Identify the Following Terms

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The Answer is Shi'ites and Sunnis are the two main branches of Islam, which is the second-largest religion in the world. The split between these two sects dates back to the 7th century and arose from a disagreement over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as the leader of the Islamic community after his death in 632 CE.

Sunnis:
The Sunnis are the largest branch of Islam, comprising about 85-90% of the Muslim population worldwide. They believe that the first four caliphs—Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali—were the rightful successors to Muhammad. Sunnis emphasize the importance of the Sunnah, which are the practices and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, as recorded in Hadiths. They follow a system of Islamic jurisprudence that is based on consensus (ijma) and analogy (qiyas), and they recognize the six canonical collections of Hadiths. Sunni Islam is further divided into four major schools of jurisprudence: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.

Shi'ites (Shi'a):
The Shi'ites, or Shi'a, represent about 10-15% of the Muslim population. They believe that Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, was the rightful successor and that leadership should stay within the Prophet's family, passing down to his direct descendants, known as Imams. Shi'ites hold that these Imams are infallible and divinely appointed leaders who have spiritual authority over the community. The largest branch of Shi'ism is the Twelver Shi'ism, which recognizes a line of twelve Imams, with the twelfth Imam believed to be in occultation and expected to return as the Mahdi, or guided one, to establish justice. Other branches of Shi'ism include the Ismailis and the Zaidis, each with their own line of succession and distinct beliefs.

The division between Shi'ites and Sunnis has had significant historical, cultural, and political implications throughout Islamic history, and it continues to influence the geopolitics of the Muslim world today. Despite their differences, both Sunnis and Shi'ites share many fundamental Islamic beliefs and practices, such as the Five Pillars of Islam, the belief in one God (Allah), and reverence for the Quran as their holy book.

Identify the Following Terms

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