HISTORY
THE MUSLIM WORLD AND AFRICA
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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the belief in one God
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whether to accept the Quran or Christian Bible as truth
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the requirement to pray five times per day
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the choice of caliph
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Detailed explanation-1: -The divide originated with a dispute over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Islamic faith he introduced. Today, about 85 percent of the approximately 1.6 billion Muslims around the world are Sunni, while 15 percent are Shia, according to an estimate by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Detailed explanation-2: -What were the main reasons for the split between the Sunni and the Shi’a? The future of Islam was placed in crisis after the death of Muhammad. Sunni’s claimed that following Muhammad’s example was sufficient to be caliph, while Shia’s believed that the successor to Muhammad should be part of his bloodline.
Detailed explanation-3: -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.
Detailed explanation-4: -Political rivalries between the Ottoman and Safavid empires intensified the split within Islam between Sunni and Shi’a.
Detailed explanation-5: -Were the Umayyads Sunni or Shia? The Umayyads were Sunni, with the first caliph, Muawiya, claiming leadership after the death of Uthman. The Shia, favoring Ali’s line as leaders, rejected Umayyad claims.