Sunnism and Shi'ism

posted by The Vidiot @ 4:18 PM Permalink

The differences have been explained to me a bunch of different ways, and I get it, but I can't explain it. So here it is, explained by some upstart out of Brown University.

Excerpt:The division dates back to the time after Muhammad's death in 632, in the area which is now known as Saudi Arabia, when the next leader of the Muslim nation had yet to be decided. One group of people (who would later become known as the "Shiites") believed that the ruler should be a member of the prophet's family, while another group (who would later be called the "Sunnis") believed that Muhammad’s successor should be chosen from amongst those who were most qualified. While Shiites desired the succession of Muhammad’s cousin “Ali” as the next leader, Sunnis opted for “Abu Bakr,” a close friend to the prophet. The Sunnis quickly prevailed and Abu Bakr was installed as Muhammad's successor.

Go to the link to read the rest. It's pretty good.