Differences between Shia and Sunni Islam
The two sects of Islam, Shia, and Sunni hold a wide range of doctrines, thoughts, and opinions. The two branches concur in many aspects of Islam, but there are notable differences between them with their separation initially stemming from political rather than religious distinctions. The political differences between them have sparked a variety of practices and positions which, by time, has accumulated a great deal of spiritual significance.
Both the Shia and Sunni Muslims believe in Allah as the only legit God and Muhammad as the only prophet of Allah. But when Muhammad died, the Shia believed that his successor (Muhammad) should have come from the prophet’s family appointed explicitly by him or Imams that God Himself would nominate. According to Shia, leadership should, therefore, have passed directly to Muhammad’s son in law Ali (Arthington). On the other hand, however, the Sunni believe that Muhammad didn’t and should have an heir. According to the Sunnis believe, a religious leader doesn’t need to be appointed by God himself instead of advocating that a leader should be elected through a vote among the Islam community (Arthington).
Another bone of contention between Shia and Sunni concerns the Mahdi, which translated to “guided one” in Arabic. Both religions agree that Mahdi is the sole ruler of the Islam community (Arthington). However, the Sunnis hold on to believe that Mahdi isn’t yet born and keeps on anticipating his arrival. On the other hand, the Shiites (followers of Shia Islam) contend that Mahdi was born in 869 AD and will once again return to earth under the command from Allah.
Another difference between the Shia and Sunni stems in the physical prayers and the frequency of those prayers (Arthington). Both religions believe in reciting the five prayers a day, but the Shia condense all the three prayers into three sessions i.e., three times a day. On the other hand, the Sunni Muslims pray each of the five prayers separately, making it a total of five prayers a day. Additionally, the Shiites pray with their arms locked to their sides while, on the other hand, the Sunni pray with their arms crossed over their chests.
Reference
Arthington, Madeline. “The Difference Between Shiite And Sunni Muslims And Why It Matters.” International Mission Board, 2020, https://www.imb.org/2019/05/24/difference-between-shiite-sunni-muslims/.