What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims?

The split began over who should lead the community after the Prophet's death; it later grew into differences of religious authority, hadith sources and some practice, while the core beliefs and pillars are shared.

Sunni and Shia Muslims share the Quran, belief in one God, the prophethood of Muhammad, and the five pillars. They divided over who should lead the community after the Prophet's death in 632 CE, and that question of authority later produced differences in theology, hadith sources and some practice. Most Muslims, roughly 85 to 90 percent, are Sunni.

Where the difference began

• Sunnis hold that the Prophet did not formally appoint a successor, and that the community rightly chose Abu Bakr, followed by 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali, the four "rightly guided" caliphs. Leadership was a matter for the community and its consultation (Quran 42:38).
• Shia (from shi'at 'Ali, "the party of 'Ali") hold that the Prophet designated his cousin and son-in-law 'Ali, and that leadership belonged to 'Ali and a line of his descendants, the Imams.

Differences that followed

• Religious authority: in Twelver Shi'ism the Imams are divinely guided interpreters of religion; Sunnis give no such status to any figure after the Prophet.
• Hadith: Sunnis rely on collections such as Bukhari and Muslim; Shia rely on their own, such as al-Kafi, transmitted largely through the Prophet's family.
• Practice: smaller differences, for example in how the prayer is performed and in the call to prayer.

The articles on this site are written from the mainstream Sunni tradition. Whatever the differences, the Quran's instruction to both is the same: "Hold firmly, all together, to Allah's rope, and do not split apart" (Quran 3:103).