At the end of 2010, the Arab Spring broke out. Meanwhile, the hope of democratization in the Middle East has been overshadowed by (civil) wars. The opposition between Sunnis and Shiites plays a major role in this, especially in Iraq and Syria. The origin of this contradiction is very old and goes back to the question of who should succeed Mohammed in the seventh century.
In their propaganda, the fighters of Islamic State (IS) seem to focus mainly on the infidels. What attracts attention are the videos of executions of Western journalists and aid workers. Yet the terror of IS is largely directed against its own co-religionists. "There is no place on this earth for the followers of Ali, for they are the true enemies of the faith," reads one of the countless, often very virulent, anti-Shia websites that dot the internet. In practice this means blowing up their mosques, destroying their shrines and razing their homes to the ground. Whoever does not flee or convert to true (Sunni) Islam after all, is not sure of his life.
Spiritual Heritage
The origin of the gap between the two main streams in Islam lies in the early days of Islam. The sudden death of Mohammed in the summer of 632 created a major problem for the still young Muslim community. Who was to succeed the irreplaceable leader, founder, and prophet? Who was to ensure that the fledgling authority of the Muslims over large parts of the Arab world was consolidated? Which of his followers had enough religious authority to continue Muhammad's spiritual heritage?
The assembly of chieftains—followers and male relatives of the prophet—that met the day after Muhammad's death was divided. Many of those present saw Abu Bakr, one of Muhammad's earliest followers, as the designated successor. Abu Bakr had an unblemished reputation for his steadfastness during the difficult early years in Makkah when the faith was under great strain. The fact that Mohammed had married his daughter Aisha was an additional indication for many that Abu Bakr should become the new leader of the Muslims. Others, however, saw in Ali, son-in-law and nephew of the Prophet, Muhammad's successor. In fact, only the prophet, inspired as he was by God, could designate a successor. According to the followers of Ali, there were sufficient signs that Muhammad wanted Ali as his successor.
Caliph and Imam
In the end, a majority elected Abu Bakr as Muhammad's first successor. His title was Caliph – from the Arabic khalifa, meaning successor and in particular the successor of Muhammad as the leader of the Muslim community. At that time, Ali's followers resigned themselves to the decision.
However, due to the rapid expansion of Islam under Abu Bakr and his successor Umar, disagreements quickly arose as to how the Islamic world should be governed. Tensions were especially high between the original followers of the prophet and the later converts. It erupted after the assassination of Umar in 644. His successor Uthman ibn Affan (644-655) belonged to the Qurashi tribe, to which the Prophet had also belonged. However, he was mistrusted by the people of Medina and, more importantly, by the sons of the companions of the prophet and by Aisha, the prophet's widow. The question of who should lead the believers came up again. Ali took advantage of the divisions among Uthman's followers. Moreover, he managed to gain the support of Aisha, and thus he succeeded in becoming the fourth caliph.
From this moment on, the division between the Muslims took on an ideological charge. The followers of Ali increasingly emphasized that only Ali could be Muhammad's only successor and deputy on earth. They gave him the title Imam:spiritual leader. His unique position enabled him to fulfill the task assigned to him by Muhammad:to convey God's will.
The separation between Shia and Sunna became a fact. The Shiites no longer recognized the Caliph as their spiritual leader. They only recognized the imam. Thanks to his position, the Imam determined his succession – only he had this unique God-given gift.
Ashura
The differences between them led to a civil war, which, however, remained undecided. An attempt at mediation failed after Ali was assassinated in 661. His son Hassan succeeded him as imam, but he could not prevent Mu'awya from being proclaimed caliph. The situation took a new turn in 680 when Mu'awiyah died suddenly. Many Muslims, especially those who sided with Ali against Mu'awiya in the civil war, urged Hussein, who had meanwhile succeeded his brother Hassan as imam, to become the new caliph. Hussein accepted the request and left Medina for Kufa. On the way, a few miles south of Kufa, he was met by soldiers of Yazid I who, without consulting the large Muslim community, had succeeded his father Mu'awiya. It was an unequal battle:72 of Hussein's followers faced the thousands of Yazid's soldiers. They were slaughtered. Hussein's head was knocked off his torso with a sword blow and later presented to the Caliph in Damascus. Here it was kept and exhibited in the great mosque.
This event took place on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharrem (the first month of the new Islamic year) near Kerbala, a place in the north of present-day Iraq. For Shiites, this is the most important day in history and they call it Ashura. Every year this day is widely celebrated by Shiites and the martyrdom of Hussein is commemorated. Processions and lengthy prayer services take place and young men chastise themselves to the point of bleeding to relive Hussein's suffering.
Differences
Hussein's violent death widened the divide between Shias and Sunnis. Shia groups were driven to the fringes of the Islamic empire and became increasingly oppressed. The ideological disputes also increased. Successive Shia scholars continue to develop the theory of the Imamate. An important factor within this became the dogma of the last imam. According to currents within Shiism the fourth, according to others the seventh, but according to the majority the twelfth imam would live on in secret. His return as the Mahdi (savior) will usher in the end times.
Shias and Sunnis differ not only about who should be in charge of Islam, but also about the order in which the surahs are included in the Qur'an, about God, the veneration of saints, human freedom of the will and countless other matters. They even disagree about the rules of fasting. Illustrative of this is a well-known joke that is doing the rounds in Lebanon. A Sunni Muslim runs to the mosque. He sees a Shia sitting across the street drinking a cup of coffee. "Don't you have to go to the mosque quickly," he calls out to him. “Why should I?” is the answer. “Today is Judgment Day,” the Sunni continues. "Oh, but then I don't have to rush, that won't be until next week with us."
Many Sunnis believe that Shias secretly possess other holy books in addition to the Qur'an. However, the biggest annoyances of the Sunnis concern the interpretation of the Qur'an. Thus, books with Quran interpretations have been written by successive Shia scholars. Some are given as great a value as the Qur'an. In strict Sunni circles this is considered a mortal sin.