The differences between sunni and shia islam are political in origin, and remain so to this day. Of the total muslim population, 10% are shia muslims and 8790% are sunni muslims. Understanding the divisions within islam charles river editors on. Links to primary source documents for islamic history from ancient to modern times. Associate professor of history at creighton university in omaha, nebraska.
However, the ideas he expressed were representative of the rank and file. Jul 16, 2014 new cfr infoguide explores islams sunnishia divide. What are some causes and effects of the shiasunni split. For more detailed information about the historical context of the shia sunni split, and modernday interpretations and repercussions, please visit the links below. Sectarian conflict is becoming entrenched in a growing number of muslim countries and is threatening to fracture iraq and syria.
This essay is excerpted from his book divisions within islam, part of a 10volume. There were nine explosions in all, 30 minutes of car bombs, suicide bombs, grenades, and mortar fire. Britain has an estimated muslim population of about 2. Though the two main sects within islam, sunni and shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. The book can be downloaded in pdf format from here. Why does their relationship remained strained after all these years. The epic story of the shiasunni split in islam epdf. Shia sunni conflicts are raging in syria, iraq, lebanon and pakistan and the divide is growing deeper across the muslim world. Dec 16, 2017 on facial similarity the sunni shiite split in islam is comparable to the protestantcatholic split in christianity to the extent that there was one religion and after a theological disagreement, there were two religions. They became known as the shiaali, or supporters of ali. This week sunni and shia muslims ushered in the islamic new year and the beginning of the holy month of muharram.
Though the two main sects within islam, sunni and shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of islam, a bitter split. This article describes and explains the differences between sunni and shiite muslims and discusses the implications for the united states and social studies education. Modern sunnishia tensions council on foreign relations. Can i get the book after the prophet in pdf format. Prepared by emily hawley, research associate after the death of the prophet mohammad in 632 ce, the muslim community diverged over how to select the next leader of the islamic community they had formed on. The split between the two main sects within islam goes back some 1,400 years. Remarks of sarah leah whitson, executive director, human. Tensions between sunnis and shias, exploited by regional rivals saudi arabia and iran, could reshape the future middle east.
The successor of the messenger of allah and his first caliph. Salafism, sectarianism and the resilience of dargah culture sectarianism has in the last decade become an important lens for explaining the politics of the middle east, in particular when it comes to relations between sunni and shia. The split between the sunni and shi a traditions of islam intensified, and sufi practices became more widespread. The difference between sunni and shia sects of islam are not to the gigantic proportions as most western literature assume. Credits nominated in the learning category of the bafta childrens awards 2017. What are the differences between shia and sunni muslims. Apr 10, 2019 while there was hardly any overlap between sunni, shia, and kurdish constituencies in 2014, the three were internally fragmented, with the shia vote dominated by three lists, and the sunni vote split mostly among four lists, in addition to smaller lists across the spectrum.
Separate one page or a whole set for easy conversion into independent pdf files. Latest release 9a0172 braindump pdf with pdf and vce engine. Sunni islam and shiism only assumed their current forms in the ninth century, after the collection of the prophets sayings hadith and the end of the line of shia imams. And it was fundamentally that political division that began the sunni shia split. Sunni and shia laws of inheritance are different in their foundational structure as well as detailed implications, though the both are inspired from the quranic verses of inheritance. There are also significant shiite populations in afghanistan, kuwait, lebanon, pakistan, saudi arabia, syria, and yemen. Why the myth of sunnishia conflict defines middle east. Parallels the division between islams shiite minority and the sunni majority is deepening across the middle east. The epic story of the shiasunni split 2009 lesley hazelton prologue. Shia sunni discussion new pdf documents are added on daily basis.
Shias contend muhammads young wife aisha committed the murder, while sunnis believe a jewish woman was ultimately responsible. An example of an early shia sunni fitna shootout occurred in kurram, one of the tribal agencies of the northwest pakistan, where the pushtun population was split between sunnis and shia. Although shia muslims only constitute between 10% and % of the global muslim population, they. View shiite and sunni split research papers on academia.
Students are required to analyze five documents about sunni and shia muslims in order to discover why islam split into sunni and shia. The true path as practised by prophet muhammed saw and his purified family as category. The historical split occurred 1400 years ago, following. The origins of the sunnishia split in islam by hussein abdulwaheed amin, editor of introduction the shia shahadah declaration of faith states. The historical split occurred 1400 years ago, following the death of muhammad in medina, in modern day saudi arabia. Put the document number in parenthesis after using a direct quote from a document doc 1 ex 2. Shia usoolaldeen which path should you follow did allah tell muslims follow the quran and sunnah or the quran and ahlulbayt the practise of shia islam from sunni books the shia perspective on historical events. What is the difference between sunni and shiite muslims public education department 3 the oriental institute of the university of chicago. Sunni muslims supported abu bakr as the first caliph of the muslim faith the first group of shia were a small group who opposed bakr and wanted a man named ali to take control the sunni shiite split. The centuriesold strife sporadically erupts into new bloodshed throughout the middle east today, particularly, in wartorn iraq, where the power vacuum left by the fall of. In modern times, the split has fostered battles for power and resources. Using your online textbook, page 271 answer the following questions. In recent years in iraq, saddam hussein led a sunni government that actually oppressed the shia majority.
Aug 19, 2009 the division between sunnis and shia is the largest and oldest in the history of islam. After the death of the prophet, abu bakr became the leader of the umma the caliph. List the 3 reasons why there became a division in the muslim community. Gps standard ss7gs8 the student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in southwest asia middle east. This knowledge is vital if americans are to make prudent decisions regarding support for specific foreign policy positions and decisions regarding islam and muslim countries. The epic story of the shiasunni split in islam hazleton, lesley. Part of the strain certainly goes back to the violence and betrayal associated with the seventh century split.
When fatimah a shia muslim stops to help abubakr a sunni muslim recover from his asthma attack, they get talking. Read after the prophet pdf the epic story of the shiasunni split in islam by lesley hazleton anchor in this gripping narrative history. After the prophet is not a novel, it is narrative history, that is, the story of things that happened and of things that people say happened, told in a highly compelling way. But what id like to suggest here, first, is that your question is not quite right. Is the sunnishia split in islam comparable in any way to the. The split between the two major branches of islam sunni and shia stems from the homicide of muhammad. The epic story of the shiasunni split in islam by lesley hazleton. There is no god but allah, muhammad is the messenger of allah, ali is the friend of allah. Feb 12, 2007 the origins of the shiite sunni split. Nov 09, 2010 the majority of the worlds muslim population follows the sunni branch of islam, and approximately 10%15% of all muslims follow the shiite shiite, shia, shia branch. Weve also documented the targeting and persecution of the shia majority population ruled by a sunni minority royal family in bahrain, represented by the harassment. Sunnis and shiites share most basic religious tenets. In iraq, sunni shiite relations have been complicated by the dramatic shift in power dynamics that accompanied the removal of the sunni dominated saddam hussein regime, which ended centuries of sunni. Sunni meet the the split between sunni and shi ite muslims is one of the most important schisms in modern religion.
New cfr infoguide explores islams sunnishia divide. The split between the two main branches of islam is nearly 1,400 years old, and started with a fight over who should lead the faithful after the prophet muhammads death in 632. For example, in 2006 israel went to war with hezbollah in lebanon and in 20082009 with hamas in gaza. Its a complex topic, but ill try my best to give you a quick overview of it. The sunni divide foreign policy research institute.
Using the information learned through the document analysis you will complete a constructed response that answers the question below. Download as an editable word document and as a pdf. Tensions between sunnis and shias, exploited by regional rivals. Students will then use what they learned after completing the document analysis to write a brief constructed response. Sunni and shia islam whats the origin of the split. An ancient religious divide is helping fuel a resurgence of conflicts in the middle east and muslim countries. View document details for more information this pdf document was made available from. In terms of religious belief and practice there are more similarities than differences between sunni and shia muslims and the idea that sunnis and shias have been in perpetual conflict is historically inaccurate. Online media is used in the propaganda of hate the shia and sunni to divide islam carried out by individuals or group. After the prophet lesley hazleton pdf the epic story of the shia. Mohammed bin salman apoffice of the iranian supreme leadergettymark wilson why the myth of sunnishia conflict defines middle east policy and why it shouldnt is. Sunnishia distribution map write one generalization about the information the map is providing.
The split between sunni and shiite muslims is one of the most important schisms in modern religion yet in the west, at least, its one of the least understood. A history of the shiite sunni split the division of islam into sunni and shiite branches goes far back in muslim history to the aftermath of the death of the prophet muhammad. The two major powers in the middle east are saudi arabia, an arab population ruled by a sunni majority, and iran, a persian population ruled by a shia majority. Jun 30, 2014 there are also significant shia populations in syria and yemen. As sectarian tensions convulse syria and iraq, the council on foreign relations has released a new interactive guide examining the roots and. Look at each document and complete the analysis questions below. What students need to know by john calvert april 2010 vol. The division between shia and sunni dates back to the death of the prophet muhammad, and the question of who was to. The middle east as net exporter of religion print page. Shia islam holds that ali ibn abi talib was the appointed successor to the islamic prophet muhammad as head. The epic story of the shia sunni split in islam by lesley hazelton is one of the. However, dividing the middle east along sectarian lines is not an accurate way to assess the loyalties or predict the actions of various regional actors. Order code rs21745 february 23, 2004 crs report for.
I have already composed some responses to questions around the issue of succession to the prophet muhammad s, and will share links at the end of this piece. A battle for control soon followed, resulting in the death of one of muhammads grandsons and the transfer of power to the umayyad family and the sunni supporters. A resource for high school educators lesson plan 2. The split between the sunnis and shia can be traced back to the death of the prophet muhammad, and the dilemma of the successor of muhammad as the leader of the muslim nation. There are a few embedded videos to make things more interesting and the final activity can be a. The majority of the worlds muslim population follows the sunni branch of islam, and approximately 1015% of all muslims follow the shiite shiite, shia, shia branch. Mar 18, 2020 the two major powers in the middle east are saudi arabia, an arab population ruled by a sunni majority, and iran, a persian population ruled by a shia majority. Told in vivid and intimate detail in the earliest islamic histories, it is known to all sunnis throughout the middle east and all but engraved on the heart of every shia. Prepared by emily hawley, research associate after the death of the prophet mohammad in 632 ce, the muslim community diverged over how to select the next leader of the islamic community they had formed on the arabian peninsula. Jump down to document6 the arts child policy civil justice education energy and environment health and health care international affairs national security population and aging public safety science. Cite text evidence from the documents to support your answer.
In september 1996 more than 200 people were killed when a gun battle between teenage shia and sunni escalated into a communal war that lasted five days. Measured in terms of historical longevity, it beats the catholicprotestant schism by a factor of three and the palestinian conflict by. This is a longer lesson on islam, it serves as an introductory outlining the history and cultural setting before moving on to look at sunni and shia islam. Split in sunnis who backed up the umayyad and the shia who backed up with ali. With the shia, a further incentive for cohesion is their status as a minority. The sunni believe muhammad was poisoned by the jewess zaynab. It has not just endured but gathered emotive force to become an everwidening spiral in which past and present, faith and politics. The succession to muhammad is the central issue that split the muslim community into several divisions in the first century of islamic history, the most prominent among these sects being the shia and sunni branches of islam. Exposing the lies about fasting on the day of ashura. Order code rs21745 february 23, 2004 crs report for congress.
Shia and sunni are two streams within islam that historically always have political tensions, led to the ideological conflict between shia and sunni. Shiite populations constitute a majority in iran, iraq, bahrain, and azerbaijan. Sep 16, 2014 the history of the sunni and shia split. The split between the two major branches of islam sunni and shi a had its genesis in the homicide of muhammad. The sunni shia split after mohammeds death there is a conflict over who should lead the religion of islam sunni muslims supported abu bakr as the first caliph of the muslim faith the first group of shia were a small group who opposed bakr and wanted a man named ali to take control 6. Sunnis and shiites febe armanios analyst in middle east religions and cultures foreign affairs, defense, and trade division summary the majority of the worlds muslim popula tion follows the sunni branch of islam, and approximately 1015% of all muslims follow the shiite shiite, shia, shia. The report also relates sunni and shiite religious beliefs to discussions of terrorism and sectarian violence that may be of interest during the 111th. For shias, the month also is a time to mourn the events that sparked the centuriesold schism between shia and sunni muslims. Struggles between sunni and shia forces have fed a syrian civil war that threatens to transform the map of the middle east, spurred violence that is fracturing iraq, and widened fissures in a number of tense gulf countries. This article compares the similarities and differences between the two. Sufis the centuriesold strife sporadically erupts into new bloodshed throughout the middle east. The conflict between sunnis and shiites is often portrayed as. The divide of the islamic faith into sunni and shia sects, is a serious.
One of the most crucial differences between shia and sunni muslims is the importance that the shiites give to ali, whom the sunni do not recognize as being the prophets rightful successor. These divisions in the muslim community remain even today, though. Shia islam, shia sunni dialogue, shia sunni dialogue pdf documents. However, their differences sometimes have been the basis for religious intolerance.
It is true that there are minor variations in the way they take their respective religious heads and attribute meaning to the history of the family of muhammads, however, cultural and political differences hold the most divisive power over the religious forces. Shias between 68% and 80% live in just four countries. The split occurred soon after the death of the prophet muhammad, nearly 1,400 years ago. Sunni and shia practice assignment matthew levine geography and world cultures s4060678 date. The notion about a sectarian or sectarianized middle east, where a divide between shia and sunni muslims or shia and sunni islam constitutes a major cleavage in politics, has become a hot topic in recent years debate about the nature of a socalled new middle east. The differences between shia and sunni muslims business insider. The worlds longest running feud is not over kashmir or palestine or chechnya, nor is it the catholicprotestant schism. The middle east as net exporter of religion, fred m. Explain the origin of the division between sunni and shia muslims. In this edition, page numbers are just like the physical edition. What is the real first cause of the sunni and shia splitting. The division between islams shiite minority and the sunni majority is deepening across the middle east. Modern sunnishia tensions 1979 2017 irans islamic revolution, which brought shias to power in 1979, and the sunni backlash have fueled a competition for regional dominance.
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