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Sunni-Shia Division (Ahle-Sunnath and Ahle Bayt)As is well known there are two major divisions in Islam - Sunni and Shia. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘h (people of the Sunnah and the community), or Ahl as-Sunnah for short. The word Sunni comes from the word Sunnah, which refers to the model derived from the words, actions and examples of Prophet Muhammad. Shia Islam, is the second major denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. Shi‘ah Muslims, though a minority (15%) in the Muslim world, constitute the majority of the populations in Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq, as well as a plurality in Lebanon and Kuwait. The historic background of the Sunni-Shi‘ah split lies in the schism that occurred when Prophet Muhammad died, leading to a dispute over his succession as the caliph of the Islamic community. The side that prevailed (latter came to be known as Sunnis) preferred a democratic means for succession, where as the other group believed that Prophet Muhammad's household (Ahle-Bayt or the "People of the House") reserves the right to his political succession. This schism, which started basically as a political dispute, ultimately led to the creation of these two distinct sects in Islam. Even though the Sunni-Shia differences are considered fundamental and irreconcilable, still both are considered to lie within the general frame-work of Islam, and their leaders advocate for peaceful coexistence between them. Both Sunnis and Shias accept a common belief in Allah, Prophet Muhammad and Quran; however there are other significant differences. This site will be concerned with the aspects of Sunni Islam, which is the mainstream Islam.
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