![]() ![]() The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Origin of the division – A Question of Leadership And this is always something that we Sunnis are always making fun of and mock the Shia.” You see they don’t worship the clay tablet as many wrongly think. They want to be true to the expression of praying with the forehead actually touching Allah’s earth. We say “subhanna rabia Allah” three times with our foreheads touching the earth.” So the Shia want to actually touch the earth with their foreheads and not a manmade carpet. Why do you carry this clay tablet everywhere you go in your pocket? They said “we are supposed to do sujood on Allah’s earth with our foreheads touching the earth. I said why don’t you ask them why they place their foreheads on a piece of clay and learn the logic behind this. And he( Sunni cleric) says, “see what they are doing here. “An example is that the Shia brothers when they make salat, they have a piece of clay (turbah) that they do sajjdah on. ![]() The Shias also have some different hadith and prefer those narrated by Ali and Fatima to those related by other companions of the Prophet (pbuh).īut does the disparity in the manner of adopting religious obligations really matter?Ī passage from the speech of Sheikh Ahmad Deedat (March 3, 1982), They also tend to combine prayers, sometimes worshipping three times per day instead of five. On a practical daily level, Shias have a different call to prayer, they perform salat differently including placing the forehead onto a piece of hardened clay from Karbala, not directly onto the prayer mat when prostrating. The difference mainly lies in the manner of fulfillment of the religious duties. – Do they believe in different holy books? No, both believe in the same Quran.īoth believe in the basic fundamentals of Islam – such asīoth sects are also similar in other branches of religion such as, Namaaz (Prayers), Saum (Fasting), Hajj (Pilgrimage), Zakat (Poor Rate), Jehad (Striving), Amr-Bil-Ma’roof (Enjoin what is good) and Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid what is wrong).īoth Sunni and Shia Muslims, though share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith, and it seems that the differences between the two initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones which over the centuries, have spawned a number of varying practices and positions that have come to carry a spiritual significance. – Do they believe in different Prophets? No, both believe in Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) – as the last prophet and messenger of Allah. – Do they believe in different Creator? No, both believe in Allah – the One and Only God. The word “Sunni” in Arabic comes from a word meaning “one who follows the traditions of the Prophet.”īut the question remains what is it that makes you a Sunni Muslim or a Shia Muslim? The word ‘Shia’ means ‘followers members of party’, more commonly known as “Shia-t-Ali,” or “the Party of Ali.” My family has always respected Hazrat Ali, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain and their families and have been participating in ceremonies marking the anniversary of martyrdom of Imam Hussain (the 10th of Muharram which is called Ashura) and have fasted on the ninth and tenth of Muharram. I could not come up with an answer but saying I am a Muslim.īut this question that continued to trouble me inside was, what does it mean to be a Shia or a Sunni, why should it matter?Īlthough I was born and raised into a Sunni family, but we never had any Shia-Sunni arguments in our family and this was the reason I did not know of many differences between the two sects. However this new fondness was not much appreciated in my circle and they posed questions such as, ‘Are you shia?’ ‘You never told that before.’Īnd it left me totally dumbfounded. The shia literature and stories are quite inspiring and this lead me into the world of noha, marsiya and lectures which I thoroughly like to listen and felt serene. It seems like every other person has a new and interesting story to tell. Last two days I have been reading about Shia-Sunni tension, the origin, the base, the rationale on the suggestion of a friend and there are tons of stories available online. ![]()
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