Quora Answer: What is at the Root of the Sunni/Shi’ah Conflict in Modern Islam?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “What is at the root of the Sunni/Shi’ah conflict in modern Islam?” 

The root cause of the Sunni/Shi’ah schism is the dispute regarding succession after the passing of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  It is an issue of history and politics, and not religion.  Unlike the Khwarij, the Mu’tazilah, the Murji’ah and others, Shi’ah Islam did not originally arise due to major theological differences.  The word “Sunni” mans that they are people of the sunnah, the ways, of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  The word “Shi’ah” refers to the fact that they are known as “Shi’at ‘Ali”, the partisans of Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.). 

According to Sunni Islam, succession was passed to Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.), his closest confidant, and the first adult male to become Muslim.  He was selected by the shura’, consultative committee of al-‘Asharah al-Mubashirin bi al-Jannah, the ten swahabah, companions Promised Paradise, which also included Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) himself.  They also cite instances where the Prophet (s.a.w.) preferred him above all other companions, including him being the only companion who lead the jama’ah, gathering, in swalah, ritual prayer; that he was one of two in the cave in the Hijrah; and many more instances. 

According to Shi’ah, they cite the hadits, narration, of Ghadir Khumm.  This occurred on the 18^th of Dzu al-Hijjah, 10 AH, at Ghadir Khumm, near the city of al-Juhfah, in present-day Saudi Arabia.  This was a few months before the death of, the Prophet (s.a.w.).  After the completion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, on the way back from Makkah to Madina, Revelation Came Down: 

سُوۡرَةُ المَائدة

۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغۡ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ‌ۖ وَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلۡ فَمَا بَلَّغۡتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡصِمُكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (٦٧) 

O Messenger!  Proclaim the (Message) which has been Sent to you from your Lord.  If you did not, you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed His Mission: and Allah will Defend you from men (who mean mischief).  For Allah guides not those who reject faith. (Surah al-Ma’idah:67) 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) stopped at the pond of Khumm, and delivered a sermon.  The Shi’ah believe that this narration relates to Sayyidina ‘Ali’s (k.w.) succession in the khilafah, caliphate.  The Sunnis believe it pertains to his spiritual status, and does not pertain to issues of dunya, this world.  That is why 39 of the 40 major thuruq, Sufi Orders, have Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) in the silsilah, the lineage of spiritual knowledge.  There are several versions of this hadits.  Some of these narrations are long and encompass the entire sermon, and some are shorter, focusing on particular portions of it.  It is found both the collections of the Sunni and the Shi’ah. 

In the hadits from both the Sunni and Shi’ah source, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said thus: “O people, Allah the Most Kind the Omniscient has told me that no apostle lives to more than half the age of him who had preceded him.  I think I am about to be called and thus I must respond.  I am responsible and you are responsible, then what do you say?” 

The companions said, “We witness that you have informed, advised and striven.  May Allah Bless you.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) continued, “Do you not bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle, and that His Heaven is true, His Hell is true, death is true, the Resurrection after death is true, that there is no doubt that the Day of Judgement will come, and that Allah will Resurrect the dead from their graves?” 

They said, “Yes, we bear witness.” 

He said, “O Allah, bear witness.”  Then he said, “O people, Allah is my Lord and I am the lord of the believers.  I am worthier of believers than themselves.  Of whomsoever, I had been master, ‘Ali here is to be his master.  O Allah, be a supporter of whoever supports him and an enemy of whoever opposes him and divert the Truth to ‘Ali.  O people, I will go ahead of you and you will arrive at my Pond which is wider than the distance between Baswra and Sana’a.  It has receptacles as numerous as the stars, and two cups of gold and two of silver.  I will ask you about the two weighty things that I have left for you when you come to me to see how you dealt with them.  The greater weighty thing is Allah’s Book.  One end is in Allah’s Hand and the other is in your hands.  Keep it and you will not deviate.  That other weighty thing is my family and my descendants.  The Most Kind the Omniscient had told me that both of them, would not separate until they come to my Pond.” 

Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Malik ibn Anas (r.a.) quoted the portion on the two weighty things in his al-Muwaththa’ slightly differently: “I have left two matters with you.  As long as you hold to them, you will not go the wrong way.  They are the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Prophet.”  And that is why we are called Sunni. 

The word that is translated in the above hadits as “master” is “mawla”.  “Mawla” is an interesting word.  Depending on the context, it can mean master, slave, client, patron, friend, partner, ally, bond servant and several other relationships.  And it is because of this, we have this situation with the Sunnis and the Shi’ah. 

In terms of theology and jurisprudence, there are little significant differences between the Sunni and the Shi’ah.  Major theological differences did arise later, particularly with the ghuluw, extremist, Shi’ah sects.  The Shi’ah are not a sect, but a group of sects.  Some like the Twelver and the Zaydis are very close to Sunni Islam and there are few major theological differences.  Others like the extinct Qaramathiyyah, are dramatically deviant, and the Shi’ah equivalent of the Khwarij that arose in the early days of Islam.