Dialogue: The Shi`i and Sunni

  1. Statistics of Muslims at the present
    1. Shi`a constitute 25%: 250 Million
    2. Sunni constitute 75%: 750 Million consisting of
      1. Hanafi
      2. Maliki
      3. Shafi`i
      4. Hanbali
  2. Who is Shi`i

    A Shi`i is a person devoted to the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh) as registered and written by Imam Ali after the prophet had died

    Thus the Shi`a branch of Islam claims that its Fiqh and other Islamic information are the pure teachings and the Sunnah of Muhammad (pubh). Thus the source of the Shi`a branch of Islam is specific

  3. Who is Sunni?
    1. A Sunni is a person who adheres to the various Sahabas and Tabi`een explanation of the Sunnah of the Prophet (pubh)
    2. The the source of the Sunni branch of Islam is general, and they claim that their Fiqh and other Islamic teachings are the authentic ones
  4. Islamic Teaching
    1. Iman (Faith)
    2. Ibadat (Acts of worship)
    3. Ethnics and dealings
    4. Hereafter

 

Iman Sunni Version Shi`a version
1. Allah (Tawhid) 1. Allah (Tawhid)
2. Prophethood 2. Adl (Divine Justice)
3. Holy Books 3. Prophethood
  1. Holy Books
  2. Angels
  3. Qadr
4. Angels 4. Imamah
5. Qadr 5. Hereafter
6. Hereafter  

 

Ibadat Sunni Version Shi`a Version
1. Shahaada 1. Salat (with Shahaada included)
2. Salat 2. Zakat
3. Zakat 3. Khums
4. Saum 4. Saum
5. Haj 5. Haj
  6. Jihad
  7. Enjoying the Islamically Good
  8. Prohibiting the Evil

 

  1. THE NAMING OF:
    1. Shi`a
    2. Sunni
      1. Jamaa`ah
      2. Ahlul Sunnah and Jamaa`ah
      3. Ahlul Sunnah
  2. HADITH SOURCES
    1. Hadith Sources: Sunni
      1. Sihaah Sittah
      2. Written in 3rd-4th Century
    2. Hadith Sources: Shi`a
      1. The 4Canonical Books, Al-Kaafi, Al-Toosi, and others
      2. Quotes of the Prophet's Hadith as narrated by the Imams
  3. IMAMAH
    1. Prophet's Hadiths (the twelve Khalifas after him)
    2. Twelve Imams
    3. Teaching of the Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh)
    4. Continually taught for 3 1/4 centuries
  4. IMAM'S KNOWLEDGE
    1. Corpus of Knowledge
    2. Un-Erring Inspiration
    3. Divine means: a) Hearing or b) Sensing the Inspiration
    4. Not Revelation
  5. CORPUS OF KNOWLEDGE
    1. Quran, Chronological Order
    2. Saheefa of Ali (Hadith)
    3. Mushaf Fatima (Tafseer)
    4. Al-Jami`a (Al-ah-Kaam, laws)
      1. Al-Jafr:
      2. White
      3. Red
  6. ISMAH, SHI`A
    1. Allah's shielding of the Prophets and Imams from:
      1. Sin
      2. Religious Error
      3. Forgetfulness
  7. DU`AA, SHI`A
    1. Superb invocations of great beauty
    2. Written or dictated by the Imams
    3. Various occasions
    4. Highest Style
    5. Extremely Appealing
  8. DIFFERENCES
    1. Imamah
    2. Sources of Hadith
    3. Pure Prophet's Sunnah
    4. Ruler's of the Ummah were invalid, since they mirepresented Islam
    5. Khulafaa as temporal leaders
  9. SPECIAL BOOKS
    1. Nahjul Balaaghah
    2. Al-Saheefa Al-Sajjadiya
    3. Epistle of Huqooq: Man's Rights and Obligations
    4. Du`aa
    5. Ziyarat