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Shia–Sunni relations
The succession to Muhammad in 632 led the Muslims to be split into two camps: the Sunnis, who believed that the caliphs of the Islamic community should be chosen by a council, as in Saqifa; and a second group, the Shia, who believed that Muhammad had named his successor to be Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law.
Today there are differences in religious practice and jurisprudence, traditions, and customs between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Although all Muslim groups consider the Quran to be divine, Sunni and Shia have different opinions on interpretations (hadith) of the Quran.
In recent years, the relations between the Shias and the Sunnis have been increasingly marked by conflict. The aftermath of the 1979 Iranian revolution, which reconfigured Iran into a theocratic Islamic republic governed by high-ranking Shia clerics, had far-reaching consequences across the Muslim world. The Iraq War of 2003–2011 further influenced regional power dynamics, solidifying Shias as the predominant force in Iraq. Iran's ascent as a regional power in the Middle East, along with shifts in politics and demographics in Lebanon favouring Shia, has heightened Sunni concerns about their Sunni–Arab hegemony. Recent years have witnessed the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, as well as sectarian violence from Pakistan to Yemen, which became a major element of friction throughout the Middle East and South Asia. Tensions between communities have intensified during power struggles, such as the Shia led Bahraini uprising, the Iraqi Civil War, the 2013–2017 War in Iraq against ISIS, as well as the Sunni led Syrian Civil War. The self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a persecution of Shias.
While the exact numbers are subject to debate, the Shia comprise around 15% of the world's Muslims, and Sunnis 85%. Sunnis are a majority in most Muslim communities around the world. Shia make up the majority of the citizen population in Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan, and are present as a minority in Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Chad, Turkey, and Kuwait.
Sunni Muslims are the vast majority of Muslims in most Muslim communities in Central Asia (including China). Within Shia Islam about 85% are Twelver, and within Twelver Shia, the overwhelming majority follow the Usuli school of jurisprudence. In Iran, an officially Shia country since 1501, around 90-95% of Muslims are Shia. 65–85% of Muslims in Azerbaijan are Shia. Shia, mostly of the Zaydi sect, form a large minority (45%) of the population in Yemen. About 10-20% of Turkey's population belong to the Alevi sect of Shi'i Islam. The Shia constitute around 25-30% of Kuwaiti citizens, 55% of the Muslim population in Bahrain, and 45-55% of Muslims in Lebanon, 10-15% of Saudi Arabia, 10-15% of Syria, and 10-20% of Pakistan. Around 10-20% of Afghanistan, less than 5% of the Muslims in Nigeria, and around 4-5% of population of Tajikistan are Shia. And less than 1% of Indonesia, Bangladesh and Egypt India has as many Shia ("potentially") as there are in Iraq.
Scholar Vali Nasr has said that numbers and percentages of Sunni and Shia populations are not exact because "in much of the Middle East it is not convenient" to have exact numbers, "for ruling regimes in particular".
The Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam. While Shia and Sunnis differ on the nature of the Mahdi, many members of both groups believe that the Mahdi will appear at the end of the world to bring about a perfect and just Islamic society.
In Shia Islam, "the Mahdi symbol has developed into a powerful and central religious idea." Twelvers believe the Mahdi will be Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam returned from the occultation, where he has been hidden by Allah since 874. Mainstream Sunnis' beliefs are somewhat different: The Mahdi forms an important component of Sunni eschatology, his appearance being considered the last of the minor signs of the Day of Judgment before its major signs. They believe the Mahdi will be a descendant of Muhammad named Muhammad and will revive the faithful.
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Shia–Sunni relations
The succession to Muhammad in 632 led the Muslims to be split into two camps: the Sunnis, who believed that the caliphs of the Islamic community should be chosen by a council, as in Saqifa; and a second group, the Shia, who believed that Muhammad had named his successor to be Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law.
Today there are differences in religious practice and jurisprudence, traditions, and customs between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Although all Muslim groups consider the Quran to be divine, Sunni and Shia have different opinions on interpretations (hadith) of the Quran.
In recent years, the relations between the Shias and the Sunnis have been increasingly marked by conflict. The aftermath of the 1979 Iranian revolution, which reconfigured Iran into a theocratic Islamic republic governed by high-ranking Shia clerics, had far-reaching consequences across the Muslim world. The Iraq War of 2003–2011 further influenced regional power dynamics, solidifying Shias as the predominant force in Iraq. Iran's ascent as a regional power in the Middle East, along with shifts in politics and demographics in Lebanon favouring Shia, has heightened Sunni concerns about their Sunni–Arab hegemony. Recent years have witnessed the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, as well as sectarian violence from Pakistan to Yemen, which became a major element of friction throughout the Middle East and South Asia. Tensions between communities have intensified during power struggles, such as the Shia led Bahraini uprising, the Iraqi Civil War, the 2013–2017 War in Iraq against ISIS, as well as the Sunni led Syrian Civil War. The self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a persecution of Shias.
While the exact numbers are subject to debate, the Shia comprise around 15% of the world's Muslims, and Sunnis 85%. Sunnis are a majority in most Muslim communities around the world. Shia make up the majority of the citizen population in Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan, and are present as a minority in Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Chad, Turkey, and Kuwait.
Sunni Muslims are the vast majority of Muslims in most Muslim communities in Central Asia (including China). Within Shia Islam about 85% are Twelver, and within Twelver Shia, the overwhelming majority follow the Usuli school of jurisprudence. In Iran, an officially Shia country since 1501, around 90-95% of Muslims are Shia. 65–85% of Muslims in Azerbaijan are Shia. Shia, mostly of the Zaydi sect, form a large minority (45%) of the population in Yemen. About 10-20% of Turkey's population belong to the Alevi sect of Shi'i Islam. The Shia constitute around 25-30% of Kuwaiti citizens, 55% of the Muslim population in Bahrain, and 45-55% of Muslims in Lebanon, 10-15% of Saudi Arabia, 10-15% of Syria, and 10-20% of Pakistan. Around 10-20% of Afghanistan, less than 5% of the Muslims in Nigeria, and around 4-5% of population of Tajikistan are Shia. And less than 1% of Indonesia, Bangladesh and Egypt India has as many Shia ("potentially") as there are in Iraq.
Scholar Vali Nasr has said that numbers and percentages of Sunni and Shia populations are not exact because "in much of the Middle East it is not convenient" to have exact numbers, "for ruling regimes in particular".
The Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam. While Shia and Sunnis differ on the nature of the Mahdi, many members of both groups believe that the Mahdi will appear at the end of the world to bring about a perfect and just Islamic society.
In Shia Islam, "the Mahdi symbol has developed into a powerful and central religious idea." Twelvers believe the Mahdi will be Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam returned from the occultation, where he has been hidden by Allah since 874. Mainstream Sunnis' beliefs are somewhat different: The Mahdi forms an important component of Sunni eschatology, his appearance being considered the last of the minor signs of the Day of Judgment before its major signs. They believe the Mahdi will be a descendant of Muhammad named Muhammad and will revive the faithful.