Whats the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims?
What is the difference between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims? What exactly are the points of theology on which they differ? — Matthew Bates Dex replies: The differences are more political than doctrinal, dating back to the early days of Islam. But the divide is every bit as deep as the one separating Martin Luther’s adherents from the Pope’s. Warning: for almost every statement I make here, you’ll find some sect or group in Islam that takes issue with it, either as a matter of fact or interpretation. In the interest of telling a coherent story not clogged with footnotes and asides, I relate the the most commonly accepted version. Also note that there are many different English spellings or versions of names, since Arabic doesn’t use the Roman alphabet. I use the older, more familiar forms rather than the newer ones, which in many cases are closer to the Arabic; thus, Shi’ite rather than Shia. To start at the beginning: Mohammed the Prophet heard revelations from the angel Gabriel in the ye
