There used to be a Supreme ruler in Islam, the Caliphe, if
I spelled it right. Sunni believe that any decent Muslim can
be Supreme ruler. Shia believe the Supreme ruler has to be
direct descendant of the Prophet's bloodline.
Not sure about Druze.
Did you know there is a group called Sufi? Ever hear of a
whirling dervish? Sufi's are more mystical. They have a
ceremony where they spin around and around. I recently
read where doing this in a clockwise direction, draws down
spiritual power from above.
Q: What is the difference between Shias and Sunnis?
A: Shias and Sunnis constitute the two major branches of Islam in the world, though each of these branches encompasses several different sects or schools of Islamic thought. The Shias are numerically the smaller of the two major branches. According to an estimate in the website IslamForToday.com, about 10 to 15% of the world?s Muslims are Shias. The essential difference between the two branches is on the question of who are the rightful successors of Prophet Mohammad as the spiritual head of the Islamic community.
Following the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr became the first Caliph and was followed by Umar and then Uthman. After Uthman?s death in 656, Ali, the Prophet?s cousin and son-in-law, became the Caliph. Sunnis recognize all of these as righteous Caliphs. Shias, however, believe that Ali should have been rightfully the first Caliph and was chosen for that role by Mohammad himself and that Abu Bakr was a usurper. They, therefore, do not recognise any of the first three Sunni Caliphs as Caliphs. In fact, the term Shia is from the original Shiat Ali, which in Arabic means Party of Ali or partisans of Ali.
According to the website shia.org, Shias believe that the only people with a divine right to act as Imams (guides) are 12 people from the lineage of Prophet Mohammad: They are Imam Ali; Imam Hasan, son of Ali; Imam Husain, son of Ali; Imam Ali,
son of Husain; Imam Muhammad, son of Ali; Imam Ja?far, son of Muhammad; Imam Musa, son of Ja?- far; Imam Ali, son of Musa; Imam Muhammad, son of Ali; Imam Ali, son of Muhammad; Imam Hasan, son of Ali; and Imam Muhammad, son of Hasan. Shias believe that the last of these Imams is still living, but in occultation.
Q:What?re the major Shia sects?
A: The most dominant Shia sect is the Ithna Ashariya (also known as the Twelvers because they acknowledge the 12 Imams). There are also the Ismailis, a sect that, according to Merriam-Websters Encyclopaedia, came into being after the death of the sixth Imam, Jafar. A minority of Shias at that point of time accepted Jafar?s eldest son Ismail as his successor. The third major group are the Zayids or Zaidis. They are also known as the Fivers, since they do not acknowledge the last eight of the 12 Imams.
Q: In which countries are Shias in a majority?
A: Iran is overwhelmingly Shia. Azerbaijan and Yemen are two countries in which the Shias form a majority of the population. In Iraq, they constitute 40%.
Q: Are there many Shias in India?
A: They are sizable though a minority of Muslims in India. According to the Penguin Dictionary, there are over 50 million Shias in India. All three major sects, Isna Ashari, Zaidi and Ismaili, exist in India.
Q: What is the significance of Karbala to the Shias?
A: Karbala in Iraq is the place where Imam Ali?s son Husain was martyred while fighting Yazid, who had been appointed by his father Muawiya to succeed him as the Caliph. The Shias mark this martyrdom with Muharram.
besides the hefty information everyone else will provide you. I think they are a bunch of divisions in Islam and they think their better than one another so they kill one another sometime. great. Muslims killing Muslims. Somethings not right here.
I think its better if they stop dividing themselves. and if their already divided. don't argue or come close argument with the other division and cause problems.
Druze
This is a religious community generally considered to be Muslim but whose practices also contain elements of Christianity and paganism.
The religion was brought to Lebanon around the eleventh century by Darazi (hence the name Druze), a disciple of Al-Hakim, a Fatimid caliph from Egypt who considered himself the final incarnation of God.
The religion is secretive: very few members are masters, and many don't know much about their own faith because the doctrines are revealed over time. The Druze community can be found primarily in Lebanon in West Beirut, the Shuf Mountains, the Al Matn district and the regions around Hasbayya and Rashayya.
Shiite Muslim
a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs.
Sunni
This is the name for the larger of the two major divisions of Islam. The Sunni, who rejected the claims of 'Ali's line, believe that they are the true followers of the Sunni, the guide to proper behavior set forth by Muhammad's personal deeds and utterances.
What are the similarities and differences between the Druze, Shiites, and Suuni Musli
