How do Sunni and Shia Islam differ?

The primary difference in practice comes in that Sunni Muslims mainly rely on the Sunnah, a record of the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad to guide their actions while the Shiites more heavily on their ayatollahs, whom they see as a sign of God on earth.

Can I pray in a Shia mosque?

Definitely yes. Shia Muslims consider all Muslims to be believers, except Nasibis (those who show their enmity towards the Prophet’s progeny). The one who believes in one God and last Prophet can pray in any Mosque. However, diff mosques are managed by diff sects so the Imams can be different.

What are the differences between Sunnis and Shiites? Their beliefs over who should have succeeded the Prophet Muhammad is the key theological difference between the two. Sunnis also have a less elaborate religious hierarchy than Shiites have, and the two sects’ interpretation of Islam’s schools of law is different.

Can Shia and Sunni pray together?

Sunni Muslims pray five times a day, whereas Shia Muslims can combine prayers to pray three times a day. The practice of Muttah marriage, a tempo- rary marriage, is also permitted in Shia Islam but Sunnis considered it forbidden as they believe the Prophet abolished it.

What is a Shia mosque called?

Imambargahs and mosques are two different places in Shia Islam. A mosque is used for Namaz, whereas Imambargah is for preaching Islam and its main purpose is to keep the purity of the mosque retained by restricting entry by women and small children.

Can Shia go Hajj?

In 2009 a group of Shiites on their way to perform hajj pilgrimage (one of the five pillars of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform once in their lives) in Mecca were arrested by Saudi religious police due to the involvement in a protest against the Saudi government.

What are some of the different types of Islam?

A number of other types of Islam exists besides the two major branches. Followers of Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, can be found in both the Shiite and Sunni communities. Conservative Muslims have developed their own approaches Islam, such as the fundamentalist Wahhabi movement in Sunni Islam that holds sway in Saudi Arabia.

What are the four main branches of Islam?

The four main branches of Islam are Shia, Sunni, Wahhabi and Sufi. There are, however, over 150 different smaller sects of Islam in total, along with the semi-hybrid religion Bahaiism. The first division in Islam resulted in the Sunni and Shia branches.

Are there any other sects of Islam Besides Sunni?

These two are major sects but there are some other sects in Muslims. There is another class of Muhammadan called Motazillas. It is not clear whether they form the separate sect or are an offshoot of the Shia sect. Qadianis also follow the Sunni law and so do the Ahl-e-Hadith.

What kind of Islam are there in Saudi Arabia?

Followers of Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, can be found in both the Shiite and Sunni communities. Conservative Muslims have developed their own approaches Islam, such as the fundamentalist Wahhabi movement in Sunni Islam that holds sway in Saudi Arabia.