Q597 :What are the differences between the two sects
Shias and Sunnis?
A597 : Linguistically speaking, the term Shia means
followers or supporters. In a historical context, it means the
supporters of Ali ibn Abu Talib, the Prophet’s cousin, who became the
fourth ruler of the Muslim state. When he took over, there was a split
between him and other groups of Muslims over the question of dealing
with those who mounted the rebellion against his predecessor, Uthman
ibn Affan. At this time, there was no such sect as Shia. However, after
he was assassinated, his supporters wanted his son, Al Hassan, to take
over. They maintained that succession should remain among his
descendants. The Shias continued to oppose the Ummayid and Abbasid
governments for a very long time. This lead to the provision of a
religious backing to the political opposition. Hence, the rise of the
Shiite school of thought which institutionalizes the role of the imam.
Thus, we have the Jaafari or the Imami school of thought which lists 12
imams whom the Shia venerate. The Zaidi school of thought, which is
largely concentrated in Yemen, lists only 7 imams. The question of the
role of the imam is the basic issue of difference between Shias and
Sunnis. The Term “Sunni” on the other hand, means from linguistic
point of view a follower of a method. In an Islamic sense, the term
Sunnah means the method shown by the Prophet. Within our context, it
refers to the majority of Muslims who gave allegiance to the Muslim
state, starting with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali and going through the
Umayyids, the Abbasids, etc. They do not recognize the Shiite claim
that Ali had a stronger claim to succeed the Prophet as the ruler of
the Muslim state. They maintain that anyone has an equal claim provided
that he meets the qualifications required for the post. In our day and
age, it is more important to stress points of agreement rather than
points of disagreement, because what unites Muslims is much greater
than what disunites them. With the enemies of Islam trying hard to sow
the seeds of discord among us, we should try our best to render their
attempts futile.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )