#history
Shia Sunni Divide.
The Shia Sunni divide among the Muslims has been the foundation of much of the problems in the Muslim world especially in the Middle East.
The origin of the divide goes back 14 centuries, to the very beginnings of Islam.
In the beginning, it was a purely political dispute, whether the principle of succession in the nascent Muslim State should be dynastic or meritorious.
The majority argued that the prophet’s temporal and spiritual successors should be selected on the basis of their competence, seniority, knowledge and experience. They chose Abubacker, the father-in-law of Prophet Muhammad as his successor.
A minority disagreed. They believed the temporal and spiritual leadership of Muslim society should remain confined to the descendants of the Prophet forever.
They thought Ali – the younger cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, should be his successor, as he was the staunch companion and closest family member by virtue of birth and marriage.
Shia is an abbreviation for Shia’t Ali, the party of Ali.
With the exception of the Quran, there are no religious or historical references that the Sunnis and Shias agree on.
The Quran stressed on persuasion in matters of faith, while the Islamists saw coercion as the only method for preservation of the faith.
85% of the Muslim faithful today, are Sunnis.
Both parties will advance the same arguments to justify and Islamise their brutalities.
Creation of a hell here in the name of the hereafter, is the fundamental objective of all varieties of Islamism, despite their invocation of justice and divine will in every other sentence they write or speak.
– (adapted from an article by Shajahan Madampattu,
in the Hindu ).
