What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims?

History, sects and Muslims today Quran · 3 Hadith · 2

Short answer

Sunnis and Shias share belief in one God, the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the five pillars. The split began over who should lead the Muslim community after the Prophet's death: Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr and the early caliphs, and Shias held that Ali should have been the successor.

The fuller answer

About 85–90% of Muslims are Sunni, and about 10–15% are Shia, mostly in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Lebanon. Over the centuries, differences in law, in history and in practice emerged: Shias give a special place to Ali and the Imams from his family, and have their own books of hadith and their own commemorations, such as Ashura.

Most Sunni and Shia Muslims have lived side by side in peace for most of history, and intermarry in many places. Conflicts between them have mostly been political, as in the wars of recent decades. Both groups pray towards the Kaaba, perform Hajj together and recite the same Quran. The Quran tells believers to hold firmly to God's rope and not to divide.

From the Quran

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٠٣﴾

And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌۭ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٠﴾

The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ شِيَعًۭا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿١٥٩﴾

Lo! As for those who sunder their religion and become schismatics, no concern at all hast thou with them. Their case will go to Allah, Who then will tell them what they used to do.

From the Sunnah

The authentic hadith behind this answer, from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and the Sunan with the grade of the scholars of hadith. Open a reference to read it in the hadith library of this site.

1 Sahih al-Bukhari 3671 Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا جَامِعُ بْنُ أَبِي رَاشِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ ابْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ‏.‏ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ‏.‏ وَخَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقُولَ عُثْمَانُ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَنْتَ قَالَ مَا أَنَا إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ‏.‏

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2 Sahih Muslim 2404a Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَأَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ وَسُرَيْجُ بْنُ يُونُسَ كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ يُوسُفَ الْمَاجِشُونِ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الصَّبَّاحِ - حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ، أَبُو سَلَمَةَ الْمَاجِشُونُ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ، بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَلِيٍّ ‏ "‏ أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَعِيدٌ فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُشَافِهَ بِهَا سَعْدًا فَلَقِيتُ سَعْدًا فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِمَا حَدَّثَنِي عَامِرٌ فَقَالَ أَنَا سَمِعْتُهُ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ آنْتَ سَمِعْتَهُ فَوَضَعَ إِصْبَعَيْهِ عَلَى أُذُنَيْهِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَكَّتَا ‏.‏

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This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.