What’s the different between Sunni and Shia??
Assalamu Aliykum!
The main difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims are their disagreement on leadership after the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) death. People were deciding on who should the next leader for Islam, that is, someone who could make important decisions that guides society! Sunni Muslims believe that the community should choose the Prophet’s successors, regarded as caliphs. On the other hand, Shias believed that leadership should be strictly hereditary from the Prophet’s family.
When it comes to modern day leadership, Sunni’s follow scholars who interpret the Qur’an and Hadiths. Shias, on the other hand, place special importance on the line of Imams (a spiritual leader) starting with Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) son-in-law!
I think it’s also worth mentioning that Sunnis make up about 85 to 90 percent of the global Muslim population, whereas Shias are only around 10 to 15 percent, with the largest communities living in Iran, Iraq, and other nearby countries.
But the most important takeaway is that the core beliefs (such as belief in one God, the Quran, and the Prophet) are the same! There are some differences in rituals and practices, but as long as they don’t go against Islam’s pillars and principles both Sunnis and Shias are considered Muslim!
Hope this clears some things up!
