Key Difference: Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims have different theological beliefs. Shias believe that only the people in the direct line of the Prophet should lead the Muslims. There are many small differences such as how many times a day to pray, how to pray, how they should interpret the Qur’an, etc.

Islam is the second-largest religion and one of the fastest growing religions in the world. It is only succeeded by Christianity. Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion that is guided by the Qur’an. The Qur’an is composed of the word of God and the teachings and examples of Muhammad, the last prophet of God. A follower of Islam is known as a Muslim. Many Muslims believe that their sole purpose is to worship and serve God, for which they have established five pillars of Islam that guides a Muslim on almost every aspect of life and society.

Due to differences, Muslims have been divided into two primary sects: The Sunnis and the Shias. These two sects have many similarities and both consider themselves are Muslims, following the will of God. However, they are also different from each other in certain aspects. Both the Sunnis and the Shias, agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the same Holy Book. However, according to experts the division stems from their different historical experiences, political and social developments, as well as ethnic composition.

Before the division, both the Sunni and the Shia were considered as Muslims, who followed the word of the last prophet, Muhammad. Following the death of Muhammad, it was unclear as to who will lead the Islamic community forward. This is where the two differed. The BBC website states the entire story behind the division in detail. The Sunnis believed that Muhammad had picked his close ally and father-in-law, Abu Bakr to continue leading the Muslims. However, the Shias believed that leadership should remain within the family of the Prophet and his cousin and son-in-law, Ali should be the next leader of the community. Following multiple discussions, Abu Bakr was elected leader democratically, which was looked down upon by the Shia community.

Following the election of Abu Bakr, Ali initially did not pledge allegiance to him. However, a few months later he readily accepted Abu Bakr as the new leader. When Abu Bakr was dying he appointed The Second Caliph, who on his death bed appointed The Third Caliph. However, The Third Caliph, Uthman ibn 'Affan was murdered during his term. After which Ali was appointed as The Fourth Caliph. Ali’s Caliphate was opposed by Aisha, wife of Muhammad and daughter of Abu Bakr. She claimed that Ali should be more rigid in trying to bring justice to the killer of Uthman. She led a battle against him known as the Battle of the Camel, where Aisha lost. She later apologized but the differences had already been created. The governor of Damascus, Mu'awiya, challenged the caliphate of Ali. Although, they tried to reach a settlement, it did not prove very effective. Ali was killed by other forces, following which Mu'awiya assumed the Caliphate.

Unlike the previous Caliphate, Mu'awiya was monarchical and on his death bed he passed on his Caliphate to his son Yazid. Around this time, the people of Kufa invited Hussein, Ali’s youngest son to become their leader. However, on route to Kufa, Yazid’s forces intercepted Ali and his followers, who refused to pay allegiance to Yazid. This resulted in a battle, in which Hussein is said to have died sacrificing this life for the survival of Shi'a Islam. The Shia Muslims commemorate his sacrifice to this day by mourning on the Day of Ashura. They even participate in acts of self-flagellation to honor him.

This is one of the major reasons of the separation of the Sunnis and the Shias. The Shias were further divided into Ismaili and The Twelvers. This is named because they believed there are twelve divinely appointed Imams descended from the Prophet in the line of Ali and Hussein. The final Imam was hid in a cave to avoid persecution; however he disappeared. The Shias believe that he is hidden by God and will return at the end of time.

Although, originally the difference was a result of who would lead the Muslim community, the Sunnis and the Shias have now come to differ theologically as well, such as interpretation and acceptance of the Hadith and the Sunnah. The Sunnis believe all of the Hadith and Sunnah narrated by any of twelve thousand companions to be equally valid. However, the Shias only credit the Hadith and Sunnah by the Prophet's family and close associates. Another difference lies in the belief of The Mahdi, a person who would be righteously guided by God and will be a descendent of the Prophet. According to the Sunnis, the Mahdi has yet to arrive on Earth and will come directly during the end of time, while the Shias believe that the Mahdi has already been on Earth, but was hidden by God and will emerge again during the end of time.

The Sunnis believe that there is no one greater than God and no one else should be given precedence. If a person wants something, he should directly ask God. However, the Shias believe that God is too great to be directly spoken to him. They speak to God through the Imams. The Shias also believe in building shrines, while the Sunnis don’t. The Shias also believe in self- flagellation to commemorate the sacrifice of Hussein. However, the Sunnis state that the act is a sin. There are many other small differences that are noted in the table below.

Information for the table has been taken from Diffen.com

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