The Shittes leader has come out in a video to say that they wont be holding their peace under attack and all they need are guns to level down the Nigerian army, the country is no longer safe as the threats are issued everyday using the human lives as leverage.
Prophet Muhammad founded the Islam religion during the seventh century. During his lifetime, there were no fractions amongst Muslims as everyone simply followed his ways and teachings. Then, he died and things changed.
Following the death of Muhammad in 632 A.D., he was succeeded by Abu Bakr, the prophet’s close companion and father-in-law. He ruled for a very short time beforeUmar took over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Uthman was the next leader, followed by Ali ibn Abi Talib, the prophet’s cousin, and son-in-law.
It was during his rule that there was a dispute over the successor. This was championed by the Muslim governor of Syria,Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyānwho was also a critic of the prophet. He argued that people should have been allowed to vote for their next leader after the prophet’s death instead of a small group imposing a successor on the followers. Hence, his problem with Ali who became ruler simply because he was related to the prophet by blood.
The antagonism between Alī and Muʿāwiyah eventually led to a major conflict called the Battle of Ṣiffīn. Following the war, Muʿāwiyah’s camp broke again and became known as the Khārijites. Alī was later murdered by a Khārijite in 661 after ruling for five years.
Upon Ali’s death, Muʿāwiyah became the generally acknowledged leader. During his reign, Ali’s son Ḥasan tried to contest for leadership but it was unsuccessful. Following his failed attempt, his brother al-Ḥusayn was invited to meet the Muslims of Al-Kūfah in Iraq, Alī’s former headquarters, in order to bid for leadership. He was killed near the town of Karbalāʾ (the Battle of Karbalāʾ), which is now a pilgrimage destination in central Iraq for Shīʿites.
The unjust killings of Ali and his son, al-Ḥusayn, gave him more recognition among Muslims and later led to the emergence of supporters of Ali and his blood descendants, who believe that Ali (who is the only successor related to the prophet by blood) should have been the first Muslim leader after the prophet.
This group became known as the Shiite sect. The name comes from the word ‘Shiism’ which originates from Shiat Ali,which translates as ‘Ali’s supporters’ or ‘Ali’s partisans’. Reportedly, Shiites now make for roughly one-tenth of the Muslim population worldwide. They can be found in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, South Asia, and even Nigeria.
Between Sunni and Shiites Muslims
The major difference between these two Islamic groups is their belief concerning the prophet’s successor.
For the Sunnis, choosing a new leader from the Prophet’s companions after Muhammad’s death was the right thing to do he did not have a son. This group is the largest branch of Islam. The term ‘Sunni’ comes from the word Sunn, in Arabic, which means “one who follows the traditions of the Prophet.”
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