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Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest religious denomination for any religion in the world and composes roughly 85% of all Muslims. Sunni Islam is sometimes referred to as the orthodox version of Islam. The word "Sunni" comes from the term Sunnah (Arabic: سنة), which refers to the collected wisdom of Prophet Muhammad's sayings and actions as recorded in the Hadith and the Sirat an-Nabi.
586 Questions
What did Sunni and Shia Muslims disagree about?
How the Muslim community was to be governed.
They just disagreed on the way the successor of the prophet (after his death) should be. Muslims elected Abou Bakr to be the first Caliph after prophet Muhammad (PBUH) death. However, some Muslims believed that the successor should be from the family of the prophet and hence should Ali Ibn Abou Taleb (the prophet cousin and husband of his daughter). However, after the election of AbouBakr, they joined the majority and even Ali Ibn Abou Taleb (God be pleased with him) supported the elected Caliph. The same scenario was repeated after election of Omar Ibn Alkhattab as the second Caliph and Othman Ibn Affan as the third Caliph. Ali Ibn Abou Taleb was then elected as the fourth Caliph.
However, Sunnis and Shiites are just two Islamic schools that differ in minor issues.The outsiders are trying to feed up assumed differences and conflicts between Muslim groups to gain control on Muslim countries and on their resources. The two main groups are Sunnis and Shiites. Both groups agree upon basic Islam pillars, believe in same and only version of Quran, believe and follow the sunnah of same prophet (PBUH), pray to same direction (facing Kaba in Makkah or Mecca in Saudi Arabia, go to same places on pilgrimage (or Hajj), and adhere to same Islam morals and ritual worships. They only differ on some side issues that are not critical.
Is Pakistan mostly Sunni or Shi'ite?
mostly sunni. but have many shia
shia Muslims live in many countries. Iran is the main Shia county and the leader of Shia Islam in world. Shia Islam constitute the majority of the population in Iran (90%), Azerbaijan (75%), Bahrain (30%), Lebanon (65% of Muslims) and Iraq (65%), Yemen (45%). Other countries with a significant proportion of Shia are Syria (15%), Kuwait (35%), Pakistan (20%), India (23% of Muslims), Afghanistan (15%), Saudi Arabia (18%), Turkey (20%), United Arab Emirates (16%), Qatar (15%), Albania(25%).
other Muslim countries are mainly sunni with minor shia population. Qum in Iran and Najaf in iraq are two main city of Shia Islam.
Is the prince of Qatar sunni or shia?
Most Muslims in Saudi Arabia are considered Wahabi, which is a very strict sect of Sunni Islam.
Wahhabi
What is the majority in iran shia or sunni?
Yes. 90% of Iran population are shia Muslims and Iran is the most Important and leader country of Shia Muslims.
Muslims in world are near 80% sunni and near 20% shia. researchers have counted up to 260 sect for Islam that they all belong to categories Sunni and shia. the main category of Shia is 12 Imami shia and other sects of shia are nearly extincted.
there is at least 300,000,000 shia Muslims in world, but there is no clear stat. shias always have been controlled and killed during history and so usually they hide their beliefs. all 12 Imams of shia have been killed or spent their life in prison by Omayyads and Abbasids.
Shiites believe the 11th Imam is killed. Comments are hidden, and one day of the twelfthImam will appear. Only God knows the time of the Twelfth Imam.
Is Iran's population mostly Shiite Muslims or Sunni Muslims?
The official religion or race of Iran is shia of course, where over 85% of the population is shia. While the rest are sunnis.
What is the sunni reform movement that began in india and became popular in pakistan called?
Deobandi
The Tablighi Jamaat. This group was founded in the late 1920s by the well known scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalawi in the Mewat province of India. The inspiration for devoting his life to Islam came to Ilyas during his second pilgrimage to the Hijaz in 1926. Maulana Ilyas put forward the slogan, ‘Aye Musalmano! Musalman bano’ (in Hindi / Urdu) which translates 'O Muslims! Become Muslims' (in English). This expressed the central focus of Tablighi Jamat, which has been renewing Muslim society by renewing Muslim practice in those it feels have lost their Muslim-ness. Ilyas was a prominent member of the Deobandi movement and throughout Tabligh's history there has been a degree of association between the two groups, although Tablighi Jamat does not see itself as Deobandi. Tabligh was formed at a time in India when some Muslim leaders feared that Indian Muslims were losing their Muslim identity to the majority Hindu culture. In 1978, construction of the Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, England commenced. Subsequently, the mosque became the European headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat. ==Leadership within the movement== Ameer or Zimmadar are titles of leadership in the movement. The first Ameer, also the founder, was Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalawi (Maulana Ilyas) (1885-1944). The second was his son Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalawi. The third one was Maulana Inaam ul Hasan. Now there is a shura which includes two leaders: Maulana Zubair ul Hasan and Maulana Saad Kandhalawi. In Pakistan the duties of the Ameer are being served by Haji Abdulwahab. Maulana Muhammad Zakariya al-Kandahlawi is also among the prestigious personalities of the jamaat, as he compiled the famous book Fazail-e-Amal. With the ascent of Maulana Yusuf, Ilyas’ son, as its second emir (leader), the group began to expand activities in 1946, and within two decades the group reached Southwest and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Initially it expanded its reach to South Asian diaspora communities, first in Arab countries then in Southeast Asia. Once established, the Tablighi Jamaat began engaging local populations as well. In the 1990's, the official apolitical stance of Tabligh was challenged by a break-away sect which added a seventh tenant to Tabligh's 6-point ideology, "jihad in Pakistan and abroad." Although the Movement first established itself in the United States, it established a large presence in Europe during the 1970's and 1980's. It was especially prominent in France during the 1980's, although its influence has fallen since then, with many of its members becoming associated with UOIF, although one of its members is still represented in the French Council of the Muslim Creed. Tabligh's influence has grown, though, in the increasing Pakistani community in France, which has doubled in the decade before 2008 to 50,000-60,000. However, Britain is the current focus of the Movement in the West, primarily due to the large South Asian population that began to arrive there in the 1960s and 1970s. By 2007, Tabligh members were situated at 600 of Britain's 1350 mosques. By 2008 it had a presence in nearly 80 countries and had become a leading revitalist movement. However, it maintains a presence in India, where at least 100 of its Jamaats go out from Markaz, the international headquarters, to different parts of India and overseas. ==Way of Life & Jamaat== Life for Members of the Tablighi Jamaat is supposed to be lived in accord with the life of Muhammad (pbuh) and by going on journeys (Jamaat) to share the faith. When they go on Jamaat members of the Tabligh strive to keep the six principles which are: =*The six principles*= Firm belief in the Kalimah "An article of faith in which the tabligh accepts that there is no god but Allah and the Prophet Muhammad is His messenger. and that Allah can do each and every thing without the help of the creation, and the creation cannot do anything without the help of Allah. The only way to succeed in this world and the next (life after death) is to walk on the path shown by Prophet Muhammad." Concentration and Devotion in Salaat "Five daily prayers that are essential to spiritual elevation, piety, and a life free from the ills of the material world. To build a connection with Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and to gain from his unlimited treasures" Ilm and Dhikr "The thirst for knowledge and remembrance of Allah conducted in sessions in which every individual contributes whatever knowledge which one can regarding performing prayers, reciting the Quran and reading Hadith and to gain the remembrance of Allah in every action make Dhikr by reciting 3 Tasbihaat, Third Kalimah, Durood and Istighfaar." Ikram-i-Muslim "The treatment of fellow humans with honor and deference, to love the youngsters and respect the elders and have respect for the scholars of Islam" Ikhlas-i-Niyyat "Reforming one’s life in supplication to Allah by performing every (good) human action for the sake of Allah and toward the goal of self-transformation" Dawat-o-Tabligh "The sparing of time to live a life based on faith and learning its virtues, following in the footsteps of the Prophet, and taking His message door-to-door for the sake of faith. Since Rasoolullah Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam was the last and final prophet, it is our duty to now carry on this work of the prophets, i.e. call others towards good and prevent evil" The Tablighi Jamaat also sets guidelines for local masjids (mosques) to increase the level of worship and local Muslim involvement in the masjid. These guidelines include having the local tablighi workers implement these steps: two weekly jawlas/visits to Muslims (one visit to Muslims surrounding the local masjid and another to the Muslims of a nearby masjid); two daily ta`leems/reading of pious books (one ta`leem in the masjid and another in the worker's home); going out in the path of Allah (SWT) three days a month, forty days a year, and four months once in a lifetime; a daily mashura/council to discuss how to increase tablighi activity in the area; and spending at least two and a half hours in the masjid a day.
Is Katrina Kaif shia or sunni?
It does not matter anymore. It is because she does not believe in her religion. She is a British by Origin.
Is imraan khan a sunni or shia?
Khans can never be shia, In India, they are all non-speaking pashto and are descendents of Afghans that migrated to India after cruel rotten safvid dynasty took over Persia. Pathans are 100% Muslims Hanafi Sunnis.
Offcourse not he is a sunni like 90% of mainstream Muslims and his father is from Pakistan, almost all pakistani people are Sunni. Sunni people are generally very goodlooking so he is surely no doubt a Sunni,
Shiites and Sunnis are two major religious sects of?
shia and sunni have mostly same beliefs
but shia believe after death of prophet God select the successive of prophet who is the leader of Muslim community and people can not select it.
shia believe the Imam (successor of prophet) is appointed only by God and can not be selected by people because God said in Koran: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." (Quran 2:30)
this means only God can select an Islamic leader.
in shia they are only fourteen infallible (12 Imams and prophet and his daughter Fatimah Zahra (sa))
and all of them are the same and have no mistake and have the knowledge of everything (this knowledge is from God and by permission of God and is not absolute knowledge. absolute knowledge is only for God and they still do not know many things. but they know anything human may need to know.) and they never die and they hear all sayings and even thinks of all humans after their death by permission of God and they are intermediates between God and human.
and shia Muslims always support them and forgive their lives for them.
shia muslims do not consider selection of Abubakr as Caliphet valid because God did not select him. they believe God ordered prophet to declear Ali is selected as successor of prophet (Quran 5:3) and prophet did this mission in Ghadir event that was in last Hajj of prophet in his life and prophet did a speech for 120,000 Muslims participating that Hajj with prophet. the famous shia book Al-Ghadir is a collection of evidences and proofs for Ghadir Hadith from 10,000 sunni books.
What are the branches of Sunni and Shiite Islam?
shiism did not undergo any divisions dyring the imamate of the first three Imam: Ali, Hasan , Husayn. but after the martyrdom of Husayn, the majority of shiites accepted the Imamate Of Ali ibn Husayn ibn Al-Sajjad, while a minority known as Kaysaniyyah believed that the third son of Ali, Muhammed Ibn Al Hanafiyyah was the fouth Imam as well as the promised Mahdi and that he had gone into occultation in the Rawdah mountain and one day would reappear. after the death of Imam Al Sajjad , the majority of shiites accepted as Imam his son, Muhammad Al BAqir while a minority followed Zayd al Shahid, another son of imam Al Sajjad and became known as ZAydis, Following Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir, the Shiites accepted his son Jafar Al-Sadiq as Imam ad after the death of imam Jafar, the majority followed his son Imam Musa Al-Kazim as the seventh Imam. However one group followed the older son of the sixth imam, Ismail, whi had died while his father was still alive and when this latter group separated from the majority of shiites, it became known as as Ismailis. others accepted as Imam either Abdullah Aftah or Muhammad, both sons of sixth imam. finally another party stopped with sixth Imam himself and considered him as the last Imam. In the same way after the martyrdom of Imam Musa-Alkazim the majority followed his son, Ali Al-Rida, as the eighth Imam. however some stopped with the seventh imam and became known as the waqifiyyah.
from the eighth Imam to the twelfth, whom the majority of shiites believed to be the promised mahdi, no division of any importance took place in Shiism.
the sunnis divide in terms of the school of jurisprudence into four schools: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafehii, Hanbali.
What is the importance of Shiites?
All muslims have common beliefs :
Belief in Allah:means believing firmly in His existence, Lordship and Divinity, and in His names and attributes.
Belief in the Messengers of Allah: It is to believe that Allah chose the finest amongst mankind to be Messengers whom He sent to His creation with specific legislations; to worship and obey Him, and to establish His religion and His Tawheed (oneness). Allah ordered His Messengers to convey the Message to people, so that they would not have any proof against Him after He sent them.
Belief in the Last Day: It is to believe that the life of this world will come to an end. Allah says:
(Everyone upon it [i.e., the earth] will perish. And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.) (55:26-27)
Every person believes this principals are called muslim.they are common beliefs in islam but after death of prophet differencs emrge about the succor of the prophet.
Acoording the Quran and speeches of prophet, 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 (khalifa, head of state) of Islam. Muhammad, before his death, designated Ali as his successor.Ali was Muhammad's first cousin and closest living male relative as well as his son-in-law, having married Muhammad's daughter Fatimah. So the many belief importance of shia is imams belief which cotinue to present untill twelfth iman (pbuh) .and shia muslim follow iman in everthing .
What does sunnis and shiites have in common?
the five principles of religion as stated by shiism include:tawhid or belief in divine unity,nubuwwah or prophecy,maad or ressurrection,imamah or the immamate:belief in the imams as successors of the prophet and Adl or Divine justice.in the Three bsic principles -unity, prophecy and resurrection-Sunnism and shiism agree and are in common . it ts only in the other two that they differ.
Was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Sunni or Shiite?
Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi was a Shiite Muslim, but his political philosophy was strongly secularist in the same vision employed by Atatürk in Turkey.
Why are sunni and shiites at war?
Personal benefits are the main reason for the discord between the two main sects of Islam. This fight is fueled by the so-called Muslim clergy who have material incentives in keeping the two sects fighting.
It must be noted that reccently, the intensity of Sunni-Shia enmity has almost dropped low to zero. Look around and you wont find any Sunni-Shia fight going on ( except Iraq, of course ). The enmity between Saudi Arabia and Iran is not a Sunni-Shia thing but a political fight.
Why do the Sunnis hate the Shiites?
There are a number of problems that Sunnis and Shiites have with one another.
1) Theology: The Muslim community was united while Mohammed was the leader of this community. Most Muslims hold, however, that he never specifically chose a successor to his leadership. There was a minority in the community that supported the candidacy of 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, this political faction became known as the "Supporters of 'Ali" which in Arabic is Shiat 'Ali (where the modern term "Shiite" comes from). They derived their support from specific hadiths and events that they claimed showed that God had revealed to Mohammed that 'Ali would succeed him. The majority of Muslims held that these hadiths and events showed nothing more than that 'Ali was very pious, something they did not deny. Therefore they gave power to the man who was Mohammed's second-in-command and father-in-law Abu Bakr. This majority were called the People of the Customs [of the Prophet] which in Arabic is Ahl Sunna (from where the modern term "Sunni" comes from.)
2) Historical Grievances: The primary reason this division persists is that there has never been an atonement by either side for the pain and persecution that it has suffered when the other was in power over a given territory. Although, Shiites endured more persecution at the hands of Sunnis than the reverse, this is not to say that Sunnis have not endured persecution at Shiite hands. Both groups remain defiant that since they have the moral high-ground as granted from their faith, their actions in repressing the other sect, torturing its adherents, and murdering its leaders was progress towards removing the heresy. Compare this to the Catholics, who have apologized for the Rape of Byzantium, which was huge historical grievance between them and the Orthodox.
3) Ethnic Identities: In many countries, especially Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, people identify "ethnically" by their sect of religion. Therefore saying somebody is Shiite in Iraq is similar to how people view being Irish-American or Japanese-American in the United States. It marks you socially and it determines who your friends are, who you marry, what jobs you take, who you love, who you despise, etc. As a result, whenever conflict has broken out, each religious group comes together to defend its people's interests. This results in political and social hatred of the other religion in addition to any theological issues.
4) Rumors of the Other's Theology: Some Sunnis think that Shiites are deluded into believing that 'Ali was a second prophet, which would violate Mohammed being the final capstone of the Prophets, a huge theological issue. Some Shiites believe that Sunnis were paid off to accept the three Rightly-Guided Caliphs before 'Ali and that Sunni Islam was therefore corrupt and ineligible to continue the Islamic tradition. Both have alleged the other was deceived by Jews, which says more about how Muslims view Jews than each other. Of course, both of these are mis-characterizations of the actual theologies of these two sects, but the point remains that as long as these problematic rumors exist, the two sides cannot reconcile.
5) Approaches to Government: Ever since the abolition of the Caliphate in 1936, Sunni Islam has been leaderless and there has come to be an understanding that religion does not participate in actual governance. (This is not a separation of church and state since the two can cooperate closely, but this prevents direct theocracy.) Shiites, on the other hand, have religious leaders called Ayatollahs who do attempt to have terrestrial authority and in Iran have actually achieved it.
What are Sunnis Shiites and Wahhabi Muslims?
Sunni Muslims are Muslims who do not believe in Imamat as one of five pillars of Islam. and Shia Muslims are Muslims who believe in Imamat as one of five pillars of Islam. and Kurds are an ethnic living in Kurdistan and are mostly Sunni Muslims.
What religion was split by sunni and shiites?
Islam religion per revelation of Quran to prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). However, it is not a real split. Refer to question below.
Answer B
shia and sunni have mainly conflict on Imamat (leadership).
shia say Imamat is one of 5 pillars of Islam and only God can select leader for people. but sunni say Imamat is not part of Islam and leader can be selected by people by any method like shura (for example for Abubakr) or by will of previous leader for example for Omar) or by people (for example for Ali).
the conflict of shia and sunni has been always amplified by world Imperialism to prevent Islam from spreading in world.
Shia believes in Allah, prophet and all fundamentals of Islam.
Shia pray 5 times a day but usually do the 2, 3 and 4, 5 pray together and so may seem they do only 3 pray a day. there is some differences in details of pray like genuflect (for shia should be on a stone or part of earth and for sunni on carpet or floor ).
shia believe after death of prophet God selected the successive for prophet who is the political leader of Muslim community and people can not and does not the right to selected it.
shia refers to many verse of Quran like: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30) or "O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth" (Quran 38:26) also other verses.
Shia believes such verses means only God can select an Islamic political leader (Caliph) and there is no mention in Quran people have the right to select leader. and shura is not allowed to be used for selecting leader and prophet himself always selected leaders of wars and other leaders by command of God.
In Shia Islam Caliphs after prophet are 12 infallible Imams who have inherited divine knowledge of prophet.
Shia Muslims do not consider selection of Abubakr as Caliph by people valid because God did not select him. They believe God ordered prophet to declare people that Ali is selected as successor of prophet and prophet did this mission many times during his prophet-hood and mainly in Ghadir event after last Hajj of his life at a 3-4 hour speech in front of 120,000 Muslims at Ghadir in hot desert after 2 days stop of long caravan for gathering and 3 days after speech for congratulations and homage of Muslims to Ali.
Islam at that time had high power in world and Some companions had high interest in leadership position after prophet. Muslims knew that it is the final Hajj of prophet (predicted by prophet) and were going along with prophet to hear what prophet says at end of his life.
Shia believes Ghadir event is the most important event of Islam and is mentioned in Koran in many verses like "Today" (اليوم) in verse 5:3 of Quran is the day of Ghadir. Or Verse 5:67: "(O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guide not those who reject Faith)" is revealed at Ghadir day and is about declaring political and spiritual leadership of Ali S.A. after prophet.
Both Sunni and Shia Muslims accept happening of Ghadir event But different interpret. Some Sunni writers tried to reject the event of Ghadir as declare of leadership of Ali S.A. and said at Ghadir prophet only wanted to say Ali S.A. is my friend and no one should bother him.
Ali S.A. had 3 different missions to Yemen by prophet during 10 years and in 2 of them some companions of prophet had some conflicts with Ali S.A. and prophet said some sayings about Ali S.A. to solve conflicts and some sunni writers have mixed stories of missions of Ali S.A. to Yemen with story of Ghadir to prove Ghadir event is not about Leadership of Ali and is not important.
Shia scholars believe some Sunni writers who were related to Kings have changed and deviated historical evidences about political leadership of Ali S.A. in old historical books and republished them to destroy evidences of leadership of Ali from old Sunni books.
The famous Shia book Al-Ghadir (الغدير) by Allameh Amini is a collection of evidences and proofs for Ghadir Events written all from sunni historical books by referring to 100,000 Sunni books and full reading of 10,000 sunni books. Allameh Amini is a famous Shia scholar and spent 40 years of his life in traveling to access original old Sunni books in libraries in different countries to write this 20 volume book only from Sunni books and not using any Shia book. Some Sunni scholars tried to reply this book but then said if we want to reply this book we should first destroy all sunni books.
Shia doctrine have root in Battle Karbala.
When tragedy of Karbala happened most of Iranians understood there is two different interpret of Islam that both can not be true. so most of Iranians became shia and followers of "Ahl al-Bayt" and forgive their lives for them like what they did in Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War.
Shia Muslims have at least 120,000 Hadith (saying) from The Fourteen Infallibles that is the base of Shia Islam along with Quran.
Shia believes according to " Hadith of the two weighty things" The Fourteen Infallible are the only valid interpreters of Quran and sayings of them are from God because they are Representative of God in earth and they have inherited divine knowledge of prophet.
Shia believes 12th of them (Imam Mahdi S.A.) is alive and because people have killed all 11 Imams before him, he is in occultation like Jesus S.A. and will rise with Jesus S.A. when people become ready and want to accept his leadership. All 11 Imams have been killed and during their life they all have been in prison or under hard control of government to not have any political activity.
They never had enough serious followers to can get political power. Among them only the sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq was relatively free (for transition of power between Umayyads and Abbasids) to have only scientific activities and so only he is known in west because he established university and had students from all over the world. Westerns know him as a polymath: an astronomer, alchemist, Imam, Islamic scholar, Islamic theologian, writer, philosopher, physician, physicist and scientist. He was also the teacher of the famous chemist, Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber), and of Abū Ḥanīfa, the founder of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. He never wanted be a famous man and only shared his knowledge with seekers of knowledge. Some researchers consider his teachings the root cause of renaissance.
Sunni Muslims also accept Mahdi and his worldwide leadership as Caliph of God in earth at end of world. There is a famous Hadith from prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that Mahdi at occultation is like sun behind cloud, he is hidden from people but people receive his benefits.
Shia Muslims say some faithful believers have connection with Mahdi and use his knowledge and at least 1000 persons have had connection and talk with Mahdi during his occultation but Any one having relation with Mahdi S.A. should keep it secret and does not declare it in public until death.
Who fought majority of the Iran-Iraq War the Sunnis or the Shiites?
Shia.
shia Muslims live in many countries. Iran is the main Shia county and the leader of Shia Islam in world. Shia Islam constitute the majority of the population in Iran (90%), Azerbaijan (75%), Bahrain (30%), Lebanon (65% of Muslims) and Iraq (65%), Yemen (45%). Other countries with a significant proportion of Shia are Syria (15%), Kuwait (35%), Pakistan (20%), India (23% of Muslims), Afghanistan (15%), Saudi Arabia (18%), Turkey (20%), United Arab Emirates (16%), Qatar (15%), Albania(25%).
other Muslim countries are mainly sunni with minor shia population. Qum in Iran and Najaf in iraq are two main city of Shia Islam.
How has the difference between the Sunni and Shia sects affected the history of Islam?
On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.
The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shia" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shia-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet).
P.S i am a sunni :)
What year was sunni Muslim founded?
sunni Islam isn't a very accurate description of the matter. as Islam spread there were several parties that started to appear. basically sunnis where the ones that remained loyal to the Muslim nation and didn't change the teachings of the earlier scholars. as there were many parties, these people needed a name so they were called "ahel al sunnah wal jama'a" or what is refered to as "sunni".
