Difference Between Shia and Sunni

Shia and Sunni Islam are the two major denominations of Islam. They chose sides following the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in AD 632. Sunnis believed that Muhammad's successor should be Abu Bakr and Omar, and the Shias believed that his successor should be Ali. ...

1. What do Sunni and Shia believe?
2. Can Shia marry a Sunni?
3. What does Shia believe in?
4. Why do Sunni and Shia pray differently?
5. Is Saudi Arabia Sunni or Shia majority?
6. Is Turkey Sunni or Shia?
7. Does Shia believe in Quran?
8. Can Shia perform Hajj?
9. Do Shias fast?
10. Who invented Shia religion?
11. Why Shia is wrong?
12. Why is Iran Shia?

What do Sunni and Shia believe?

All Muslims are guided by the Sunnah, but Sunnis stress its primacy. Shia are also guided by the wisdom of Muhammad's descendants through his son-in-law and cousin, Ali. Sunni life is guided by four schools of legal thought, each of which strives to develop practical applications of the Sunnah.

Can Shia marry a Sunni?

Mut'ah is a sensitive area of disagreement between those who follow Sunni Islam (for whom nikah mut'ah is forbidden) and those who follow Shia Islam (for whom nikah mut'ah is allowed). Shias and Sunnis do agree that, initially, or near the beginning of Islam, Nikah mut'ah was a legal contract.

What does Shia believe in?

Shia Muslims believe that just as a prophet is appointed by God alone, only God has the prerogative to appoint the successor to his prophet. They believe God chose Ali to be Muhammad's successor, infallible, the first caliph (khalifah, head of state) of Islam.

Why do Sunni and Shia pray differently?

Sunni Muslims pray five times a day, whereas Shia Muslims can combine prayers to pray three times a day. Shia prayers can often be identified by a small tablet of clay, from a holy place (often Karbala), on which they place their forehead while bowing in prayer.

Is Saudi Arabia Sunni or Shia majority?

According to official statistics 90% of Saudi Arabian citizens are Sunni Muslims, 10% are Shia. (More than 30% of the population is made up of foreign workers who are predominantly but not entirely Muslim.)

Is Turkey Sunni or Shia?

Religious statistics

Most Muslims in Turkey are Sunnis forming about 80.5%, and Shia-Aleviler (Alevis, Ja'faris, Alawites) denominations in total form about 16.5% of the Muslim population. Among Shia Muslim presence in Turkey there is a small but considerable minority of Muslims with Ismaili heritage and affiliation.

Does Shia believe in Quran?

Both Sunnis and Shiites read the Quran, the sayings of the Prophet.

Can Shia perform Hajj?

Shia Muslims number 200 million and are the second largest denomination in the faith. Many perform the hajj, and they also travel to Iran, Iraq and beyond to visit holy sites. In Mina, Saudi Arabia, hundreds of Shias have travelled from Britain to perform the hajj.

Do Shias fast?

For the most part, no. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims fast during Ramadan. ... Shia also celebrate an additional holiday within the month of Ramadan that Sunnis do not.

Who invented Shia religion?

From a political viewpoint the history of the Shia was in several stages. The first part was the emergence of the Shia, which starts after Muhammad's death in 632 and lasts until Battle of Karbala in 680. This part coincides with the Imamah of Ali, Hasan ibn Ali and Hussain.

Why Shia is wrong?

Nikah mut'ah was practiced at the time of Muhammad and Abu Bakr, but was outlawed by the second Caliph, Umar ibn Khattab. Therefore, it is forbidden among Sunnis, but Shia consider Umar's account as legally and religiously invalid, as they argue it's legitimated by Quran 4:24.

Why is Iran Shia?

Arab Shia Ulama

After the conquest, Ismail began transforming the religious landscape of Iran by imposing Twelver Shiism on the populace. ... The rulers of Safavid Persia also invited these foreign Shiite religious scholars to their court in order to provide legitimacy for their own rule over Persia.