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Shias & SunniesLike other religions, Islam is not always absolute or monolithic. Since Prophet Muhammad (saw) died in 632, the community has been divided into two groups, the Shias and the Sunnies. This division was probably inevitable since the absence of a central major authority, and the influence of non-Arab cultures on the Islamic religion. In whole the two groups are not very different when it comes to Iman, or the basic and full idea on which Islam is based upon. The two groups just have slighty different ideas, based on political as well as spiritual foundations- that have marked Islamic history. »»Sunnism About 85% of all Muslim are Sunnites, or member of the Sunni branch of Islam. Sunnism is often referred to as orthodox Islam. Sunnies are usually catergorized as followers of the sunna, the "path" or "way" of the Prophet (when referring to Prophet, I mean Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet in the Islamic world or better yet in the whole world. For more information on prophets click here.) In practice, they are those who historically accepted the authority of the Caliphate, whoever held it and however attained it. Most Muslims in North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Pakistan are Sunnies. »»Shiism Shiism is the religion of Iran (where its primacy was confirmed by imperial decree in the 16th century). Shiism derives its name from the words Shiat Ali, or partisans of Ali, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, who was the last of the "rightly guided" caliphs adn the last caliph based in Medina. When the Umayyads seized the Caliphate and moved its seat to Damascus, the Shiites rejected teh Caliph's authority. They believed, adn still fervently believe, that Ali was designated by Muhammad as his successor. Shiites make up a third of the population of Lebanon, about half the Iraqis, and one-sixth of Pakistanis. There are an estimated 135,000 Shiites in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the Eastern Province.
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