Exploring the Divergences: Sunni and Shia Muslim Beliefs and Practices

This essay provides a comparative analysis of Sunni and Shia Muslims, exploring the core differences in their beliefs, practices, and historical development. The essay begins by outlining the five pillars of Islam and then delves into the key distinctions between the two major sects, including their views on succession after the Prophet Muhammad's death, the role of Imams, the interpretation of the Quran and Hadith, and the structure of religious hierarchy. The essay also examines the sources of guidance for each sect, including the Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith, as well as secondary sources like consensus and analogical reasoning. It highlights the impact of these differences on social and political structures, particularly in the Middle East, and touches upon the historical conflicts between the two groups. The essay concludes by emphasizing the fundamental unity of belief in one God and the shared core principles of Islam, while acknowledging the significant differences in interpretation and practice that have shaped the two distinct branches of the faith. The essay utilizes primary and secondary sources including quotes, texts, and prominent material to support its arguments.

Running Head: SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 0
MUSLIM LAWS & THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR TWO DIVISIONS
SUNNI & SHIA
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SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 1
Through this essay the difference between the two sects of Muslims i.e. the Sunni and the Shia
which are considered as the main sub groups in Islam, will be reflected along with the source
they use for their guidance and different Hadith texts by using proper quotes, texts, prominent
material and primary and secondary sources which are relating to both (Mayer 2018). Islam
stands basically on five pillars which are as follows religious duties towards God, personal and
spiritual growth, caring, self-discipline and sacrifice. Islam was divided into two parts after the
death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD (Ali 2015). Where Sunnis became a less believer of
religion and reserved or conservative groups and Shia’s remained as they were i.e. traditional and
observant. There are many other differences among these two divisions of the Muslim
community and some of them are as follows.
First is that the Sunnis are more in number as compared to Shias, Sunnis cover the 85% and
leaves 15% for the Shias. Second, is disagreement upon the succeeding patterns, this means that
Sunnis believed in qualified devotion of the individuals to become the successor of the Prophet,
whereas Shias believed that the direct blood relatives must be the successor of the Muhammad.
Third is the simplicity of religions in the hierarchy of Sunnis as compared to that of Shias. There
is full control of Shias over their hierarchy and the direct air line was maintained by the clergies,
here the involvements of the government is unnecessary as they relies mostly on the endowments
of the religions. On the other hand the Sunnis allows the involvement of the government and also
appoints a leader for the process of the community, in short it can be said that no clergy or proper
hierarchy exist here. Fourth one reflects the belief pattern i.e. Shias believe in Imams which are
appointed by the God and are considered as the legitimate interpreters of the Quran, whereas
Sunnis referred saints as equivalent to the Imams who must have strong faith in the Quran etc.
Shias pray three times a day, whereas Sunnis for five times in a day. Shias considers Imams to be

SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 2
the divine and the possessor of the spiritual authority and a mediator between Allah and its
believers but for Sunnis doesn’t give that much importance to the Imams and they refer this term
Imam as the contemporary mosque or leader of the Muslim community (Coulson 2017).
The difference between Sunni and Shia are much more than theological and historical and are
mostly found in the social and political structure of the Middle East and forms different
communities Rarely people convert from Sunnis to Shias rather they are also to marry in their
own communities and follow their own rituals relating to death, birth, marriage etc. Each
community members are to learn Islamic tradition of their own faith under the guidance of their
religious teachers, Shia communities were considered poorer as compared to that of Sunnis.
Although there are thousands of differences between both the sects of the Muslim religion but
both of the two political movements has a primary objective that is the establishment of Islamic
law as the only basis of the government. They have always rejected the western ideas of
secularism and also oppose to all the kinds of social changes that uses the western culture as their
role model like the changes in the status of the women (Moore 2015).
When the question raises relating to understanding or making decision about something, mostly
the people would go to the various authority sources for guidance or help which includes family,
friends, events that occurred with the self, logical reasoning and moral science but other sources
of guidance and help which includes the sacred texts were used by the religious people, faith
founders, rules and principles of the religions, leaders of the faith community, traditions and
others who are a part of the faith community. A decision can be made properly and bitterly if is
been made after considering variety of sources, rather than by using one or the same one always.
Sources aids in attaining the perfect portrait of the incident and provide numerous choices or
alternatives for resolving them (Alserhan 2017).

SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 3
Use and regards of sacred Texts i.e. Quran by the Muslims are as follows Quran is considered as
the word God for the Muslims and both of its sect regards it as the one and only source of
authority, though they may also follow the work or teachings of others guidance or
interpretation. Quran is considered as the source of guidance as well as a source of knowledge
that regards the fait and tradition of the Muslims (Abdo 2017).
The sources of Islam for the guidance are basically of two types i.e. primary and secondary
sources, where the primary sources consist of 1st Quran which is considered as the first and
foremost origin or the resource of the Muslims norms and considered as direct words of the God
reveled to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel in Mecca and Medina, which specified that the
society must be constructed on the moral, philosophical, social, political and economic basis. 2nd
Sunnah which are mostly considered as the tradition as well as the custom of the Muslims which
includes all the verbal talks, acts along with that the silence of assertion on them. Most of
Sunnah is recorded in Hadith.
Hadiths (saying) in Islam refers to the recordings of the words, actions and the approval of
silence of the Islamic prophets, they are the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad reflecting the
ways to spend a life in accordance to the Quran for example if a Muslim member faces any
problem or difficulty then he might look to the Hadith for seeing that whether the Prophet had
also faced the same problem or not and if yes then how he had dealt with the similar issue. They
are also called as the backbone of the Islamic civilization and comes exactly after the Quran or
are considered as secondary to the Quran (Sidahmed 2018).
Basically the Hadiths are divided into or are considered of three types, where the first one is the
mutawatir i.e. undoubtable widely known and backed up by many references. Second is mashhur
i.e. widely spread and known for and backed up with the original references. Third one is the

SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 4
Wahid i.e. single or isolated backed up by few discontinuous references. Both Sunni and Shia
interpreted Hadith in different ways (Harrag and Qawasmeh 2011).
Secondary resources consist of 1st Consensus i.e. ijma between the jurists of the Muslims on a
legal issue. It can also be called as the source of legislation of the Muslims. 2nd is the analogical
reason or the Qivas which aims to draw the analogies for the prior taken decisions. 3rd is the
Juristic preference i.e. Abu Hanifa which are considered as those methods that peruses the matter
and benefits, for adopting forbearance and self-control and to cancel the analogical reasons when
needed. 4th is the interest of the public, through which the rulers pronounce the law in context of
the underlined definitions of the discovered matter for the interest of the people. 5th is the local
custom which were firstly recognized by the Abu Yusuf etc. (Roberts 2013).
The annual journey or the pilgrim of the Muslims are known as Hajj, Muslims from all the
comers of the earth visit here for fulfilling a duty of Hajj which is the fifth pillar of the Islam and
the persons who completes all of its rituals are considered to be forgiven for all their sins so been
committed in their life. There were differences and conflicts held out on this topic also, but after
hearing all the conflicts, the head officials of the community decided and came up to a positive
result that, no differences in the mindsets of the Muslims and its sub division can lead to division
of this place (Hamidullah 2011). Therefore in general it can be said that the Muslims have or are
standing with a unity with only having differences in their culture i.e. the distinction made on
black and white, Arab and non- Arab, along with their wending ways to desert and not in their
faith or belief.
Clashes between the 2 big sects of Islam i.e. Sunni and Shia are taking place across the entire
world of the Muslim. Their conflict in Syria regarding the civil war has become a topic of gossip
all over the world. This conflict is not a very new one it is been seen since the historical times i.e.

SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS 5
from the death of the Prophet Muhammad, which causes tension and violence throughout in the
history of the Islam’s as well as is being carried out in the modern times (Nasab 2016).
Therefore it can be concluded that though there are many differences present between the two
sects of Islam but there are some similarities also among Shia and Sunni and in the beliefs of
both the sects they both believe in one powerful God, who had created the world and all the
living creatures living in it, they believe in angels and devils and also in demons. Both of them
believed in one holy book that is Quran and also believes that praising of God is the main
purpose in the life of the humans, so that a day will come when the gates of paradise will open
for them.
Therefore it can be concluded that Shia and Sunni are two insuperable parts of the Islam.

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