WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -A disagreement over succession after Mohammed’s death in 632 split Muslims into Islam’s two main sects, Sunni and Shia.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Arabic word Sunni means “one who follows traditions of the Prophet”. After Muhammad’s death, many Muslims believed that the successor should be someone chosen by the elite members of the community. They eventually chose Muhammad’s close friend and advisor Abu Bakr as the first caliph of the Islamic community.

Detailed explanation-3: -Political rivalries between the Ottoman and Safavid empires intensified the split within Islam between Sunni and Shi’a.