The differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims
Yet a spotlight has been shone recently on the differences between the two religions as the number of clashes between both groups has intesified.
The vast majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world are Sunni, according to a 2009 study by the Pew Research center.
Ten to 13% are Shia Muslims, and 87 to 90% are Sunni Muslims. Sunni Muslims are also present in more countries and regions throughout the world, whereas most of Shia Muslims live in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq.
The separation of the two groups started after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The majority believed that his rightful successor was his father-in-law and close friend Abu Bakr, but a small group believed the Prophet Muhammad's successor should be Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law and father of his grand-children.
The Sunni majority, got their way as Abu Bakr became the first Muslim caliph and successor of the prophet. Although the divide was at first mostly political, as the minority group was a faction supporting the power of Ali, over time, the divide evolved into a religious movement.
One of the most crucial differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims is the importance that the Shiites give to Ali, whom the Sunni do not recognize as being the Prophet's rightful successor.
One of the most important date for Shia Muslims is the tenth day of the holy month of Muharram (the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar). Shia Muslims celebrate the anniversary of the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Ali.
