The origin of the schism between Shiites (from "shia": party or faction) and Sunnis (from "sunna": orthodoxy, custom) dates back to the dawn of Islamic history , immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad , but it materialized later, after the assassination of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth and last rightly guided caliph and widower of Fatima (the Prophet's favorite daughter), with the persecution and diaspora of his family, disciples, and successors. Today, this constitutes the division of the Islamic world into these two major currents: the Sunnis, a strong majority, and the Shiites, corresponding to approximately 15%, mainly of Twelver faith (the Shiites are divided into schools according to the recognized Imams. The Twelver ones recognize 12, other schools, such as the Septuagint or Ismaili, recognize a smaller number).
The origin of Shiites and Sunnis
Upon the death of the Prophet, the nascent Islamic community found itself faced with the task of choosing a leader. Ali , the Prophet's son-in-law, claimed to have been appointed and trained for this purpose, while the majority preferred to elect a more mature and authoritative disciple, Abu Bakr , who thus became the first caliph . Ali decided to collaborate and later, after the successive election of two leaders, obtained the caliphate, marked by no small amount of internal conflict within the ummah (community of Muslim believers) until his death from wounds inflicted on the back by a poisoned blade. His son Hasan, indicated by Ali as his successor, did not obtain the caliphate and was probably poisoned by the Khagirite authorities (opponents of Ali following Muawiyah). The new caliph Yazid persecuted his family and his successor, the young Husayn, who was killed at the hands of the caliphal troops in the famous and bloody battle of Karbala . Ali, Hasan and Husayn are the first Imams remembered by the Shiites as ineffable leaders and martyrs.
Hagiography, writings and structure
As we have seen, Sunnis experience faith as a direct relationship between the believer and the Almighty through the scriptures. They elect leaders according to criteria of competence, prestige, and/or political power (depending on the era and context), and their religious leadership is neither exclusive nor substantial. This school is divided into four doctrinal schools, each of which has various declinations and theological centers. Shiites, on the other hand, have followed the " charismatic power " attributed to the Prophet's descendants, invested with prerogatives of competence for infallible and righteous guidance. Common canonical sources include the Quran and only a few ahadith (sayings attributed to the Prophet or other illustrious figures and scholars), while they are divided on many others due to hagiographical differences regarding the original source or the chain of transmission. Only the Shiites have a clerical structure, but this does not correspond to the Imamate, the succession of charismatic leaders who succeeded one another after the death of the major Prophets. The first Imam appointed by Muhammad was Ali, as Peter was appointed by Jesus.
The Creed of the Shiites and Major Celebrations
The last of these Imams is the Mahdi , who went into hiding following numerous persecutions and was kept alive by a divine miracle until the approach of the Day of Judgment. The eschatological faith in this messiah is also shared by Sunnis, who await his coming, while for Shiites he is already born and awaits his reappearance among believers as their guide. The pillars of the Islamic faith are belief in the One God, in Prophecy, and in the Day of Judgment, common to all Muslims, to which Shiites add the Imamate and the justice of God as a rational principle. As a minority, they are aware of the persecutions they have suffered and place great value on their martyrs , among whom are the ineffable imams. The anniversary of the massacre of Karbala is commemorated on the day of Ashura with mourning celebrations and days of study.
If peace presupposes the ability to recognize others' right to their own customs and beliefs, the vast majority of Muslims possess this correct attitude, while a few exploit doctrinal differences to pit peoples and factions against each other in struggles often supported and fomented by colonial and imperialist forces, unfortunately interested in profitable instability in the Middle East.
Barbara Lattanzi
