SUNNIS AND SHIITES

By
Dr. C. George Boeree.

The major split in Islam is that between the majority Sunnis
and the minority Shiites. The split goes back to events in
the 7th century:
After Mohammed’s death in 632, leadership of the Islamic
community passed to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, one of
Mohammed’s closest companions. Some in the community
felt that this succession was not legitimate, and that the title
of caliph really belonged to Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali’s claim was
supported by the fact that he was Mohammed’s cousin, his
adopted son, his first convert (at the age of nine), and
husband of his daughter Fatima. Both sides believe that
Mohammed specifically designated their man: Supporters
of Abu became the Sunnis, those of ibn Ali the Shiites.
The Caliphate passed from Abu Bakr to Umar, and from
Umar to Ulthman. Ulthman at last passed the torch to Ali.
When Ali was murdered in 661, the Caliphate passed to
Muawiya, who would found the famous Umayyid Caliphate.
Ali was buried in Najaf in what is now Iraq, and the site
remains a major Shiite holy site.
Sunni refers to the sunnas, or oral traditions and
interpretations of the Koran -- a body of work similar to the
Jewish Talmud. Sunnis believe that the position of Caliph
should be a position to which one is elected by the religious
leaders of the Islamic community, and not dependent on
direct lineage from Mohammed.
Shiite comes from the word shia, which means "the party (of
Ali)." They are mostly found in Iran and Iraq, and among the
Palestinians. They consider certain direct descendants of
Ali - the Imams - infallible and the true inheritors of
Mohammed. Ali was the first Imam, his son Hassan the
second, his second son Hussein the third. Ali’s sons were
killed in the conflict with Caliph Muawiya.  However, their
succession ended with the 12th Imam, who went into hiding
in 940. Most Shiites believe that the 12th Imam will
reemerge someday as the Mahdi or Messiah, and reassert
his leadership of the Islamic world. In the meantime,
ayatollahs are elected to serve as caretakers of the faith.
Most Sunnis and Shiites are liberal, although not by western
standards. In peaceful and prosperous times, there is little
conflict between them.  But both have more extreme
factions as well. Some Shiites, for example, have a tradition
of valuing martyrdom that came out of their early
experiences of conflict with the Sunnis. The most famous
Sunni extremist faction is the Wahhabi sect, of which
Osama bin Laden is possibly a member. It is characterized
by radical fundamentalism: The Koran is not to be
interpreted but rather taken literally.  There are to be no
prayers or other appeals to prophets, saints, or any entity
other than God.  There are to be no images of or
monuments to any supposed Islamic leaders, not even
elaborate tombs for famous Moslems. And the Koran is to
be the sole source of secular as well as religious law.
Another famous group is the Sufi movement, which can be
Sunni or Shiite. Sufis are mystics who believe that God’s
love shines through everything, even ugliness and evil, and
that by attaining a certain state of mind, one can directly
experience this.  In this sense, they resemble Zen
Buddhism. Sufism is also noted for its use of stories that
have layered meanings, much like the parables of Jesus.
One subgroup of the Sufis is the “whirling dervishes,” whose
mystical practice includes religious dance.