The Muslim world, since the early history of Islam, is divided into two religious directions - Sunnis and Shiites. In the 7th century, immediately after the death of the great Muhammad, the question of who would lead the Muslims and the entire Arab Caliphate became acute. Some (Sunnis) supported a friend of Muhammad and the father of his wife Aisha - Abu Bakr. Others (Shia) argued that only a blood relative of the Prophet could become a successor. They said that before his death, Muhammad appointed his cousin and beloved son-in-law Ali as heir. Thus for the first time there was a division of Islam. In the end, the followers of Abu Bakr won. Although for some time Ali received the title of the fourth Caliph and even ruled the Arab Caliphate.
Sunnis and Shiites maintained neutral relations for some time. However, in 680 the split among the Muslims deepened. The fact is that in Karbala (on the territory of modern Iraq) the son of Ali Hussein was found murdered. The killers were the soldiers of the ruling caliph, who was then a representative of the Sunnis. Then gradually the political power was monopolized by the rulers of the Sunnis. Shiites had to live in the shadows and focus on the imams, fromof whom the first 12 were direct descendants of Ali. Today the Sunnis are the dominant branch of government. They make up the majority of Muslims. Shiites are in the minority (10%). Their religious direction is widespread in the Arab countries (except for North Africa), Iran (where their center is located), Azerbaijan, in some places in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan.
So, what is the difference between Sunnis and Shiites? Both religious branches originate from the Prophet Muhammad. However, over time, due to separation, their religious beliefs become more and more different. Today, Sunnis and Shiites believe in the one God of Allah and consider the Prophet Muhammad to be his messenger on Earth. They honor and unquestioningly fulfill the five pillars (the ritual traditions of Islam), read the five prayers every day, fast in Ramadan and recognize the Koran as the only holy scripture.
Shiites also sacredly honor the Koran and the Great Prophet. However, not without question. Their clerics have the opportunity to interpret the actions and sayings of Muhammad. In addition, the Shiites believe that their imams are the representatives of God on Earth, that the last twelfth imam is “hidden from everyone” at the moment, but someday he will appear to fulfill the divine will. The main difference between Sunnis and Shiites is that, in addition to the Holy Koran, they are still unconditionally guided by the Sunnah, the teachings of the Prophet. This is a set of rules that Muhammad compiled, taking his life as a basis. They interpret them literally. Sometimesit takes extreme forms. For example, in Afghanistan, the Taliban even paid attention to the size of a man's beard, since everything had to comply with the requirements of the Sunnah. Most Sunnis consider Shias "the worst of people", heretics and "infidels". They believe that killing a Shiite is the way to heaven.
Sunnis and Shiites have shed each other's blood more than once. The longest conflict in the Muslim world is not so much between Israel and the Arabs or between Muslims and the West, but the long internal division of Islam itself.
