Most religions originate as single concepts, which, under the influence of historical events and the development of initial ideas, can branch into several currents. This happened in one of the youngest world religions of the world - Islam.

For example, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, the difference between their creeds was created artificially, in order to lay a time bomb between the peoples professing the covenants of the Prophet.

Yes, the most popular movement in it is Sunnism, but there are also movements such as Shiism, Sufism, Kharijism, Wahhabism, etc. Let’s try to tell you how many movements there are in Islam, and what fundamental differences exist between Sunnis and Shiites.

The main difference between Sunnis and Shiites is that the Prophet Muhammad began preaching Islam in 610 and in 22 years converted so many followers that after his death they created the Righteous Caliphate. And already at such an early stage of history, there is unrest among Muslims.

The cause of the dispute was the issue of supreme power in the new state.

Should power be handed over to Muhammad's son-in-law Ali ibn Abu Talib or should caliphs be elected?

Ali's supporters, who later formed the basis of the Shiites, argued that only the imam, who, moreover, must be a member of the prophet's family, has the right to lead the community. Opponents, later Sunnis, appealed by the fact that there are no such requirements either in the Koran or the Sunnah.

The Shiites insisted on its free interpretation, although only by a select few. Sunnis deny this and insist that the Sunnah must be perceived as it is. As a result, Abu Bakr was elected ruler of the Righteous Caliphate.

Subsequently, the dispute revolved around interpretations of the Sunnah.

It is worth noting that Shiites and Christians have always coexisted peacefully, unlike the militant Sunnis.

History of Shiites and Sunnis

In general, this was only the beginning of a centuries-long, if not conflict, then dispute and sometimes violent confrontation between Sunnis and Shiites. The most significant events are presented below:

Year	Event	Description
630-656	Reign of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs	The dispute between Shiites and Sunnis over the issue of the heir to the prophet led to the successive election of 4 caliphs, i.e. actual victory of the Sunnis
656	Election of Ali ibn Abu Talib as the fifth caliph	The Shiite leader became the head of the righteous caliphate after 26 years. However, opponents accused him of involvement in the assassination of the previous caliph. The Civil War began
661	Ali was killed in a mosque in Kufa	Peace was concluded between the Sunni leader Mu'awiya and Ali's son Hasan. Muawiyah became caliph, but after his death he had to bequeath the rule to Hassan
680 g	Death of Muawiya	The Caliph declared his heir not Hassan at all, but his son Yazid. At the same time, Hassan died long before this, and Muawiyah’s promise did not apply to Hassan’s descendants at all. Hassan's son Hussein does not recognize Yazid's authority. Another Civil War begins
680 g	Death of Hussein	The war did not last long. The Caliph's troops took the city where Hussein was located, killed him, his two sons, and many supporters. The Karbala massacre made Hussein a martyr for the Shiites. Hussein's son Zayn al Abidin recognized Yazid's authority
873	Death of Hassan al Askari	Ali's line was interrupted. There were a total of 11 imams who were direct descendants of Ali.

In the future, the Shiite community will continue to be led by the imam, however, to a greater extent as a spiritual leader. Political power remained with the Sunni rulers.

Who are Sunnis

Sunnis differ from Shiites in that they are followers of the largest movement in Islam (about 80-90% or about 1,550 million people). They make up the majority in the Arab countries of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and some other countries.

In Muslim countries (with the exception of Iran), the majority of the population is Sunni, while the rights of Shiites can be significantly infringed. An example is Iraq. Sunnis and Shiites live on the territory of the state, the number of which does not affect internal politics.

Adherents of both movements consider the holy city of Karbala theirs and sometimes quarrel over it. At the same time, both the local population and pilgrims were subjected to various types of discrimination.

Recently, Shiite communities are increasingly asserting themselves, seeking to overcome the economic and political dominance of the Sunnis. Often this happens in an aggressive form, however, there are also supporters of radical measures among Sunnis. Examples of this include the Taliban and ISIS.

Who are Shiites

To understand the irreconcilability of the creeds, which include Sunnis and Shiites, and what the difference is between the contradictions of the faithful, you should know that representatives of the second largest movement in Islam (about 10%) refute the meaning of the Sunnah in Islam.

Communities exist in many countries, although they constitute a majority of Muslims only in Iran. Shiites also live in Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Turkey and some other countries.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, Shiite communities are found in Dagestan.

The name comes from an Arabic word that can be translated as follower or adherent (however, the word "shia" can also be translated as "party"). Since the death of Muhammad, the Shiites have been led by imams, who are given special respect within this movement.

Even after Hussein's death in 680, imams continued to be leaders of the Shia community, although de jure they had no political power.

Bahrain, Shiites or Sunnis during the oath of allegiance to Allah

However, the imams had and still have enormous spiritual influence on the Shiites. They especially honor the 11 first imams, as well as the 12th, the so-called. hidden imam. It is believed that Hassan (son of Ali) had a son, Muhammad, who was hidden by God at the age of five and will appear on Earth at the right time. The “hidden imam” must come to Earth as a messiah.

In many ways, the essence of Shiism comes down to the cult of martyrdom.

In fact, this was laid down in the first years of the formation of the current. This distinctive feature of the movement was particularly taken advantage of by the Hezbollah organization, which was the first to use suicide bombers in the 1980s, recruiting Shiites specifically.

Main differences between Sunnis and Shiites

Despite the long history of the split, there are not many main differences between Sunnis and Shiites.

Characteristic
Relation to the imam	Leader of a mosque, religious leader and representative of the clergy. Only the imam who has achieved this deserves respect.	He is a mediator between Allah and man. The sayings of imams are just as important along with the Quran and Sunnah
Heirs of Muhammad	Four "righteous caliphs"	Ali and his heirs, i.e. the descendants of Muhammad
Ashura and Shahsey-vahsey	Fasting on the day of Ashura in tribute to Musa, who escaped from the troops of Pharaoh	10 days of mourning for Imam Hussein. On Ashura, some Shiites take part in a procession during which they beat themselves with chains. Self-flagellation with bloodletting is considered honorable and righteous
Sunnah	Study the entire text of the Sunnah	Study the text of the Sunnah regarding the description of the life of Muhammad and his family members
Features of prayer	Performed 5 times a day (5 prayers during one prayer)	Done 3 times a day (also 5 prayers)
Five main pillars	Charity, faith, prayer, pilgrimage, fasting	Divine justice, divine leadership, belief in prophets, belief in judgment day, monotheism
Divorce	Temporary marriage and divorce are not recognized from the moment of its proclamation by a spouse	They recognize temporary marriages, but do not recognize that the moment of divorce from his proclamation as a spouse

Settlement of Shiites, Sunnis and Alawites

Currently, the majority of all Muslims (62%) live in the Asia-Pacific region (this is due to the large population of Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). That is why in the Middle East the ratio of Sunnis to Shiites can be defined as 6 to 4. Although here the ratio is achieved at the expense of the Shiite population of Iran.

Large Shia communities numbering over 5 million people live only in Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan and Turkey. About 2-4 million Shiites live in Saudi Arabia. On the following map you can clearly see the ratio of Sunnis (green) and Shiites (purple) in different regions.

A detailed map of the distribution of various movements in the Middle East is presented below.

Other sects of Islam

As you can see, a significant number of communities adhere to other movements of Islam. Although their share in the total mass of Muslims is not so large, each movement has its own differences and characteristics, which should be highlighted. First of all, we will focus on the currents divided by madhhabs (features of Sharia law).

Hanifites

The Hanifi (Hanafi) movement was founded by the Iranian scientist Abu Hanif (7th century) and is distinguished by the presence of istiskhan. Istiskhan means preference.

And it implies the opportunity for a Muslim to follow the traditions and religious customs of the area in which he lives.

To the question: “Can a Muslim consume GMO products?”, the Hanafi will answer that one should be guided by whether those around them consume such products and act based on their practices. Hanifites most often live in Europe, South and West Asia.

Malikis

The Malikis differ slightly from the Hanifites, only instead of istiskhan they use istislah (literally: convenience).

Malikis follow Arab customs.

However, they may not perform certain rituals if there are significant obstacles and peculiarities of life in the region.

When asked whether a Muslim should consume GMO products, the Maliki will answer that they should be guided by what they do in Mecca, but if there is no clear answer to this question, then they should act according to their conscience.

The criterion for fulfillment or non-fulfillment is the religious and moral conscience of the individual believer. Malikis live in North Africa, the Sahara, and also in some communities in the Persian Gulf.

Shafi'ites

Shafi'is adhere to a rational style in the field of Sharia law. If the answer to a non-standard situation is not in the Koran or Sunnah, then it should be sought in historical precedents. This principle is called istishab (linkage).

Accordingly, when asked about GMO products, the Shafiite will look for precedents in history, understand the composition of the product, etc. Most of the Shafiites live in Southeast Asia, Yemen, East Africa, and are often found among the Kurds.

Hanbalis

Hanbalis strictly follow the Sunnah and analyze it thoroughly to answer everyday questions. In fact, this movement is the most conservative, if not reactionary.

Hanbalis strictly follow the Sunnah.

When asked about GMO products, a Hanbali will most likely answer that neither the Sunnah nor the Quran says that such food can be consumed, and therefore it should not be consumed. This movement is official in Saudi Arabia and is also found in a number of other countries.

Alawites

More attention should be paid to who the Alawites, Shiites and Sunnis are, whose differences in Islam are interpreted in every way by Western historians of religion. There is no clear opinion on whether Alawites should be classified as Shiites or whether they should be identified as a separate ethnic and religious group or classified as Sunnis. Alawites consider Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) to be the incarnation of God.

Therefore, in addition to the Koran, Ali's book - Kitab al-Majmu - is also a holy scripture.

In this regard, the majority of other Muslims consider Alawites to be sectarians or kafirs, that is, infidels who deny the most important tenets of Islam.

Most Muslims consider Alawites to be sectarians or kafirs.

Alawism has many influences from other religions. Thus, there is an idea of ​​​​reincarnation, according to which every man experiences 7 rebirths (relocations of the soul, including into the body of an animal), after which he ends up in the afterlife. Depending on the lifestyle, a person can fall into both the heavenly and demonic spheres.

There are about 3 million Alawites in the world , the majority live in Syria, as well as Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. The current president of Syria is an Alawite.

Despite their differences, Shiites and Sunnis are not irreconcilable enemies. For example, most mosques not only allow joint prayers between Sunnis and Shiites, but also insist on this. Let the primary reasons for the formation of Shiism be the desire to see Ali as the heir of Muhammad and to vest supreme power in the imams, but the historical process allows us to look at this from the other side.

To understand who the Shiites and Sunnis are, what the differences are among Muslims, you need to know that Islam spread over a large area in a fairly short period of time, and at times, the spread was extremely aggressive. Therefore, many locals accepted Shiite Islam, in fact introducing many of their beliefs into it.

A similar tendency - to remain part of the Islamic world, to identify the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, but at the same time to isolate oneself - persisted in the future. The same Iran (Persia) officially adopted Shiism only in the 16th century in order to isolate itself from the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, Shiism again underwent some changes to please the ruling Safavid dynasty. In particular, Ali Shariati noted that until the 16th century, Shiism had a martyrdom character (red Shiism), and subsequently became mourning (black Shiism). Shiites perceive this statement as a fair opinion.

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Shiites (from the Arabic "shi'a" - "adherents, party, faction") are the second largest direction of Islam in terms of the number of adherents, although compared to Sunnis they constitute a clear minority. Like all Muslims, Shiites believe in the messenger mission of the Prophet Muhammad. Distinctive feature Shiites are convinced that the leadership of the Muslim community should belong to the Imams - God-appointed elected officials from among the descendants of the Prophet, to whom they include 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib and his descendants from Muhammad's daughter Fatima, and not elected officials - caliphs. Shiites are critical of the caliphate of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, because Abu Bakr was elected by a small number of companions, 'Umar was appointed by Abu Bakr. ‘Uthman was elected from seven candidates appointed by ‘Umar under such conditions that the election of anyone other than ‘Uthman was not possible. According to Shiites, the election of the leader - the Imam - of the Muslim community is similar to the election of prophets and is the prerogative of God. Currently, followers of various Shiite communities exist in almost all Muslim, European and American countries. The Shia faith is adhered to by the overwhelming majority of the population of Iran and Azerbaijan, about two-thirds of the population of Bahrain, a third of the population of Iraq, a significant part of the population of Lebanon and Yemen, in Afghanistan - the Farsi in the west of the country and the Hazaras. The majority of the inhabitants of the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan - the Pamir peoples - belong to the Ismaili branch of Shiism.

The number of Shiites in Russia is insignificant. The Tats living in the Dagestan Republic, the Lezgins of the village of Miskindzha, as well as the Azerbaijani communities of Derbent, who speak the local dialect of the Azerbaijani language, belong to this direction of Islam. In addition, the majority of Azerbaijanis living in Russia are Shiites (in Azerbaijan itself, Shiites make up, according to various estimates, up to 65 percent of the population). Shiism is dominated by Twelver Shiites or Imamis. Currently, relations between the Twelvers (as well as the Zaydis) and other Shia movements sometimes take on tense forms. Despite the similarities in doctrine, in fact these are different communities. Shiites are traditionally divided into two large groups: moderate (Twelver Shiites, Zaydis) and extreme (Ismailis, Alawites, Nusayris, etc.). At the same time, since the 70s of the 20th century, a reverse gradual process of rapprochement between moderate Shiites and Alawites and Ismailis began. Shi'ism, one of the two main branches of Islam, is recognized as a rather formal clerical hierarchy, in contrast to Sunni Islam, which emphasizes the authority of certain textual traditions and schools of thought. Many different Shia groups can be found in Europe, including the Khoei community (Sayyid Abu-al-Qasim al-Khoei Organization or al-Khoei Foundation) from South Asia (came through Africa), the Yemeni Ismailis, and the Indian Bohras. But the majority of Shiites belong to the dominant branch of the Twelvers (Isna'ashariyya), which is located in Iran, Lebanon, the Arab Gulf countries and Pakistan.

Unique to Shiism is the position of the marja' al-taqlid (“source of imitation”), a figure regarded by Shiites as a living example of the embodiment of the principles of Islam. One of the most famous and widely revered marjahs of recent times is Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, the Grand Ayatollah of the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, who died in 1992. He founded the al-Khoei Foundation, which serves the interests of the growing Shia diaspora living across the border. outside the Middle East. Based in London with an office in New York, the foundation covers a wide range of activities, including running schools and Shia mosques in Europe, especially the UK, translating Islamic texts into English, providing guidance on Islamic practices in the West, and providing cleric services to prisoners -Shias, assistance to fellow community members in matters of marriage, divorce and funerals. Politically, this foundation is opposed to the theocratic rule of Iran and acts in some sense as a counterweight to the Tehran regime's attempts to influence Shiites in Europe. After the death of al-Khoei, the foundation as a whole was under the leadership of another influential marja' - the Supreme Ayatollah 'Ali Sistani, who lives in Iran. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States and the London bombings, the foundation also worked in the field of propaganda and dialogue to improve the image of Islam in the West. The Foundation has also advised several parts of the British government, including the Foreign Office and the Department of Communities and Local Government on Shia issues. The Trust's management has also worked closely with the National Advisory Council on Mosques and Imams, a recently created British Government advisory body aimed at promoting good administrative practice in the country's mosques and preventing them from being used as centers of Islamic extremism. Shiites actively preach their version of Islam in modern world and are the initiators of the project to bring Islamic madhhabs closer together.

MODERATE SHIITES

Moderate Shiites include Twelver Shiites and Zaydis. Twelver Shiites (Imamits). They are the predominant direction within Shiite Islam, predominantly widespread in Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq and Lebanon, and are also represented in other countries. The twelve Imams of the Prophet's family who are recognized by the Shiites are listed below. ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib (d. 661), also called “Murtada” by the Shiites, the fourth righteous caliph, cousin of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He was killed in Kufa by the Kharijite ‘Abdurrahman ibn Muljim.

1) Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib, or Abu Muhammad, called “Mujtaba” (d. 669).

2) Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib, or Abu-‘Abdallah, called “Shahid”, which he actually is (d. 680).

3) ‘Ali ibn Husayn ibn Abi-Talib, or Abu Muhammad, called “Sajjad” or “Zayn al-‘Abidin” (d. 713).

4) Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Husayn, or Abu Ja'far, called "Bakir" (d. 733).

5) Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali or Abu-'Abdallah, called "As-Sadiq" (d. 765) (he is also the founder of the Jafarite school of Islamic law - the Jafari madhab).

6) Musa ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq or Abu Ibrahim, called "Kazim" (d. 799).

7) 'Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq or Abu Hasan (also Imam Reza), called "Rida" (d. 818).

8) Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Musa or Abu Ja'far, called "Taqi" or "Jawad" (d. 835).

9) ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali or Abu Hasan, called “Naqi” or “Hadi” (d. 865).

10) Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad or Abu Muhammad, called “Zaki” or “‘Askari” (d. 873). 11) Muhammad ibn Hasan al-‘Askari or Abu Qasim, called “Mahdi” or “Hujjatul-Qaim Al-Muntazir”.

According to the Shiites, he was born in 256 AH, and in 260 he was first ascended to heaven, after which, already in 329, he entered an underground passage in his father’s house and has not yet appeared. The Mahdi in Islam is the Messiah who went into hiding at the age of five. This cover-up, according to the Imami Shiites, continues to this day. But before the Day of Judgment he will return and fill the world with justice. The Imamis ask for the speedy coming of the Mahdi. Sunnis also believe in the coming of the Mahdi, but do not consider him the 12th Imam, and expect him from among the descendants of the Prophet's family. The Shia creed is based on the following five main pillars (usul al-din). 1) Belief in One God (Tawhid). 2) Faith in the Justice of God (‘Adl) 3) Faith in Prophets and Prophecies (Nubuvwat). 4) Faith in the Imamate (belief in the spiritual and political leadership of the 12 imams). 5) Afterworld(Ma'ad). Moderate Imami theologians argue that the first, third and fifth pillars are common to all Muslims. The second and especially the fourth pillar are signs of the Shiite madhhab. Most Shiites follow the madhhab of Imam Ja'far in fiqh. The Ja'farite madhhab is one of the madhhabs in Islam, the founder of which is the sixth Imam of the Twelver Shiites and Ismailis, Ja'far al-Sadiq ibn Muhammad al-Baqir. Their sources of law are Holy Quran and Akhbar, ijma‘ and ‘aql (mind). Akhbar is the same as the Sunnah, but Shiites use other texts - this is a collection of hadiths from al-Kulayni, also Bihar al-Anwar, Nahj al-Balyaga, etc. The madhhab has several basic principles that distinguish it from all other madhhabs. This is the open gate of ijtihad and permitted temporary marriage. Very trained ‘ulama, who are called “maraji’” (plural from the singular “marja’”), can use the gates of ijtihad and issue fatwas. The madhhab is divided into two groups - Usuli (usuliyya) and Akhbari (akhbariyya). The Usuls follow the Maraji' in ijtihad, while the Akhbaris proceed to ijtihad in a more limited manner and the Maraji' do not. The Akhbars are mainly inhabitants of extreme southern Iraq and Bahrain, and the rest are Twelver Shiites in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. are usuli. The Usulites are much more moderate than the Akhbarites, who practice a literalist approach. The madhhab is recognized as one of the legitimate (canonical) legal interpretations of Islam by other madhhabs. This was once again confirmed by a fatwa on July 6, 1959 by scholar Mahmoud Shaltut, President of the Al-Azhar Islamic Academy in Egypt. Zaydis (zaydiyya/zaydiyya). The founder of the sect was the grandson of Imam Husayn, Zayd ibn ‘Ali. The Zaydis spread widely in Iran, Iraq and the Hijaz, forming Zaydi states: Idrisids in North Africa in 789 (lasted until 926), in Tabaristan in 863 (lasted until 928), Yemen in 901. A branch of the Zaydis - the Nuktavits - are widespread in Iran. The Zaydis established power in part of Yemen, where their imams ruled until the revolution on September 26, 1962. They make up a significant part of the Yemeni population. In theology, the Zaydis follow the Mu'tazilites. Zaydis, in contrast to other Shiites, do not recognize the doctrine of a “hidden” imam, the “prudent concealment” of one’s faith (taqiyya), and reject anthropomorphism and the doctrine of unconditional predestination. Their number at the end of the 20th century. - 7 million people. The current leader of the Zaydis is Sheikh Husayn al-Houthi. The separation of Zaydism from the general mainstream of the Shiite movement occurred in the 30s of the 8th century, when some of the Shiites supported the desire of Zayd - the son of 'Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad - to prove with the sword his right to the Imamate. In matters of dogma, the Zaydis took a position most loyal to Sunni Islam. Thus, recognizing that the imam (head of the community) must be from the clan of ‘Ali, they denied the divine nature of the imamate and believed that any Alid who openly came out with arms in his hands could be an imam. They also allowed for the simultaneous existence of several imams in different Muslim countries. They also, in order to suppress the unrest, allowed the rule of the caliphs Abu Bakr and 'Umar, although they believed that 'Ali was a more worthy contender.

The Zaydis have their own special madhhab of fiqh. Zaydis are widespread in southern Yemen, where they have long coexisted with Sunnis, mainly representatives of the Shafi'i madhhab. The Yemeni theologian and imam al-Shaukani, the author of important works on theology, was a Zaydi by origin.

EXTREME SHIITES

Extreme Shiites include: Ismailis, Alawites and Kaysanites.

Ismailis are adherents of the Shiite Muslim sect that arose in the Caliphate in the middle of the 8th century and was named after the eldest son of the Shiite imam Ja'far al-Sadiq - Ismail.

In the 9th century, the Ismailis split into the Fatimid Ismailis, who recognized hidden imams, and the Qarmatians, who believed that there should be seven imams. In the 11th century, the Fatimid Ismailis were divided into Nizaris and Musta'lites, and already at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries, the Qarmatians ceased to exist. The most famous of the Nizari sects were the Hashshashins, better known as the Assassins. In the 18th century, the Shah of Persia officially recognized Ismailism as a movement of Shiism.

Ismailism (Arabic: “al-Ismā‘īliyya”, Persian: “Esmâ‘īliyân”) - a set of religious movements in the Shiite branch of Islam dating back to the end of the 8th century. Each movement has its own hierarchy of imams. The title of the imam of the Nizari, the largest and most famous Ismaili community - Aga Khan - is inherited. Currently, the imam of this branch of the Ismailis is Aga Khan IV. There are now more than 15 million Ismailis of all directions. The emergence of the Ismailis is associated with a split in the Shiite movement that occurred in 765. In 760, Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam, deprived his eldest son Ismail of the right to legitimate succession to the imamate. A number of experts believe that the real reason why the right to inherit the Imamate was transferred to the youngest son was that Ismail took an extremely aggressive position towards the Sunni caliphs, which could upset the existing balance between the two directions of Islam, beneficial to both the Shiites and and Sunnis. In addition, the anti-feudal movement began to rally around Ismail, which unfolded against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in the situation of ordinary Shiites. The lower and middle strata of the population pinned hopes for significant changes in the socio-political life of Shiite communities with Ismail’s coming to power. The number of Ismail's followers increased, which caused alarm among both the Shiite feudal nobility and Ja'far al-Sadiq himself. Soon Ismail died. There was reason to believe that Ismail’s death was the result of a conspiracy organized against him by the ruling circles of the Shiites. Ja'far al-Sadiq widely publicized the fact of his son's death and allegedly even ordered that Ismail's corpse be put on display in one of the mosques. However, the death of Ismail did not stop the unfolding movement of his followers. Initially, they claimed that Ismail was not killed, but was hiding from enemies, and after a certain period they declared Isma'il the seventh “hidden imam”, who at the right moment would appear as the Messiah-Mahdi and, in fact, after him one should not expect the appearance new imams. The Ismailis, as the adherents of the new teaching began to be called, argued that Ismail, by the will of Allah, passed into an invisible state, hidden from mere mortals, of “gaib” (“gaib”) - “absence.” Some adherents of Ismail believed that Ismail actually died, so his son Muhammad should be declared the seventh imam. It is noteworthy that over time, the majority of the Ismailis began to believe in the seventh imam Muhammad, the son of Ismail. For this reason, the sect began to bear the name “Septenary”. Over time, the Ismaili movement strengthened and grew so much that it began to show signs of an independent religious movement. The Ismailis deployed a well-covered, extensive network of preachers of the new teaching in the territories of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia. At this initial stage of development, the Ismaili movement met all the requirements of a powerful medieval organization, which had a clear hierarchical model of internal structure, its own very complex philosophical and theological dogma with elements reminiscent of the Gnostic teachings of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and small cults common in the territories of medieval Islam. -Christian world. Gradually the Ismailis gained strength and influence. In the 10th century, they founded the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa. It was during the Fatimid period that Ismaili influence spread to the lands of North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Yemen and the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina. However, otherwise Islamic world, including orthodox Shiites, the Ismailis were considered extreme sectarians and were often brutally persecuted. At the end of the 11th century, the Ismailis were divided into Nizari, who believed that the “hidden imam” was the eldest son of Caliph al-Mustansir Nizar, and Musta'lits who recognized Musta'li, the youngest son of the caliph. The Ismaili organization changed several times during its development. At its most famous stage, it had nine degrees of initiation, each of which gave the initiate specific access to information and its understanding. The transition to the next degree of initiation was accompanied by mystical rituals. Advancement up the Ismaili hierarchical ladder was primarily related to the degree of initiation. With the next period of initiation, new “truths” were revealed to the Ismaili, which with each step were more and more distant from the original dogmas of the Koran. In particular, at the 5th stage it was explained to the initiate that the text of the Koran should be understood not in a literal, but in an allegorical sense. The next stage of initiation revealed the ritual essence of the Islamic religion, which also boiled down to a rather allegorical understanding of rituals. At the last degree of initiation, all Islamic dogmas were actually rejected, even the doctrine of the divine advent, etc. was touched upon. Good organization and strict hierarchical discipline allowed the leaders of the Ismaili sect to manage a huge organization at that time. One of the philosophical and theological dogmas that the Ismailis adhered to stated that Allah from time to time infused his divine essence into the flesh of the “natyq” prophets he sent down (lit. “preacher” or “utterer”): Adam, Abraham, Noah , Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. The Ismailis claimed that Allah sent down to our world the seventh natyk prophet - Muhammad, the son of Ismail. Each of the sent down natyq prophets was always accompanied by the so-called “samit” (lit. “silent man”). Samit never speaks on his own, his essence boils down to the interpretation of the sermon of the natyk prophet. Under Moses it was Aaron, under Jesus it was Peter, under Muhammad it was ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib. With each appearance of the natyk prophet, Allah reveals to people the secrets of the universal mind and divine truth. According to the teachings of the Ismailis, seven natyq prophets should come into the world. Between their appearances, the world is ruled successively by seven imams, through whom Allah explains the teachings of the prophets. The return of the last, seventh prophet-natyk - Muhammad, son of Ismail, will reveal the last divine incarnation, after which divine reason should reign in the world, bringing universal justice and prosperity to devout Muslims. The religious doctrine of the Ismailis, apparently, is characterized by the concept of unlimited free will, the rejection of determinism and the recognition of the independent existence of the attributes of God, characteristic of the dominant trends in Islam.

List of famous Ismailis:

‘Abd Allah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah, Nasir Khosrow, Firdousi, ‘Ubaydullah, Hassan ibn Sabbah, al-Hakim bi-Amrillah, Rudaki. Alawites (‘Alawiyya, Alawites) got their name from the name of Imam ‘Ali. They are also called Nusayris - after Ibn Nusayra, considered the founder of the sect. Distributed in Turkey and Syria. They were the main population of the Alawite State. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad1 is of Alawite origin. Turkish Alawites are different from Syrian Arabs (Nusayris). 1. However, Bashar al-Assad, like his father, are Sunnis, at least outwardly. My father officially abandoned Shiism, not just Nusayism, in favor of Sunniism. The late Muhammad Said Ramadan al-Buty read the funeral prayer for Hafiz Assad. Sunnis do not recite the jinazah prayer to the Alawites. Bashar prays in Sunni mosques according to Sunni rites. External signs sufficient for Muslims to consider him a Sunni. The knowledge that he is a true Sunni or not belongs to Allah. Muslims make judgments based on external signs.

A Lavites are extreme Shiites (gulyat ashshi'a), like the Ismailis. Sunnis do not recognize them as Muslims due to serious deviations in the field of ‘aqida. The main claim is the deification of ‘Ali. There is an opinion that the Syrian Alawites at their 1938 congress abandoned their extreme views in favor of moderate Shiism, the teachings of the Ja'farite Imami.

Kaysanites- a vanished branch of the extreme Shiites. Formed at the end of the 7th century. They proclaimed ‘Ali’s son, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyi, as the imam, but since he was not the son of the Prophet’s daughter, most Shiites rejected this choice. According to one version, they got their name from the nickname of al-Mukhtar ibn Abi-‘Ubaid al-Sakafi - Kaysan, who led the uprising in Kufa under the slogan of defending the rights of Ibn al-Hanafiyya and avenging the blood of Imam Husayn. According to another version - on behalf of the head of the guard al-Mukhtar Abu-'Amr Kaisan. The Kaysanites split into a number of sects: Mukhtarites, Hashemites, Bayanites and Rizamites. The Kaysanite communities ceased to exist in the middle of the 9th century.

Sunni criticism of Shiism

There are several provisions that, according to Sunni theologians, demonstrate the falsity and inconsistency of Shiite beliefs regarding the companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them). As Sheikh Sa'id Fuda, a Jordanian specialist in the field of Sunni kalam, says, the following most important provisions on this issue can be identified. The Shiites themselves cite messages in their books telling that the Sunni authority Caliph ‘Umar ibn Khattab was married to the daughter of Imam ‘Ali, who was not the daughter of his wife Fatima, may Allah Almighty be pleased with both of them. This clearly indicates that Imam ‘Ali, contrary to what the Shiites say, did not tolerate takfir for ‘Umar or Abu Bakr, but, on the contrary, helped them and was their faithful brother. Only a fool can claim that Imam ‘Ali was afraid or was forced to do so, because the courage of Imam ‘Ali is recorded and confirmed by the mutawatir hadiths, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt. How can one say that ‘Ali was afraid of the power and authority of ‘Umar if there is no evidence that he was afraid of anything at all?! If we assume that he was silent and did not express his opinion openly due to some circumstances unknown to us, then why are the Shiites themselves not silent about this? If you believe that imams are sinless and never make mistakes, then how can you explain the fact that Imam Hasan renounced the right to khilaf (caliphate) in favor of Mu'awiyah ibn Abi-Sufyan? One of the greatest Shiite scholars of his time, al-Majlisi, tried to comment on this in his book “Bihar al-Anwar”. Over the course of several volumes, he finds fault with everything and scolds in a way that a reasonable person should not. He is not able to convince even himself that all the actions of Imam Hassan in that situation were correct, let alone convince others! Can it be said that Imam Hassan was wrong? If you give an affirmative answer, then this means that your madhhab (according to which all imams are sinless and never make mistakes) is erroneous. If you claim that Hassan was right, you will again be wrong. But we can say that Hassan is a great companion from the descendants of the noble Messenger, however, despite this, he is a man and, like any person, he could make a mistake and could be right, without being sinless (ma'sum) and without having knowledge of the sacred. You can also say that he did all this for purely political reasons, but then you have to admit that this misleads subsequent generations of Muslims and hides the truth, while the ma'sum is obliged to reveal it, and not to hide it. Allah Almighty said: “Obey what you are commanded and distance yourself from the ignorant. Verily, We have delivered you from the mockers.”

And Allah Almighty said: “Allah protects you from people.” It is not appropriate here to talk in detail about what happened between the companions in that fitna (trouble), however, it should be noted that, according to the 'aqida of Ahl-s-sunnah wal jama'a, Imam 'Ali, karramallahu wajhahu, was right, and Mu 'Awiya ibn Abi-Sufyan was mistaken. Then the sheikhs of Ahl-s-Sunna disagreed regarding Mu'awiya. There are many commentaries and expositions that can be consulted. The opinion of the Shiites regarding the Noble Qur'an clearly shows us that they, the Shiites, have clearly deviated from the path of truth and are deeply mistaken from the point of view of the Sunnis. The vast majority of their scholars (jumhur) believe that the Holy Quran is distorted, since some surahs and verses have been removed (rather than added). Only some (few) Shiites deny that the Koran was distorted both by deleting and by adding surahs and verses. These words refer specifically to the opinion of the overwhelming majority (jumhur), for example, al-Kulaini, al-Majlisi (the author of the book “Bihar al-Anwar”, consisting of more than a hundred volumes), Ni’matullah al-Jazairi and other Shiite scholars who openly declare that the mandatory provisions of their madhhab include the belief that the Koran was distorted by removing suras and verses. Some of them even pointed out examples of distortion, as did al-Bihrani, citing examples of distortion of the Holy Qur'an in his tafsir Al-Burhan. I repeat once again that my words now apply only to these people. There is no doubt that, because of their statements about the distortion of the Quran, they left the Islamic religion (millat al-Islam), one of the greatest signs of which is the Holy Quran, which Allah Almighty Himself protects from distortion. This is stated in the following words of the Almighty: “Verily, We have sent down a reminder, and We are its guardians.” The Almighty also said: “A lie will not approach it (the Quran) either from the front or from the back. He is sent down from the Wise, the Glorious." Thus, anyone who believes that the Koran has been distorted by removing or adding surahs and verses is a kaafir, according to the unanimous opinion of all Muslim groups and movements, except for the Shiites, who never cease to defend their imams who speak of the distortion of the Book. Some Shiites now declare that they personally do not believe that the Qur'an has been distorted, that there is supposedly disagreement on this issue and that the most correct thing is to deny the distortion (tahrif). However, such an excuse, according to Sa'id Fuda, is even more vile than the sin itself, since there is no disagreement among Muslims on this issue and one cannot assume it. It is necessary to reject the ideas of those who discredit Islam with such statements. It cannot be said that the Shiites did not say this. Those Shiites whose names were mentioned above openly declared that the Holy Quran had been corrupted. Their books have been published and are quite well known. At one time, Musa Bigiev also pointed out this in his work “al-Washi’a fi naqd ‘akaid ashshi’a” (“The Promotion Shuttle in the Criticism of Shiite Dogmas”), having studied well-known Shiite sources.

On the other side Sa'id Fuda draws the attention of Muslims to the following: “It is known that some adherents of the true ‘aqida of Ahlu-s-Sunnah are trying to refute the Shiites, attributing to them words that they did not say. They accuse them of beliefs for which the Shiites themselves endure takfir. We are talking, for example, about the opinion that the angel Jibril, alayhi al-salaam, made a mistake in transmitting the Revelation, about the opinion that Imam 'Ali is on the clouds and that the peals of thunder are his voice, and about other opinions expressed by isma 'Ilits, Druze, an-Nusayriyya, who, according to Muslim ijma, are kafirs. It is wrong to attribute to the Shiites something that is not in their books. We should refute only those opinions of the Shiites that they express, so as not to fall into lies and slander.” The above opinion is expressed by many representatives of Sunni Islam. Recently, however, Shia scholars have emerged who reject some of the Sunni accusations (especially regarding the Qur'an), linking them to Akhbarites and weak traditions within Shia sources. The Shiites themselves, the Imamis, thus have different points of view, and among them there are moderates who go to resolve conflicts between the two groups, prohibiting scolding the companions of the Prophet and his wives. Just as there are extreme Imamites, who even call themselves Rafidis, who declare openly on satellite channels about the unbelief of the first three caliphs, the two wives of the Prophet ‘Aisha and Hafsa and other companions.

There are many religions in the world, but each religion has even more branches. For example, in Islam there are two large directions - Sunnis and Shiites, which have both theological and some political differences, which in our time have escalated into a full-scale war. However, many researchers of this conflict already understand that it is rather political. The Muslims themselves might have already forgotten about him, continuing to live their lives, however, as it turned out, not everything is so simple.

The rulers of countries entered the arena who found it beneficial to remember the ancient enmity between these two movements, because the territories of some Islamic states turned out to be valuable for their resources. In addition, there was also political interest on the part of the ruling elites of the East itself.

So, in this article we will take a closer look at the historical background for the formation of the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, as well as what all this has led to in the world today. It will be important to think about the background of the sudden outbreak of strife between Muslims, why did this happen, why did this happen? We will try to cover all this in this article.

Prophet Muhammad - founder of Islam

As you know, before the appearance of Muhammad, there was polytheism in the east. After receiving divine messages from the Archangel Jebrail, the Prophet began to preach monotheism. His path was quite difficult, because people new religion were treated with disbelief. Muhammad's first followers were his wife Khadija, his nephew Ali, and two freedmen Zaid and Abu Bakr.

Further conversion of the Arabs was difficult. Muhammad made his first public sermon in 610 in Mecca. According to historical research, it contained elements of Judaism and Christianity. However, its advantage was that it was read in rhyme, which greatly facilitated its perception for listeners, most of whom were illiterate.

By the way, the Holy Book, the Koran, written in his words, contains biblical stories that have been carefully revised from the point of view of the Eastern tradition. Thus, Islam and Christianity have common ground, albeit somewhat different in dogmatic terms. However, the main point - monotheism - is present in both.

After Muhammad moved to Medina, he gradually added new aspects to his religion, which soon led to the separation of Islam from Judaism and Christianity. The downside in the development of Islam was that after the death of the Prophet, a struggle for power began. All this led to the fact that the followers were divided into two camps - Sunnis and Shiites. This situation continues to this day, only the political division also entailed a theological one (albeit a small one).

The emergence of two major branches of Islam - Sunnis and Shiites

As you can see, the Prophet Muhammad had a really great influence on the formation of Islam in the form in which we know it now. However, after his death, some aspects of his teaching underwent changes. The most important thing was that there were four candidates for his place, and each believed that his candidacy was the most correct. However, the greatest conflict occurred due to the fact that some Muslims believed that the follower of the Prophet should be his blood relative. This was Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin, Ali. It is from here that the first differences between Sunnis and Shiites arose.

As you can see, initially this division had nothing to do with theological aspects. On the part of the emerging movement of Shiites (the word itself is translated from Arabic as “adherent, follower of Ali”) there was a denial of the moment of proclamation of Mohammed’s father-in-law, Abu, as caliph. They believed that it would be right if they became a blood relative - Ali. However, this did not happen.

This split subsequently led to Ali's assassination in 661. His two sons - Hasan and Hussein - also suffered the same fate. Shiite Muslims perceived Hussein's death with the greatest tragedy. This moment is remembered by Arabs every year (both Shiites and Sunnis, only for the latter everything is not so tragic). Ali's followers organize real funeral processions; in addition, they use chains and sabers to inflict wounds on themselves.

Current of Sunnism

So, now we will tell you in more detail everything about the movement of Sunnism. It is the largest branch of Islam today. It should be noted that Shiite and Sunni Muslims, whose difference was initially insignificant, now have some differences in the interpretation of the Koran - the Holy Book in Islam. This movement is characterized by its literal understanding. They are guided by the sunnah. This is a special set of rules and traditions that are based on the real life of the Prophet Muhammad. All this was recorded by his followers and associates.

The most important thing in this trend is strict adherence to the instructions recorded by the Prophet. Some of these trends even took extreme forms. For example, among the Afghan Taliban, men were required to wear a certain size of beard, as well as the correct clothing. Everything had to be as described in the sunnah.

In addition, power in this movement does not depend on whether the chosen one is a descendant of Muhammad. He is simply chosen or appointed. For Sunnis, an imam is a cleric who, moreover, is in charge of a mosque.

It should be noted that there are four recognized schools in Sunnism:

• Maliki;
• Shafi'i;
• Hanafi;
• Hanbali;
• Zakhirite (today this school has completely disappeared).

A Muslim has the right to choose any of the above and follow it. Each of them has its own founder, as well as its followers. Below we will consider in which states they are most popular.

Current of Shiism

As mentioned above, Shiism arose as a result of a political split in Islam, when some followers of the Prophet Muhammad did not want to obey the chosen caliph rather than his blood relative. As a result of all this, after some time, quite significant differences appeared in this direction, which finally separated the two branches of Islam.

It is entirely permissible for Shiites to interpret the injunctions of the Prophet. However, a person must have the right to this. At one time, Shiites were called “non-Muslims” and “infidels” for this (and this still happens today). This is the main difference between Sunnis and Shiites.

The second biggest difference is that for them, his nephew, Ali, is also equal to the Prophet. Consequently, power passes only to the blood relatives of Muhammad.

Shia Muslims study only the part of the Sunnah that relates to Muhammad and his relatives (as opposed to the opposite movement, which studies the entire text). Also important for them is the treatise akhbar, which means the message about the Prophet.

For followers of Ali, the imam is a descendant of the Prophet and a spiritual leader. There is also a belief that one day a messiah will appear, who will appear as a hidden imam. There is even a special legend about him, which tells that there was a twelfth imam, Muhammad, who disappeared in his adolescence under unexplained circumstances. And since then no one has seen him. However, Islamic Shiites consider him alive. They believe that he is among the people and someday will come to them and lead them.

What are the similarities between the currents?

However, even taking into account all of the above, it can be noted that the currents are basically the same. For example, Sunni and Shiite prayers can be performed together; in some mosques this is especially practiced. Both of these sects of Muslims read and study the Sunnah (contrary to popular belief that Shiites do not do this). Only the followers of Ali follow the part in it that is recorded from members of the family of Muhammad.

In addition, any feuds are forgotten during the Hajj. They perform it together, although Shiites, in addition to traveling to Mecca and Medina, can also choose a place of pilgrimage to Karbala or An-Najaf. It is there, according to legend, that the graves of Ali and his son Hussein are located.

Spread of Sunnis in the world

Sunni Muslims are considered the most widespread in Islam. According to official data, they account for about eighty percent of the total number of believers (or about one and a half billion people).

Now let's look at in which countries and regions the four main schools of Sunnism are popular. For example, the Maliki school is widespread in North Africa, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The Shafi'i movement is popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and there are also large groups in Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan. The Hanafi movement is widespread in Central and Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, etc. The Hanbali movement is popular in Qatar and Saudi Arabia; there are numerous communities in the UAE, Oman and some other Gulf states.

Thus, Sunni Muslims have a significant presence in Asia. There are also various communities in other countries around the world.

Countries that support Shiism

Those who are followers of Ali are considered to be small in number relative to Sunnism; there are no more than ten percent of them in the world. However, in some cases they occupy entire countries. The Shiites who live, for example, in Iran, occupy almost its entire territory in terms of their numbers.

In addition, Ali’s followers are more than half of the population of Iraq, as well as a fairly large part of those who profess Islam in Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Yemen, and Bahrain. A smaller number of them is observed in other countries of the East. For example, Shiite Chechens are gaining in numbers with the support of the authorities (of course, this event has its dissatisfied people). Many adherents of the “pure religion” - Sunnism - consider provocative actions when the literature and teachings of Shiism are freely available, which leads to an increase in the number of believers.

Thus, we can say that the Shiites are a fairly serious political force, especially recently, when the internal confrontation between the two movements has resulted in military action.

Muslims in Russia

There are also many people living in Russia who profess Islam. This denomination is the second largest in the state. After all, half of the country is in Asia, where this religion is one of the main ones. Sunnis in Russia are considered the most numerous branch of Islam. There are much fewer Shiites, and they are mostly located in the North Caucasus. Ali's followers also include many Azerbaijanis who moved to Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed. You can also meet Shiites in Dagestan among the Tats and Lezgins.

Today, there are no pronounced conflicts between different trends among Muslims (although there is enough of this in the world).

Military actions between currents

The war between Sunnis and Shiites was contained for a long time. Yes, there were numerous clashes, but it never resulted in a large massacre of civilians, with a large number of victims. For a long time, these two movements coexisted peacefully with each other. A new surge of intolerance began in 1979, when the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran.

Since then, many countries where Muslims live have been engaged in wars of different directions in Islam. For example, in Syria the confrontation has been going on for a long time. It all started as a struggle between the current government and the opposition, but grew into a bloody conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. Since there are more Muslims of the first movement in Syria, and the government was from the second, very soon this became of great importance. In addition, the ruling elite of this state is supported by Iran, where Shiites are the majority.

It should also be said about Pakistan, where recently religious hostility has been directed at almost all other representatives of religious movements. Radical forces in the country do not like not only Pakistani Shiites, but also Christians and other faiths that are represented in this state. After all, it itself was formed for all Muslims (including minorities who lived in the territory at that time).

It is also worth noting the ongoing conflict in Iraq. In 2013 alone, more than six million civilians died in the state. This is believed to be the highest figure in the last five years. Something else needs to be said about the war in Yemen, where a significant part of the population is Shiites.

As you can see, a very large number of territories and countries are in conflict. However, is it really that simple? Is this really a natural course of events? Perhaps this is beneficial to someone? After all, war is always someone’s interests, and not always the state’s. Often conflict is needed when the mercantile desires of those in power emerge. After all, all the wars in the east have not yet been resolved, clashes with radical groups continue, and the countries have a large amount of weapons that are widely used.

Politics and Islam

As can be seen from the material described above, the difference between Sunni and Shiite is small. However, this is precisely what allowed Islam to split into two opposing currents, which over the past few decades have had bloody conflicts in some areas of the globe. What started a long time ago continues to this day, with no end in sight.

It should be noted that in the war between Sunnis and Shiites, an important role was played by the fact that considerable oil reserves were discovered on the territory of Islamic countries. Of course, this could not but interest the ruling elites of some other states. Today, many politicians argue that the entire conflict was built according to the program of the West, in particular the United States. This state had its own interest in these territories, not only in terms of resources, but also in banal enrichment through the supply of weapons to both one and the other side of the conflict. In addition, there is tacit support for radical organizations (with weapons and financially) in each conflict area, which naturally leads to increased chaos and violence.

So, if you want to understand the intricacies of the conflicts in the East, you need to look much deeper. See that there are quite a lot of people interested in keeping the war going. As they say, look for those who need it. For example, in the conflict in Yemen, the role of rulers in the region who want to gain leadership in the territories between Saudi Arabia and Iran is very clearly visible. And this is not a war at all between Sunnis and Shiites, but a banal struggle for power and resources.

Conclusion

So now we see what the differences are between Sunnis and Shiites. Of course, all this is largely in the heads of believers, because complete compliance with the entire set of rules is not so important; what happens in the soul is much more important. With the name of the Lord on the lips, many iniquities have been committed in the world, and history is great proof of this. It is very easy to incite hostility between opposing movements; it is much more difficult to bring them to peace and tolerance.

In conclusion, we should remember the words of the Prophet Muhammad that he said before his death. Namely, about not becoming lost, not cutting off the heads of your fellow believers. The Prophet also ordered that this be conveyed to all those who were not near him. Perhaps this was the most important covenant, which really needs to be remembered and kept now, when strife has consumed our world. When the so-called “Arab Spring” captured the Eastern world, when bloody conflicts do not want to stop and more and more ordinary people are dying. Political scientists look at this situation with increasing alarm, since there can be no winners in this war.

I don't light it up.

Spread of Islam in the world. Shiites are marked in red, Sunnis in green.

Shiites and Sunnis.

blue - Shiites, red - Sunnis, green - Wahhabis, and lilac - Ibadis (in Oman)

Map of the ethnocultural division of civilizations according to Huntington’s concept:
1. Western culture (dark blue)
2. Latin American (purple color)
3. Japanese (bright red color)
4. Thai-Confucian (dark red color)
5. Hindu (orange color)
6. Islamic (green)
7. Slavic-Orthodox (turquoise color)
8. Buddhist (yellow)
9. African (brown)

The division of Muslims into Shiites and Sunnis dates back to the early history of Islam. Immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century, a dispute arose over who should lead the Muslim community in the Arab Caliphate. Some believers advocated for elected caliphs, while others advocated for the rights of Muhammad's beloved son-in-law Ali ibn Abu Talib.

This is how Islam was first divided. This is what happened next...

There was also a direct testament of the prophet, according to which Ali was to become his successor, but, as often happens, the authority of Muhammad, unshakable during life, did not play a decisive role after death. Supporters of his will believed that the ummah (community) should be led by imams “appointed by God” - Ali and his descendants from Fatima, and believed that the power of Ali and his heirs was from God. Ali's supporters began to be called Shiites, which literally means “supporters, adherents.”

Their opponents objected that neither the Koran nor the second most important Sunnah (a set of rules and principles supplementing the Koran, based on examples from the life of Muhammad, his actions, statements as conveyed by his companions) says nothing about imams and about the divine rights to power of the Ali clan. The prophet himself did not say anything about this. The Shiites responded that the prophet's instructions were subject to interpretation - but only by those who had a special right to do so. Opponents considered such views to be heresy and said that the Sunnah should be taken in the form in which the companions of the prophet compiled it, without any changes or interpretations. This direction of adherents of strict adherence to the Sunnah is called “Sunnism”.

For Sunnis, the Shiite understanding of the function of the imam as a mediator between God and man is a heresy, since they adhere to the concept of direct worship of Allah, without intermediaries. An imam is, from their point of view, an ordinary religious figure who has earned authority through his theological knowledge, the head of a mosque, and their institution of clergy is devoid of a mystical aura. Sunnis revere the first four "Rightly Guided Caliphs" and do not recognize the Ali dynasty. Shiites recognize only Ali. Shiites revere the sayings of imams along with the Koran and Sunnah.

Differences persist in Sunni and Shiite interpretations of Sharia (Islamic law). For example, Shiites do not adhere to the Sunni rule of considering a divorce valid from the moment it is declared by the husband. In turn, Sunnis do not accept the Shiite practice of temporary marriage.

In the modern world, Sunnis make up the majority of Muslims, Shiites - just over ten percent. Shiites are common in Iran, Azerbaijan, parts of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Arab countries (with the exception of North Africa). The main Shiite state and the spiritual center of this direction of Islam is Iran.

Conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis still occur, but nowadays they are more often of a political nature. With rare exceptions (Iran, Azerbaijan, Syria), in countries inhabited by Shiites, all political and economic power belongs to Sunnis. The Shiites feel offended, their discontent is taken advantage of by radical Islamic groups, Iran and Western countries, which have long mastered the science of pitting Muslims against each other and supporting radical Islam for the sake of the “victory of democracy.” Shiites have vigorously fought for power in Lebanon and last year rebelled in Bahrain to protest the Sunni minority's usurpation of political power and oil revenues.

In Iraq, after the armed intervention of the United States, the Shiites came to power, a civil war began in the country between them and the former owners - the Sunnis, and the secular regime gave way to obscurantism. In Syria, the situation is the opposite - power there belongs to the Alawites, one of the directions of Shiism. Under the pretext of fighting the dominance of the Shiites in the late 70s, the terrorist group “Muslim Brotherhood” launched a war against the ruling regime; in 1982, the rebels captured the city of Hama. The rebellion was crushed and thousands of people died. Now the war has resumed - but only now, as in Libya, the bandits are called rebels, they are openly supported by all progressive Western humanity, led by the United States.

In the former USSR, Shiites live mainly in Azerbaijan. In Russia they are represented by the same Azerbaijanis, as well as a small number of Tats and Lezgins in Dagestan.

There are no serious conflicts in the post-Soviet space yet. Most Muslims have a very vague idea of ​​the difference between Shiites and Sunnis, and Azerbaijanis living in Russia, in the absence of Shiite mosques, often visit Sunni ones.

Confrontation between Shiites and Sunnis

There are many movements in Islam, the largest of which are Sunnis and Shiites. According to rough estimates, the number of Shiites among Muslims is 15% (216 million out of 1.4 billion Muslims according to 2005 data). Iran is the only country in the world where state religion is Shiite Islam.

Shiites also predominate among the population of Iranian Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Lebanon, and make up almost half of the population of Iraq. In Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Afghanistan, Yemen, Kuwait, Ghana and the countries of South Africa, between 10 and 40% Shiites live. Only in Iran do they have state power. Bahrain, despite the fact that the majority of the population is Shiite, is ruled by a Sunni dynasty. Iraq was also ruled by Sunnis, and only in last years For the first time, a Shiite president was elected.

Despite constant disagreements, official Muslim science avoids open discussion. This is partly due to the fact that in Islam it is forbidden to insult everything related to faith and to speak poorly about the Muslim religion. Both Sunnis and Shiites believe in Allah and his prophet Muhammad, observe the same religious precepts - fasting, daily prayer, etc., make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, although they consider each other “kafirs” - “infidels”.

The first disagreements between Shiites and Sunnis erupted after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. His followers were divided over who should inherit power and become the next caliph. Muhammad had no sons, therefore no direct heirs. Some Muslims believed that, according to the tradition of the tribe, a new caliph should be chosen at a council of elders. The council appointed Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr, as caliph. However, some Muslims did not agree with this choice. They believed that supreme power over Muslims should be inherited. In their opinion, Ali ibn Abu Talib, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, the husband of his daughter Fatima, should have become caliph. His supporters were called shia’t ‘Ali - “Ali’s party”, and later began to be called simply “Shiites”. In turn, the name “Sunni” comes from the word “sunna”, a set of rules and principles based on the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.

Ali recognized the authority of Abu Bakr, who became the first righteous caliph. After his death, Abu Bakr was succeeded by Omar and Osman, whose reign was also short. After the assassination of Caliph Osman, Ali became the fourth Rightly Guided Caliph. Ali and his descendants were called imams. They not only led the Shiite community, but were also considered descendants of Muhammad. However, the Sunni Umayyad clan entered the struggle for power. By organizing the assassination of Ali in 661 with the help of the Kharijites, they seized power, which led to a civil war between Sunnis and Shiites. Thus, from the very beginning, these two branches of Islam were hostile to each other.

Ali ibn Abu Talib was buried in Najaf, which has since become a place of pilgrimage for Shiites. In 680, Ali's son and Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, refused to swear allegiance to the Umayyads. Then, on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Muslim calendar (usually November), the battle of Karbala took place between the Umayyad army and Imam Hussein's 72-man detachment. The Sunnis destroyed the entire detachment along with Hussein and other relatives of Muhammad, not even sparing the six-month-old baby - the great-grandson of Ali ibn Abu Talib. The heads of those killed were sent to the Umayyad caliph in Damascus, which made Imam Hussein a martyr in the eyes of the Shiites. This battle is considered the starting point of the split between Sunnis and Shiites.

Karbala, which is located a hundred kilometers southwest of Baghdad, has become as holy a city for Shiites as Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Every year, Shiites commemorate Imam Hussein on the day of his death. On this day, fasting is observed, men and women in black organize funeral processions not only in Karbala, but throughout the Muslim world. Some religious fanatics engage in ritual self-flagellation, cutting themselves with knives until they bleed, depicting the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

After the defeat of the Shiites, most Muslims began to profess Sunnism. Sunnis believed that power should belong to Muhammad's uncle Abul Abbas, who came from another branch of Muhammad's family. Abbas defeated the Umayyads in 750 and began the Abbasid rule. They made Baghdad their capital. It was under the Abbasids, in the 10th-12th centuries, that the concepts of “Sunnism” and “Shiism” finally took shape. The last Shiite dynasty in the Arab world was the Fatimids. They ruled Egypt from 910 to 1171. After them and to this day, the main government positions in Arab countries belong to Sunnis.

The Shiites were ruled by imams. After the death of Imam Hussein, power was inherited. The twelfth imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, mysteriously disappeared. Since this happened in Samarra, this city also became sacred to the Shiites. They believe that the twelfth imam is the ascended prophet, the Messiah, and are waiting for his return, just as Christians are waiting for Jesus Christ. They believe that with the advent of the Mahdi, justice will be established on earth. The doctrine of Imamate is a key feature of Shiism.

Subsequently, the Sunni-Shiite split led to a confrontation between the two largest empires of the medieval East - the Ottoman and Persian. The Shiites in power in Persia were considered heretics by the rest of the Muslim world. In the Ottoman Empire, Shiism was not recognized as a separate branch of Islam, and Shiites were obliged to comply with all Sunni laws and rituals.

The first attempt to unite believers was made by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah Afshar. Having besieged Basra in 1743, he demanded that the Ottoman Sultan sign a peace treaty recognizing the Shiite school of Islam. Although the Sultan refused, after some time a meeting of Shiite and Sunni theologians was organized in Najaf. This did not lead to significant results, but a precedent was created.

The next step towards reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites was taken by the Ottomans at the end of the 19th century. This was due to the following factors: external threats that weakened the empire, and the spread of Shiism in Iraq. The Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II began to follow a policy of pan-Islamism to strengthen his position as the leader of the Muslims, unite the Sunnis and Shiites, and maintain the alliance with Persia. Pan-Islamism was supported by the Young Turks, and thus managed to mobilize the Shiites for the war with Great Britain.

Pan-Islamism had its own leaders, whose ideas were quite simple and understandable. Thus, Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani al-Asabadi said that the split among Muslims accelerated the fall of the Ottoman and Persian Empires and contributed to the invasion of European powers in the region. The only way to repel the invaders is to unite.

In 1931, the Muslim Congress was held in Jerusalem, where both Shiites and Sunnis were present. From the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a call was made to believers to unite to resist Western threats and defend Palestine, which was under British control. Similar calls were made in the 1930s and 40s, while Shia theologians continued to negotiate with the rectors of Al-Azhar, the largest Muslim university. In 1948, the Iranian cleric Mohammed Taghi Qummi, together with the learned theologians of Al-Azhar and Egyptian politicians, founded the organization for the reconciliation of Islamic currents (Jama'at al-Taqrib Bayne al-Mazahib al-Islamiyya) in Cairo. The movement reached its apogee in 1959, when Mahmoud Shaltut, rector of Al-Azhar announced a fatwa (decision) recognizing Jafarite Shiism as the fifth school of Islam, along with the four Sunni schools. After the breakdown of relations between Egypt and Iran due to Tehran's recognition of the state of Israel in 1960, the organization's activities gradually faded, completely ceasing in the late 1970s. However, it played a role in the history of reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites.

The failure of the unifying movements lay in one mistake. Reconciliation gave rise to the following alternative: either each school of Islam accepts a single doctrine, or one school is absorbed by another - a minority by a majority. The first path is unlikely, since Sunnis and Shiites have fundamentally different points of view on some religious tenets. As a rule, starting from the twentieth century. all debates between them end in mutual accusations of “infidelity.”

In 1947, the Baath Party was formed in Damascus, Syria. A few years later, it merged with the Arab Socialist Party and received the name Arab Socialist Baath Party. The party promoted Arab nationalism, separation of religion and state, and socialism. In the 1950s a Baathist branch also appeared in Iraq. At this time, Iraq, according to the Baghdad Treaty, was an ally of the United States in the fight against the “expansion of the USSR.” In 1958, the Baath Party overthrew the monarchies in both Syria and Iraq. That same fall, the radical Shiite Dawa party was founded in Karbala, one of its leaders was Seyyid Muhammad Bakir al-Sadr. In 1968, the Baathists came to power in Iraq and tried to destroy the Dawa Party. As a result of the coup, Ba'ath leader General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr became President of Iraq, and his main assistant since 1966 was Saddam Hussein.

Portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini and other Shiite leaders.
“Shias are not Muslims! Shiites do not practice Islam. Shiites are the enemies of Islam and all Muslims. May Allah punish them."

The overthrow of the pro-American Shah regime in Iran in 1979 radically changed the situation in the region. As a result of the revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed, the leader of which was Ayatollah Khomeini. He intended to spread the revolution throughout the Muslim world, uniting both Sunnis and Shiites under the flag of Islam. At the same time, in the summer of 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq. Hussein saw himself as a leader fighting the Zionists in Israel. He also often liked to compare himself with the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar and the Kurdish leader Salah ad-Din, who repelled the Crusaders’ attack on Jerusalem in 1187. Thus, Hussein positioned himself as a leader in the fight against the modern “crusaders” (USA), as the leader of the Kurds and Arabs.

Saddam feared that Islamism, led by Persians, not Arabs, would supplant Arab nationalism. In addition, Iraqi Shiites, who made up a significant part of the population, could join the Shiites of Iran. But it was not so much about a religious conflict as about leadership in the region. The same Baath Party in Iraq consisted of both Sunnis and Shiites, and the latter occupied quite high positions.

Crossed out portrait of Khomeini. "Khomeini is the enemy of Allah."

The Shiite-Sunni conflict acquired a political color thanks to the efforts of Western powers. During the 1970s, while Iran was ruled by the Shah as the main American ally, the United States paid no attention to Iraq. Now they decided to support Hussein to stop the spread of radical Islam and weaken Iran. The Ayatollah despised the Baath Party for its secular and nationalist orientation. For a long time, Khomeini was in exile in Najaf, but in 1978, at the request of the Shah, Saddam Hussein expelled him from the country. Having come to power, Ayatollah Khomeini began to incite the Shiites of Iraq to overthrow the Baathist regime. In response, in the spring of 1980, the Iraqi authorities arrested and killed one of the main representatives of the Shiite clergy - Ayatollah Muhammad Bakir al-Sadr.

Also since the time of British rule at the beginning of the twentieth century. There was a border dispute between Iraq and Iran. According to the 1975 agreement, it ran in the middle of the Shatt al-Arab River, which flowed south of Basra at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. After the revolution, Hussein tore up the treaty, declaring the entire Shatt al-Arab River to be Iraqi territory. The Iran-Iraq war began.

In the 1920s, the Wahhabis captured Jebel Shammar, Hijaz, and Asir, and managed to suppress a number of uprisings in large Bedouin tribes. Feudal-tribal fragmentation was overcome. Saudi Arabia has been declared a kingdom.

Traditional Muslims consider Wahhabis to be false Muslims and apostates, while the Saudis have made this movement a state ideology. The country's Shiite population was treated as second-class citizens in Saudi Arabia.

Throughout the war, Hussein received support from Saudi Arabia. In the 1970s this pro-Western state became a rival of Iran. The Reagan administration did not want the anti-American regime in Iran to win. In 1982, the US government removed Iraq from its list of countries that support terrorists, allowing Saddam Hussein to receive aid directly from the Americans. The Americans also provided him with satellite intelligence data on the movements of Iranian troops. Hussein banned the Shiites in Iraq from celebrating their holidays and killed their spiritual leaders. Finally, in 1988, Ayatollah Khomeini was forced to agree to a truce. With the death of the Ayatollah in 1989, the revolutionary movement in Iran began to decline.

In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, which Iraq had claimed since the 1930s. However, Kuwait was an ally and an important supplier of oil to the United States, and the Bush administration again changed its policy towards Iraq in order to weaken the Hussein regime. Bush called on the Iraqi people to rise up against Saddam. Kurds and Shiites responded to the call. Despite their requests for help in the fight against the Baath regime, the United States remained on the sidelines, as they were afraid of the strengthening of Iran. The uprising was quickly suppressed.

After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, Bush began planning a war against Iraq. Citing rumors that the Iraqi government had nuclear weapons of mass destruction, the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. In three weeks, they captured Baghdad, overthrew the Hussein regime and established their coalition government. Many Baathists fled to Jordan. In the chaos of anarchy, a Shiite movement arose in the city of Sadr. His supporters began to take revenge for Saddam's crimes against the Shiites by killing all former members of the Baath Party.

A deck of playing cards with images of Saddam Hussein and members of the Iraqi government and the Baath Party. Distributed by the US command among the US military during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Saddam Hussein was caught in December 2003, and executed by court on December 30, 2006. After the fall of his regime, the influence of Iran and the Shiites again increased in the region. Shia political leaders Nasrullah and Ahmadinejad became increasingly popular as leaders in the fight against Israel and the United States. The conflict between Sunnis and Shiites flared up with renewed vigor. The population of Baghdad was 60% Shia and 40% Sunni. In 2006, Sadr's Shiite Mahdi army defeated the Sunnis, and the Americans feared they would lose control of the region.

A cartoon showing the artificiality of the conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. “The civil war in Iraq... “We are too different to live together!” Sunnis and Shiites.

In 2007, Bush sent more troops to Iraq in the Middle East to fight the Shiite Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda. However, the US army suffered defeats, and in 2011 the Americans had to finally withdraw their troops. Peace was never achieved. In 2014, a radical Sunni group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) emerged under the command of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi . Their initial goal was to overthrow the pro-Iranian regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

The emergence of radical Shiite and Sunni groups does not contribute to any peaceful solution to the religious conflict. On the contrary, by sponsoring radicalists, the United States is further fueling the conflict on Iran’s borders. By dragging border countries into a protracted war, the West is seeking to weaken and completely isolate Iran. The Iranian nuclear threat, Shiite fanaticism, and the bloodiness of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria were invented for propaganda purposes. The most active fighters against Shiism are Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Before the Iranian Revolution, despite the rule of the Shiite Shah, there were no open clashes between Shiites and Sunnis. On the contrary, they were looking for ways to reconcile. Ayatollah Khomeini said: “The enmity between Sunnis and Shiites is a conspiracy of the West. Discord between us benefits only the enemies of Islam. Anyone who does not understand this is neither Sunni nor Shia..."

"Let's find mutual understanding." Shia-Sunni dialogue.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, sent as a mercy to the worlds, as well as on his family, companions and those who followed him sincerely until the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Muslims in mutual love, showing mercy and forbearance are like a single body. If one part of it hurts, the whole body responds to this pain with insomnia and fever” (Muslim).

The situation of Sunnis in Iran

More than 20 million Sunni citizens live in Iran. Most of them live in the outer provinces of Iran - Khorasan, Kurdistan, Baluchestan, Hormazkan, Bushehr, Turkmensakhra, in the Tawalish and Anbaran regions, in the Ceylan sector, etc. The central part of Iran is overwhelmingly populated by Shiites.

Even before the Iranian revolution, Sunnis did not have the position that Shiites had in politics, economics and culture.

Sunnis supported Khomeini's revolution. However, immediately after the establishment of the Ayatollah’s power, literally a few months later, trials began for our brothers in Iran. Numerous scientists were killed at the hands of the new state. The dirty policy of Shiiteization in Sunni regions also began to be applied.

The infringement of Sunnis in Iran is expressed in the following:

1) Shiites are free to spread their madhhab and creed and in their other affairs. Sunnis have none of this. Moreover, the state is trying to replace Sunnism with Shiism, because they understand that the spread of the Sunni creed would mean the infidelity of the Shia creed for those who believe the opposite.

2) From the moment of its inception until today, the state - both within the country and abroad - has declared the freedom of Sunnis to explain their beliefs, equality and equal status, and the absence of division between Sunnis and Shiites. All this is nothing more than treachery. Behind this veil they carry out their policy of neutralizing Sunnism.

3) Sunnis do not have the right to explain their beliefs in Friday sermons, while Shiites have complete freedom, including the right to denigrate Sunnis in their sermons.

4) Shia scholars and members of the security services attend Sunni Friday prayers to monitor what the imam says in the khutbah, to ensure that nothing contrary to the country's official policy is passed through.

5) Sunnis have the right to speak about Islam in sermons only in general terms, and to give instructions that are not related to the Sunni faith. If the imam goes beyond these boundaries, he is immediately accused of Wahhabism, called a person who spreads Wahhabism. A huge number of scientists were imprisoned on such charges.

6) All the media are “foaming at the mouth” and are busy spreading the Shiite madhhab and their creed. Their scientists use every possible means within their power. The Sunnis have none of this.

7) Sunni scholars missing in Iran:

Sheikh Abdunasir Sabhaniy,

Sheikh Abduhakk (Qudratullah) Jafari,

Sheikh AbdulWahhab Siddiqui,

Sheikh Dr. Ali Muzafarian,

Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Mirin Sayad Balushi,

Sheikh Allama Ahmad Muftiyzadeh,

Sheikh Yar Muhammad Kahruziy,

Sheikh Farooq Farsad,

Sheikh Kariy Muhammad Rabiy,

Sheikh Ali Dahrawi,

Sheikh Abdusattar Kardanzadeh,

Sheikh Muhammad Salih Diyayy,

Sheikh Abdulmalik Mullazadeh,

Sheikh Abdunasir Jamshidzakh,

Sheikh Dr. Abdul Aziz Kazimi,

Sheikh Sharif Saidyani,

Sheikh Jalaludin Raisi,

Sheikh Mujahid Qadi Bahman Shukuri,

Sheikh Musa Karmyur,

Sheikh Muhammad Umar Sarbazi,

Sheikh Nimatullah Tawhidi,

Sheikh Abdul Hakim Hasan Abadi,

Sheikh Nuruddin Gharibi,

Sheikh Murtada Radamhari,

Sheikh Salih Hasrawi,

Sheikh Abdul Azizi Allah Yara,

Sheikh Abdulatif Haidari,

Sheikh Said Ahmad Said Husaini,

Sheikh Habibullah Hussein Ber,

Sheikh Ibrahim Daminiy,

Sheikh Qadi Dadurakhman Kasarkandiy,

Sheikh Abdulkudus Malazakhy,

Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf Sahrabi, Shamsuddin Kayami,

- as well as many other members of the organizations “Sunni Islamic Movement in Iran”, “Organization of the Central Council of Sunnis”, “Koran”, “Muhammadiyya”. Sunni scholars and students are in constant danger. Sunnis suffer every day at the hands of the regime.

Many scientists and youth are sitting in Khomeini's prisons, while their only crime was that they are Sunnis who defend their faith and distance themselves from all the innovations and “miracles” spread in the country.

9) It is a well-known fact that Sunnis are prohibited from building their mosques and educational establishments in those regions where there is a numerical majority of Shiites. For example, in the capital of the country - Tehran, in Isfahan, Yazid, Shiraz and other big cities. And this despite the fact that about a million Sunnis live in Tehran alone. They do not have a single mosque in the capital where they could pray. They don’t have a single center there where they could gather. At the same time, there are numerous Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Zoroastrian fire temples, etc. All of them are building their own places of worship and educational institutions.

Hussein's ziyarat are being brazenly built even in villages where there is not a single Shiite except the bureaucracy. Today, the Iranian state officially banned the construction of Sunni mosques in Tehran, Mashhad and Shiraz.

10) Destroyed and closed Sunni mosques and educational institutions:

Mosque-madrasah named after. Sheikh Qadir Bakhash Biluji in Baluchistan,

Sunni mosque in Khishtbir in the province of Ardabil,

Kanarik Mosque in Jabhar Balochistan,

mosque in Mashhad located on Shahriyur street 17,

Husnin Mosque in Shiraz,

mosque in Serdeshd,

Nabi Mosque in Bijnurid,

madrasah named after Imam Abu Hanifa in Zabeel,

Juma Mosque named after them was destroyed. Sheikh Fayd, located on Khosravi Street in the city of Mashhab near Khorosan. The mosque grounds were turned into a garden for the children of the Safavid dynasty, as well as a parking lot. During the destruction of this mosque, more than 20 people were killed who stood up to defend the house of Allah, which was built 300 years ago. The pretext for its destruction was various accusations: that it was an “evil” mosque (masjidu dirar); that it was built without state permission; under the pretext that the imam and teachers in the madrasah are Wahhabis, and also under the pretext of the need to expand the street.

All these were just pretexts to hide the intentions of the Shiites and weaken the Sunnis, suppress their activity, and bend them to the Shiite faith. But only help comes from Allah!

11) Sunnis are prohibited from having cultural, social, and political rights. For example, it is prohibited to print and publish Sunni books, magazines, and newspapers. It is forbidden to participate in the administrative apparatus, except for those few persons who are pleasing to the regime. There is a ban on the distribution of Sunni books on faith, such as “The Way of the Sunnis”, “The Book of Monotheism”, books by Ibn Tayimiya, Ibn al-Qaim, Ibn Abdul Wahhab.

There is censorship on published religious books of any author. They must undergo a Rafidhi check by a special ministry. Woe to the one who among the preachers mentions that it is forbidden to turn to graves for help, speaks out against paganism, or speaks well of righteous caliphs- Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), the mother of the faithful Aisha, or will touch upon other issues of doctrine that are contrary to Shiism.

12) There is a policy of Shiite settlement in areas populated predominantly by Sunnis in order to change the ratio of the population living in the region. To do this, they specifically buy land from Sunnis. This is exactly what the Jews in Palestine did in their time.

Outlining the overall picture, we can say the following: the state is trying in every possible way to suppress any manifestation of Sunnism in the country. We need to know that the brutal Shiite government does not shun murders and assassinations, and then tries to hide its crimes by showing crocodile tears. They did this to many scientists, after which they expressed regret over their death. Know: concealment (tukiya) and hypocrisy (nifaq) are one of the most important foundations of their madhhab. This has been the case since the emergence of Shiism. Allah is their judge.

Along with what we have mentioned - about persecution, political, cultural, religious prohibitions for Sunnis - despite all this, Sunnis are growing stronger in their commitment to their path and worship. This process is only growing every day. Allah Almighty said: “And those who do injustice will soon find out where they will return.”(Surah “Poets”, verse 227).

Translator's note: “Due to the specifics of proper names and geographical names, names may be slightly distorted during translation. The facts themselves are important here (I hope the reader will understand us). Don’t forget to make dua for Muslims all over the world!”