AboutDrs. Kersten Expertise Islamic History Islamic Philosophy Contemporary Islamic Thought Jihad Doctrine Islam in Southeast Asia Sufism Mysticism Political Islam Islam in the Netherlands Progressive Muslims Moderate Muslims Contemporary Muslim Thinkers Islamic Studies Islamicists or Islamologists
Experience Tertiary educator and academic researcher. Contributing Author to a textbook on world religions (Linda Chisholm (ed.) VISIONS OF SERVICE. New York: IPS-L Press, 2004).
Degrees in Arabic and Islamic Studies, as well as Southeast Asian Studies; Sworn translator of Arabic.
More than fifteen years experience as an expatriate studying, working and teaching in four countries on three different continents.
Academic and journalistic writings have appeared in learned journals, current affairs periodicals, and the news media in the USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Question What are the differences between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims.
Answer Although over time theological differences have developed between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, the origins of the schism were political.
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD, differences occured over his succession. The Prophet himself had made no arrangements so the Muslim community was at a loss how to handle the issue.
Eventually a majority was of the opinion that the members of the Muslim community should elect the most suitable among their midst to succeed the Prophet as the political leader of the community NOT in his capacity as prophet -- since according to Islamic doctrine Muhammad had been the final Prophet.
Those agreeing with this stance elected a close companion of the PRophet, Abu Bakr, as the first caliph. This practice was continued also for the next three successors. These four are known as the four Rigtheous Caliphs. The people who consider this as the correct practice are known as the People of the Sunna (Arabic for "Tradition"), hence the name Sunni Muslims.
But there was a smaller group who held the view that the successors of the Prophet should come from his family, because they considered Muhammad and his relatives as blessed by God. More specifically they rallied around Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abu Talib.
They were know as the 'Party of Ali' -- Shi'a Ali in Arabic -- hence the name; Shi'ites.
This group had troubles recognizing the first three elected caliphs, but felt vindicated when in 656 Ali was elected as the fourth and last Righteous Caliph.
However, family members of Ali's predecessor, the Caliph Uthman, disagreed. Uthman had been murdered and his relatives suspected that the supporters of ALi had something to do with that. During his caliphate Ali was continually challenged by the clan of Uthman, led by the then governor of Damascus.
Although Ali preferred a quietist attitude -- he seems to have been a rather reluctant caliph -- circumstances forced him to act however. Eventually the standoff resulted in a civil war, ending with the assassination of Ali in 661 AD.
At that moment the opposition leader, the governor of Damascus, seized the caliphate for himself, transferred the capital to Damascus and founded a hereditary caliphate named after his family: the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 AD).
The supporters of Ali refused to recognize the Umayyad caliphate and withdrew to Kufa in Southern Iraq. Instead of Caliphs the Shi'ites recognized a line of "Imams" as the legitimate leaders. BEginning with Ali, they believe it transferred via Ali's sons Hasan and Husayn to a further line of Imams drawn from the descendants of Husayn (who as also martyred in 680AD)
After a while there occured a split within the Shi'ite community, between a group who recognized a line of seven imams, they are know as the Seveners or Ismailis, and a groups recognizing a line of twelve Imams, they are know as the Twelvers of Imamis. At present the vast majority of Shi'ites are Twelvers (Iran and Iraq harboring the largest concentrations), Seveners have survived in smaller pockets throughout the Muslim world (in particular in Central ASia and in the Indian Subcontinent).
The theological differences that have developed have to do with the status of the leader of the Muslim community, in the case of the Shi'ites the Imam. As said earlier, the Shi'ites believe the Prophet's family was blessed with supernatural powers and insights -- the Imams are considered as having had special knowledge because of a mystical connection with God. They also hold the belief that the last Imam did not die but 'disappeared' or went in occultation - only to reappear at the end of times to announce the arrival of the Mahdi or Messiah.
The Sunnis reject that and their caliphs are, although pious Muslims, considered as political figures only.
Throughout history the religious differences have continued to be mixed up with political disputes and the relationship between Sunnis and Shi'ites has been a distinctly unhappy: the Shi'ites have suffered continual persecution, although in some areas they have succeeded in obtaining majority (Iran, Southern Iraq, Lebanon to a lesser extent).
