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The main event was the split into Sunni and Shia sects on the question of succession. The majority Sunnis held that the Khalifa (deputy) should be chosen by the Companions; the minority Shia (or Ali's party) felt he should be related to the Prophet. (Ali's was the Prophet's son-in-law.)

There is no khaifa at the moment, nor has there been one for hundreds of years, so you'd think that the issue of the dispute was moot, but the groups have grown apart in other ways. For example, the Shia are not so freaked out at the idea of artistic depictions of the Prophet (Muhammed is clearly shown in the Persian miniatures) as the Sunni are.

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12y ago

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