History of Asia

What are Shiite and Sunni factions of?

Shiite and Sunni are the two main branches of Islam. Muslims who follow the Shiite branch are called Shiites, while those who follow the Sunni branch are called Sunnis.

The main difference between Shiites and Sunnis is over who should have been the rightful successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Shiites believe that it should have been Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, while Sunnis believe it should have been Abu Bakr, one of Muhammad's closest companions.