Difference between Iran's Shia Muslims and Saudia Arabia Sunni
Introduction
The Shia and Sunni Islam make up the main Islam sects. These divisions were formed after Prophet Muhammad's demise. A dispute ensued over the leadership of the Islam community. Sunnis were in favor of Abu Bakr and Omar while the Shias supported Ali. The clash intensified after the Karbala scuffle, where Yazid's ruling empire murdered Hussein Ali and his relatives. A public uproar arose, followed by division within the Islamic community. In Iran, Shia Muslims are dominant than the Sunni. Even though Shias are more in Iran, experts claim that Iranians were once Sunnis before the arrival of Shias in the 17th century. The Safavid dynasty was responsible for making Iran a Shia nation in the 16th century. Historians also claim that most of the Iranians had converted to the Shia Muslim faith before the arrival of the Safavid dynasty. Based on statistics, 92% of Saudi Arabia's population is Sunni. In Saudia Arabia, minority religious groups have no right to practice their religion. The main difference between Saudi Arabia's Sunni and Iran's Shia lies in the decision each side made after the prophet
The Cultural and Historical Differences between the Shia and Sunni Muslims
Both sides believe in Allah. The divide can be traced back to 632 AD, after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Initially, the schism between the two sides was due to political leadership and not religious doctrine. Both Sunni and Shia use the Quran for guidance and trust that Prophet Muhammad was Allah's messenger (Ameli, & Molaei, 2012). There are five aspects of Islam both sects adhere to; one of them is fasting during the Ramadan period and make the pilgrimage at Mecca. Ritual prayers are done each day, and the rest of the day is dedicated to their faith. The Sunni and Shia believe in the laws set aside by the Islamic faith, but they apply the laws and regulations differently.
One of the trivial questions and differences between these two sects was-who was supposed to succeed Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad is the principal reason for the split because the two sides differed on who would be the next leader (Cheema, 2012). Sunnis have an undefined religious order than their counterpart Shias. More so, the two sides interpret Islamic academic regulations differently from each other. Shiites give humans a supreme status. The same status given to prophets is given to human beings, whereas Sunnis do not give a human being a supreme status. For example, Shiites refer to clerics as saints while Sunnis do not.
The Difference between the Sunni and Shia
Globally, Sunnis are more in number than Shias. Approximately there are 1.6billion Sunni Muslims in the entire world. This number translates into 90% of the entire world population. On the other hand, Shias Muslims only make up 10% of the total world Muslim population, translating to about 200milllllion Shia Muslims. Iran is a Shia-dominated country due to its belief system and perspective on vital Islamic religious matters. Another distinguishing difference is that the Sunni Muslims depend on Sunnah. Sunnah contains documented teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Valbjørn, & Gunning, 2020). The Sunnah guides one's actions based on the Quran teachings.
On the other hand, the Shiites use the ayatollahs. The ayatollahs are interpreted as God's sign among human beings. Additionally, a crucial variance between the two Muslim sects has to do with Ali. While Shia gives Ali the leadership role, the Sunni does not accept Ali as the rightful successor to Prophet Muhammad's position. For the sake of the Muslim nation that had come to terms with Prophet Muhammad's death, taking sides was not an issue. The Shia have set aside the 10th day of the month of Muharram, during which they commemorate the death of Husayn ibn Ali. These ceremonies are normally done together.
Observable Difference between the Shia and the Sunna
One cannot tell the difference between the Sunna and Shia by simply looking at them. However, there are known by regions they occupy. For example, Iran is predominantly Shia, and Saudi Arabia is predominantly. Notably, it is not simple to differentiate the two sects based on how they talk, dress, or even language (Valbjørn, & Gunning, 2020). Also, the family name might indicate whether one is a Shia or a Sunni. For instance, Chalabi is a family name common among Sunni Muslims. Furthermore, the surname is not reliable enough due to the intermarriages that normally occur among Muslim people. First names might give a hint due to the sectarian split.
Religious leadership variation
According to Shia Muslims' beliefs, the Imam is faultless. Therefore Shia Muslims classify Imams as saints. Pilgrimages are made at shrines for godly intervention. On the other hand, Sunni Muslims counter this Shia practice by denying spiritual leaders unlimited authority. More so, Sunni Muslims do not perform pilgrimage intercession at the shrines. Based on Sunni beliefs, humans have to earn trust amongst themselves. Hence, one can lose the trust of his people (Valbjørn, & Gunning, 2020). For Sunni Muslims, pilgrimage is made at Mecca. The Sunni normally criticize the Shia for permitting the worship of more than one prophet. The Sunni are orthodox and do not allow the erection of Islamic figures. Most of the time, Islamic images are perceived as idolatry. This is the main reason Saudi Arabia burned the erection of sculptures in public spaces. Additionally, among the Sunni Muslims, an Imam leads prayer sessions. In Iran, the word Imam is used only when referring to Ali and members of his lineage.
Marriage Practices
Temporary marriage is practiced among Shia Muslims. Shiites permit sexual relationships outside the marriage setting. However, in Iran, the conventional community members are against temporary marriage arrangements (Cheema, 2012). On the other hand, the Sunni sometimes are known to practice temporary marriage. A Shia Muslim man is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage practices are similar in the two sects ad the variance is not much.
Conclusion
Even though the two factions share similar beliefs, the differences matter and make a difference in interpreting the Islamic regulations, the two sides differ on who was supposed to succeed Muhamad. The Sunni Muslims are monotheism and believe that the Imam has no supreme power. The Shia believe that the Imam and his descendants have unlimited power; hence leadership is hereditary. Among the Sunni Muslims. Sunni supported Abu Bakr while the Shia supported Abi Talib, Prophet Muhammad's best friend. Sunni is more in number than the Shia. Sunni refer to Sunnah. Sunnah contains Muhammad's saying while the Shia cite the Ayatollah. The Ayatollah is a collection of spiritual leader's interpretations. The main sites of worship are Mecca and the Medina. Both worship sites are in Saudi Arabia but the Shia are allowed to access cites.
References
Ameli, S. R., & Molaei, H. (2012). Religious affiliation and intercultural sensitivity: Interculturality between Shia & Sunni Muslims in Iran. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(1), 31-40.
Cheema, S. A. (2012). Shia and Sunni Laws of Inheritance: A Comparative Analysis. Pakistan Journal of Islamic Research, 10.
Esfahani, S. A., & Hosseini, S. M. (2017). Comparative Analysis of" Nature of Interpretation by Qur'an Judgment" from Shia and Sunni Commentators' Perspective. Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 6(3), 1199-1207.
Valbjørn, M., & Gunning, J. (2020). Bringing in the 'Other Islamists': Beyond Sunni-centric Islamism studies in a sectarianized Middle East. Mediterranean Politics, 1-8.
