What unites us
Before we speak about differences, it is worth looking at what Sunni and Shia Muslims share. It is far more than many people think. Both bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger. Both believe that he is the final Prophet and that no new revelation comes after him.
- One Allah: the One, the Unique, to whom nothing is comparable.
- One Prophet ﷺ: Muhammad ﷺ, the Seal of the Prophets.
- One Quran: the same text, the same 114 surahs, memorised by millions on both sides.
- One qibla: everyone prays towards the Kaaba in Makkah.
- The same pillars: the daily prayer, fasting in Ramadan, zakat and the pilgrimage (Hajj) – Sunnis and Shia stand together on the plain of Arafat.
- Love for the family of the Prophet ﷺ (Ahl al-Bayt): in every prayer, Sunni and Shia Muslims alike send blessings upon Muhammad ﷺ and the family of Muhammad ﷺ.
Anyone who has been to Makkah during the Hajj season has seen it with their own eyes: millions of people from every tradition circling the Kaaba together, in the same white garments, with the same words on their lips. That is the picture we want to begin with.
The question of leadership after the Prophet ﷺ
When the Prophet ﷺ passed away in Madinah in the year 632, the young community faced a great question: who should now lead the Muslims? Revelation was complete, but the ummah needed someone to govern its affairs, judge between people and preserve its unity. The two great traditions developed around the answer to this question.
The Sunni view
Sunni Muslims, who call themselves Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah – the people of the Sunnah and the community – regard the first four caliphs as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-Khulafa al-Rashidun), may Allah be pleased with them:
- Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (632–634), the Prophet's ﷺ closest companion and father-in-law, who accompanied him on the Hijrah.
- Umar ibn al-Khattab (634–644), known for his justice and for building the institutions of the state.
- Uthman ibn Affan (644–656), under whom the Quran was compiled into a single standard mushaf and sent to the cities.
- Ali ibn Abi Talib (656–661), the Prophet's ﷺ cousin and son-in-law, husband of Fatimah al-Zahra, renowned for his knowledge and courage.
In the Sunni understanding, leadership was settled through consultation (shura) and the community's pledge of allegiance. All four are mentioned with deep love and honour, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) holds a very special rank in Sunni tradition.
The Shia view
The name "Shia" comes from Shi'at Ali, "the party" or "the followers of Ali". In the Shia understanding, the Prophet ﷺ designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor, and leadership of the community was to remain with his descendants through Fatimah. These successors are called Imams. In Shia teaching they are not prophets, but leaders guided by Allah and guardians of knowledge who preserve and explain the message.
For Twelver Shia there are twelve Imams, beginning with Ali, followed by his sons Hasan and Husayn and further descendants, up to the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who they believe lives in occultation and will return at the end of time.
We place both views side by side without passing judgement. Scholars on both sides have treated these questions with great seriousness for centuries. What matters to us is this: both traditions love the Prophet ﷺ and his family, and both turn in prayer towards the same Kaaba.
Karbala and Ashura
In the year 61 after the Hijrah (680 CE), Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, was killed together with members of his family and companions at Karbala in present-day Iraq. It happened on the 10th of Muharram, the day of Ashura. For all Muslims this is a painful event: the beloved grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, of whom he had spoken with such tenderness, lost his life.
For Shia Muslims, Karbala is a central event of their history and devotion. In the first days of Muharram they gather to mourn and remember the sacrifice of Husayn. They retell his story, recite elegies and connect it with values such as steadfastness, sacrifice and standing up for justice.
Sunni Muslims also honour the day of Ashura in their own way: many fast on it. The reason lies in a narration in al-Bukhari and Muslim: when the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, he learned that people fasted on this day because Allah had saved Musa (peace be upon him) and his people. He said that the Muslims have a closer claim to Musa, fasted himself and encouraged the fast. So the 10th of Muharram carries several meanings for Muslims, and each deserves respect.
The Sunni schools of law and creed
In Sunni Islam, four major schools of law (madhahib) have endured. They are not denominations but methods of deriving practical rulings from the Quran and Sunnah:
- Hanafi, after Abu Hanifa – widespread in Turkey, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, among other places.
- Maliki, after Malik ibn Anas – widespread in North and West Africa and traditionally also here in the Gulf.
- Shafi'i, after Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i – widespread in East Africa, Yemen and Southeast Asia.
- Hanbali, after Ahmad ibn Hanbal – widespread above all in the Arabian Peninsula.
The founders of these schools learned from one another and held one another in high regard. In matters of creed there are also the Ash'ari, Maturidi and Athari traditions. Here too, differences of method never stopped scholars from seeing one another as brothers in faith.
The Shia branches
Within Shia Islam there are also different branches:
- Twelvers (Ja'fari): by far the largest Shia group. Their school of law is named after the sixth Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq – the Ja'fari school. Notably, Abu Hanifa and Malik ibn Anas are reported to have studied with Ja'far al-Sadiq as well.
- Zaydis: named after Zayd ibn Ali, a grandson of Husayn. They live mainly in Yemen and are close to Sunni positions on many legal questions.
- Isma'ilis: named after Isma'il, a son of Ja'far al-Sadiq. Today they live in smaller communities in many countries, for example in South Asia, Central Asia, East Africa and the diaspora.
Where do Sunni and Shia Muslims live?
Sunnis make up the large majority of Muslims worldwide – from Morocco to Indonesia, from Turkey to West Africa. Shia Muslims are a significant minority. They form the majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain, and large Shia communities live in Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, the Gulf states and Europe, among other places. In many cities of the world, both traditions have lived side by side for generations.
Differences in the practice of prayer
Someone who sees Sunni and Shia Muslims praying side by side for the first time may notice small differences. They rest on different narrations and their interpretation – not on a different faith. The most important ones, explained plainly:
- Call to prayer (adhan): Shia Muslims add the phrase Hayya 'ala khayr al-'amal ("Come to the best of deeds"), and many also add a testimony about Ali as the friend of Allah. Sunni Muslims add al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm ("Prayer is better than sleep") in the dawn prayer.
- Ablution (wudu): Sunnis wash the feet, Shia wipe them with moist hands. Both base their practice on Surah 5, verse 6.
- Position of the hands: most Sunnis place the right hand over the left while standing; Malikis often let the arms hang at the sides, as do the Shia.
- Combining prayers: Shia Muslims often combine the noon and afternoon prayers and the sunset and night prayers, praying at three times of day – still five prayers. Sunnis usually pray at five separate times and combine prayers mainly when travelling or for specific reasons.
- Prostrating on earth (turbah): Shia Muslims prostrate on natural material such as earth, stone or plants, often using a small tablet of baked clay. Sunnis also pray on carpets.
You will find detailed guides here: The prayer in Sunni practice and The prayer in Shia practice.
The Amman Message
A landmark of mutual understanding is the Amman Message. It was issued in Jordan in 2004 and endorsed in 2005 at an international conference of some two hundred scholars from many countries; many more scholars and institutions later added their support. Its core points:
- It recognises eight schools of law as valid: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali, the Ja'fari and the Zaydi, as well as the Ibadi and the Zahiri.
- Whoever follows one of these schools is a Muslim, and it is forbidden to declare them an unbeliever (takfir).
- Fatwas may only be issued by qualified scholars according to the recognised methods of the schools.
With this, the scholars of the ummah said together what many Muslims have long lived in daily life: we belong together.
Living together in the Emirates
Here in the Emirates, Sunni and Shia Muslims live together as neighbours, colleagues, friends and often as relatives. There are Sunni and Shia mosques, Emiratis of both traditions serve their country side by side, and people from all over the world bring their traditions with them. Since 2015, the law against discrimination and hatred has protected all religions and schools of thought from contempt and incitement.
This harmony is no accident. It reflects an attitude that Sheikh Zayed, may Allah have mercy on him, gave to the country: respect, hospitality and the conviction that diversity is a strength. In everyday life this means fasting together, breaking the fast at the same table, congratulating one another on Eid and praying for the same homeland.
Unity and respectful dialogue
Allah says in the Quran: "And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah and do not be divided" 3:103. And: "The believers are but brothers, so make peace between your brothers" 49:10. These verses do not ask us to deny our differences, but to carry them with dignity.
Respectful dialogue means:
- speaking about your own tradition with love, without belittling others;
- always mentioning the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and his family with reverence;
- taking questions to qualified scholars rather than to arguments on social media;
- strengthening what we share: prayer, the Quran, good deeds and service to people.
At Quran Masterclass, Sunni and Shia Muslims listen to the same verses, in the same recitation. Perhaps that is the most beautiful answer to the question of what unites us: the word of Allah, which we learn together.
Soalan lazim
Do Sunnis and Shia have a different Quran?
No. Both recite the same Quran with the same 114 surahs. Differences exist in the interpretation of some passages and in the hadith collections each tradition relies on, not in the text of the Quran.
Where does the distinction come from?
From the question of who should lead the community after the Prophet ﷺ passed away in 632. Sunnis recognise the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in their order; Shia Muslims regard Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Imams among his descendants as the rightful leaders.
Why do Sunnis fast on Ashura while Shia Muslims mourn?
Sunnis fast following the Sunnah, because on this day Allah saved Musa (peace be upon him) (al-Bukhari, Muslim). Shia Muslims especially remember the martyrdom of Husayn at Karbala in 61 AH on this day. Both meanings deserve respect.
May a Sunni pray behind a Shia Muslim and vice versa?
Many scholars on both sides permit it, and in Makkah and Madinah Muslims of all traditions pray together. For the details of your own school, it is best to ask a scholar you trust.
What is the Amman Message?
A declaration from 2004, endorsed in 2005 by scholars from many countries. It recognises eight schools of law, including the Ja'fari and the Zaydi, and forbids declaring the followers of these schools unbelievers.
Sumber
- Quran 3:103, 5:6, 49:10
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: hadith on fasting Ashura because of Musa's deliverance
- The Amman Message (2004) and the resolutions of the International Islamic Conference in Amman (2005)
- Classical works on the history of the early caliphs and the Imams
- UAE: law on combating discrimination and hatred (2015)
Laman-laman ini memberikan gambaran keseluruhan. Untuk persoalan agama dalam kehidupan harian anda, sila rujuk ulama yang berkelayakan dalam mazhab anda.