah and Shiites are the same thing.  And yes, maybe it's spin; Shiites looks a lot like sh*t.  \n\nLike when Bush the First changed the pronunciation of Sadam Hussein to "Sodom".
235048
The split between the Shiite and the Sunni Muslims occured when Ali, leader of the Arab Empire was assasinated in 661 AD.\n\nThe Shiite believe that when Ali was killed he was the last true caliph (ruler) and everybody after him weren't true leaders because they weren't his descendants.  Shiite are the majority in Iraq and Iran.\n\nThe Sunni Muslims accepted the Umayyad rule after Ali and make up thr overall majority of thr Middle East. \n\nNow they aren't fighting as much over the rightful kings, but fighting because they were brought up as rivals.  Its like Yankee fans vs Red Sox fans.  They are just rivals and it isn't as much about the cause of the rivalry anymore.
866046
The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.\n\nThe division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. \n\nThe word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."\n\nOn the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.\n\nThe Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shia" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shia-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet).\n\nFrom this initial question of political leadership, some aspects of spiritual life have been affected and now differ between the two groups of Muslims.\n\nShia Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession. Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.\n\nShia Muslims also feel animosity towards some of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, based on their positions and actions during the early years of discord about leadership in the community. Many of these companions (Abu Bakr, Umar, Aisha, etc.) have narrated traditions about the Prophet's life and spiritual practice. Shia Muslims reject these traditions (hadith) and do not base any of their religious practices on the testimony of these individuals. This naturally gives rise to some differences in religious practice between the two groups. These differences touch all detailed aspects of religious life: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, etc.\n\nSunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.\n\nIt is important to remember that despite all of these differences in opinion and practice, Shia and Sunni Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief and are considered by most to be brethren in faith. In fact, most Muslims do not distinguish themselves by claiming membership in any particular group, but prefer to call themselves simply, "Muslims."\n\nFor more detailed information about the historical context of the Shia/Sunni split, and modern-day interpretations and repercussions, please visit the links to the right.\n\nI think this would clear ur doubt?
102283
The Origins of the Sunni/Shia split in Islam\nby Hussein Abdulwaheed Amin, Editor of IslamForToday.com\n\nIntroduction\nThe Shia shahadah (declaration of faith) states:\n\n"There is no god but Alláh, Muhammad is the Messenger of Alláh, Alí is the Friend of Alláh. The Successor of the Messenger of Alláh And his first Caliph."\n\nIf you are already familiar with standard Sunni beliefs, you will immediately notice the addition to the shahadah regarding Imam Ali (ra), cousin of the Prophet (pbuh), husband of his daughter Fatima, father of Hassan and Hussein and the second person ever to embrace Islam. The term Shia or Shi'ite derives from a shortening of Shiat Ali or partisans of Ali.
304264
No, but I am very interested in doing some reading from a Sufi perspective.  I will keep that in mind!  Thanks
19064
Hey, I was just wondering about this myself recently, and did some research about it (Wikipedia is a great source, as is understandingislam.org).\n\nEssentially, within Islam, it is a discrepency between where they beleive true religious authority lies. The Shiites practice something called Amimism, which is, that they beleive that the Amim is the divine messenger on earth, and his word is God. The Amim is named by the previous Amim, and, as I mentioned, the Amim's word becomes religous law, and to defy him would be heresy. The Sunnis beleive that the Qur'an, the word of Muhammed, is the ultimate source of religious authority. There are probably a lot of subtelties that I'm missing, but the the best of my ablitiy that's the general idea.
1076778
Religion is what you want it to be. Islam focuses on the death and doom, Christianity on the false hope. In the end you get to decide what religion is.
578651
an umbrella term for the ascetic and mystical movements within Islam. While Sufism is said to have incorporated elements of Christian monasticism, gnosticism, and Indian mysticism, its origins are traced to forms of devotion and groups of penitents (zuhhad) in the formative period of Islam. The early pious figures, later appropriated by Sufism, include Ali, Hasan al-Basri (d. 801), and Rabia al-Adawiyya, a woman from Basra (Iraq) who rejected worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment and insisted on the love of God as the sole valid form of adoration. The word Sufi first appears in the 8th cent., probably in connection with the coarse wool that many ascetics wore.\n\nTwo central Sufi concepts are tawakkul, the total reliance on God, and dhikr, the perpetual remembrance of God. Al-Muhasibi (d. 857) and his disciple Junayd (d. 910) are representative early figures. The introduction of gnostic elements (marifa) into Sufism is often attributed to Dhu-n-Nun al-Misri (d. 859). Sufism nonetheless faced growing opposition from orthodox clerics. The scholastic and ecstatic paths further diverged with the concept of fana, the dissolution into the divine, advocated by al-Bistami (d. 874), and used by Hallaj in the declaration of his unity with God, which eventually led to his execution in 922. Islamic orthodoxy and Sufism were not irreconcilable, as attested by the attempt by al-Ghazali (d. 1111) to infuse conformist Muslim religious life with mysticism.\n\nThe evolution of Sufism in the post-Ghazali period was influenced by Ibn al-Arabi and Ibn al-Farid. Their theoretical contributions led to the development within Sufism of a complex system of initiation and progression toward the Divine and set the stage for the emergence of organized Sufi orders. This phase of literary Sufism was also characterized by the prominence of Persian works, notably those of Shihab ad-Din Suhrawardi (d. 1191), Farid ad-Din Attar, and Jalal ad-Din Rumi, and the subsequent development of Persian, Turkish, and Urdu mystic poetry. Important Sufi figures elsewhere in the Islamic world include Muin ad-Din Chishti in India and Baha ad-Din Naqshband (d. 1390) in central Asia.\n\nSufi orders, which assimilated aspects of native religious traditions more readily than more dogmatic versions of Islam, played a major role in the expansion of Islam into sub-Saharan Africa and central, S, and SE Asia. The oldest extant order with attested historicity is probably the Qadiriyya, founded by Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (d. 1166) in Baghdad. Other important orders include the Ahmadiyya (notably in Egypt), Naqshbandiyya (Central Asia), Nimatullahiyya (Iran), Rifaiyya (Egypt, SW Asia), Shadhiliyya (N Africa, Arabia), Suhrawardiyya and Chishtiyya (S and central Asia), and Tijaniyya (N and W Africa).\n\nThe work of Idries Shah has been instrumental in introducing Sufism to the West; see his The Sufis (1964) and The Way of the Sufi (1968). Although Sufism has made significant contributions to the spread of Islam and the development of various aspects of Islamic civilization (e.g., literature and calligraphy), many conservative Muslims disagree with many popular Sufi practices, particularly saint worship, the visiting of tombs, and the incorporation of non-Islamic customs. Consequently, in recent centuries Sufism has been a target for Islamic reformist and modernist movements.
926893
Mav sweetie take it from a man who knows what he's talking about.\n\nregardless of the (minor) religious difference Sunnis and Shiites lived together in peace for centuries.\nit wasn't until the invasion of Iraq when hell broke loose. at first, the Iraqis rejoiced when the US military over thrown the Ba'th regime of Saddam Hussein.\n\nnow we have the Iraqi people (Sunnis and Shiites) and Al Qaida (foreign fighters from all over the Mideast and mostly Sunnis) in Iraq right.\nAl Qaida in Iraq are committed to fight the Americans in Iraq to the bitter end until we either get out or get killed. that's how they think.\n\nafter the first few months the majority of the Iraqis who "rejoiced" when Saddam was caught, started to get tired of the US occupation and the militias started to grow. \nin the beginning there was no fighting between Shiites and Sunnis at all. all the fighting was basically against the US and UK. Sunni  Iraqis who wanted to get involved in this joined Al Qaida (foreign Arabs) and Shiites Iraqis joined Al Mahdi Army in Baghdad's Sadr city.\nnow this Mahdi militia was showing our troops hell until the US Army had to make a truce with their leader Muqtada Al Sadr and promised him that the new regime will be controlled by Shiites instead Sunnis who ruled Iraq for many many years under Saddam's regime.\n\nSunnis see this as treason and therefore justify killing the "traitors". they started bombing Shiite neighborhoods, mosques, and markets.\nbottom line is our military is some what responsible for all the sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites. \n\nin my opinion both Shiites and Sunnis who do kill innocent people for no reason other than being Sunni or Shiites (civilians) are vicious animals and don't deserve to breath. \nunfortunately the civil war has erupted and there's nothing we can do to stop it. \nmark my words. this current regime will not last for too long.\n\nit's a sad sad situation Mav :o(
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Dont know what you mean by Makhfi Shirk. Shirk is Just unpardonable. Shirk is when you worship someone, other than Allah.
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:}\nSufis is the established mystic movement within Islam.\nlittle is in print regarding the bektashi movement.\nBaba Samit was a Shia Sufi tariqa that gained widespread following in medieval Azerbaijan and Turkey. It is believed to be a branch of Bektashi (Bektaşiyye) tariqat. Baba Samit, according to a legend was the son of Hajji Bektashi Veli, the founder of the movement. from a short article on wikipedia\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Samit\n\nsorry there wasn't more
794642
The thing is that shites believe more in the word of the God's messenger, Abraham, and they don't want to accept Muhammed. The Sunnis believe in the word of Muhammed, but also in Abraham as well. So, based on that, there are some differences in how shites and sunnis pray. I think it is very similar as the differences between Catholics and Orthodox.
964158
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.
82425
Sunnis are a religious faction of Islam. They make up 90% of all Muslim adherents worldwide. Shiites are basically the other ten percent. Shiites differ from the Sunnis in that tyhey believe that a different caliphate (from the more historically important Sunni one) was the true caliphate - the one begun by Mohammed's grandson, Imam Ali.\n\nThere are other slight differences. Somewhat more like some Christians, Shiites may venerate certain saints and martyrs, and keep vigil at their tombs.\n\nKurds have nothing to do with this religious distinction. Kurds are Sunni muslims. They are instead an ethnic minority. Why they are refered to differently when you watch CNN is because they are the one large population group in Iraq who are not Arabs. They have a different language, history, and customs. They are also a large minority (an often oppressed one) in neighbouring Turkey...
345311
shias are muslims and so are sunnis too muslims.\nThey both believe in Allahbut are divided due the opinions expressed by the interpreters of quaraan.\nDuring the period of MUHMAD there were nothing like shias and sunnis.It is like divide and rule policy in every religion.