The Sunnis consider the entire group of Sahaba (the companions of the Prophet Muhammad) collectively as a source of religious knowledge. This is because they were each taught, and their characters trained and shaped by the Prophet's divinely inspired knowledge and character. From this group, knowledge of Islam has been passed down generation to generation. Of course, with each passing generation, we get further from the Prophet, the source of revelation. But, we aim to stay 'plugged in' to Divine guidance by keeping close to the sources which have been passed down from the Sahaba. These Sahaba were several, each having his or her own unique qualities, and many spread out around the world and faced different challenges in guiding Muslims where they went, as did their inheritors. So, there is a lot of variety in details under the big Sunni tent, but it is Sunni by being linked to the Sahaba and accepting them all as sources of knowledge of the Sunna of the Prophet.
Now there was some disagreement about issues of succession after the death of the Prophet and also how to respond to the competing demands of justice and unity in the face of some events. Islam was never a utopia, without problems. Some of the Sahaba supported Abu Bakr and Omar, and some supported Ali as the Prophets successor. However, both sides were Sahaba. Therefore, IT IS FALSE that the difference between Sunni and Shia is based on who supported Ali and who supported Abu Bakr.
The Shia are distinct from Sunni by one main factor: they reject all or most of the Sahaba who did not support Ali as untrustworthy as sources of religious knowledge. That is the major difference. After that, different theological divisions multiplied among the Shia. However, most of these things people are saying, accusing Shia of worshipping Ali as God and so on, are not true; but they are hoisting something that was done by a small extreme minority onto all of the Shia. It would be like relating al-Qaeda practice to all of the Sunnis. Anyhow, do not believe most of what Sunnis and Shia today say about each other. Most people talk without knowing and do not care about the truth.
is this:
The Sunnis consider the entire group of Sahaba (the companions of the Prophet Muhammad) collectively as a source of religious knowledge. This is because they were each taught, and their characters trained and shaped by the Prophet's divinely inspired knowledge and character. From this group, knowledge of Islam has been passed down generation to generation. Of course, with each passing generation, we get further from the Prophet, the source of revelation. But, we aim to stay 'plugged in' to Divine guidance by keeping close to the sources which have been passed down from the Sahaba. These Sahaba were several, each having his or her own unique qualities, and many spread out around the world and faced different challenges in guiding Muslims where they went, as did their inheritors. So, there is a lot of variety in details under the big Sunni tent, but it is Sunni by being linked to the Sahaba and accepting them all as sources of knowledge of the Sunna of the Prophet.
Now there was some disagreement about issues of succession after the death of the Prophet and also how to respond to the competing demands of justice and unity in the face of some events. Islam was never a utopia, without problems. Some of the Sahaba supported Abu Bakr and Omar, and some supported Ali as the Prophets successor. However, both sides were Sahaba. Therefore, IT IS FALSE that the difference between Sunni and Shia is based on who supported Ali and who supported Abu Bakr.
The Shia are distinct from Sunni by one main factor: they reject all or most of the Sahaba who did not support Ali as untrustworthy as sources of religious knowledge. That is the major difference. After that, different theological divisions multiplied among the Shia. However, most of these things people are saying, accusing Shia of worshipping Ali as God and so on, are not true; but they are hoisting something that was done by a small extreme minority onto all of the Shia. It would be like relating al-Qaeda practice to all of the Sunnis. Anyhow, do not believe most of what Sunnis and Shia today say about each other. Most people talk without knowing and do not care about the truth.