1. Expectations! Be regular and punctual in lessons – 100% attendance
Enthusiastic; looking forward, aim higher
Self motivated and independent-learner
Responsible; classwork, homework, organising your folder and 4 hours out of college studies
Anticipated; further research
Good listener; full attention in lessons
Participation in class discussions
‘Don’t know’ should never be the answer to any question!
If don’t understand anything come to workshop
Use every minute of your time constructively
Keep yourself away from all type of distractions including mobile phone

2. Sunni and Shi’a Islam LO
Explore the historical development of the Sunni and Shia split in Islam.
Outline the fundamental differences between the two groups.

4. Read pages 115-117 ‘Reasons for the Emergence of the Shi’a’
Note down 10 key facts

5. What does it mean to be Shiite?
Origins of word: Shi’at Ali – “Followers of Ali; sometimes you will see it or hear it as Shi’a and other times Shi’ite; they are the same
Partisans of Ali

6. What does it mean to be Sunni?
Sunnis;
- follow the “practices or habits” of the
Prophet Muhammad.
- don’t believe that the rightful
leaders of Islam have to be related to the
Prophet.
- believe that any qualified leader, who
has a close relationship with God and
detailed knowledge of Quran, who is
selected by the elders (respected, well-
known for piety) is an appropriate leader.

7. What countries have the largest Shiite concentrations?

8. The beliefs of Shi’a which Differ from Sunnis
Page 121 – 125, Points 1-16
Each point will be read by a student and described
Read out a point and describe it to the whole class
What do you think about this difference
You may fill in the page 10 in the handout
Complete the tasks in the handout

9. The beliefs of Shi’a which Differ from Sunnis
The Imam - the Imam is semi-divine figure who is successor of Muhammad and must His descendant. The Imam can commit no sin and intermediary between God and man.
The power of Imam - Imam determines the meaning of the Qur’an, Shia hadith says, ‘whosoever knows not the Imam of his age dies the death of a heathen’.
Attitude to the rightly guided caliphs – All Shi’as believe that Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman knew that Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor and deliberately kept quiet about it. They regard the first three Caliphs as traitors and publically curse them in Juma prayers.
Attitude to the Qur’an – Shi’as don’t believe in the eternal Qur’an they believe that the Qur’an was created by God. The Qur’an has hidden meaning which needs to be interpreted by religious leaders. Some Shi’as believe that the Qur’an was altered by Sunnis so that reference to the 12 Imams were missed out.

10. The beliefs of Shi’a which Differ from Sunnis
The 5 pillars
Shahadah – Shi’as add to the Shahadah ‘and I bear witness that Ali was the friend of God’.
Salah - Shi’as should be prostrated onto dust or earth or preferably a block of baked mud from Karbala.
Sawm – Their fast is same as Sunnis but it ends after the sunset when it is completely dark. They mourn on the 20th of Ramadhan for 3 days as Ali was martyred on 20th.
Zakah – In Sunni countries it is paid to the state, but Shi’as pay to their mujtahid. Shi’as also impose 20% tax on all savings.
Hajj – Shi’as got to Makkah, they also make pilgrimage to Shia shrines as Karbala and Najaf.

11. The beliefs of Shi’a which Differ from Sunnis
Tawhid – Shi’as adopt a Mu’tazilite position and so do not accept that God has any physical attributes. Many Sunni think that Shi’as do not believe in Tawhid because of their attitude to Imams and especially the Hidden Imam.
Risalah – Although Shi’as believe in Muhammad as ‘the seal of the prophets’, their belief about Imams make it difficult for them to believe this practically.
Akhirah – Shi’as differ from Sunnis in the position they give to the Hidden Imam as the Mahdi rather than Isa (Jesus) who Sunnis believe is named as Mahdi in the Qur’an. Many Shi’as believe that faith in the atoning death of Husayn will bring them salvation from their sins.
Extra festivals – Several Shi’a festivals are not celebrated by Sunnis; e.g. Gadir Al’ Khum (appointment of Ali as Imam by Muhammad at the pool of Khum); Al’ Ashura (celebrates the death of Husayn at Karbala). It is a time great weeping, self-mutilation.

12. The beliefs of Shi’a which Differ from Sunnis
Shi’a law – Qur’an Hadith of Ali =Hadith of Muhammad the religious leader who is believed to be in contact with the Hidden Imam.
The Shia give preference to the Hadith as narrated by Ali and Fatima
Sunni Muslims tend to follow the opinion of the past scholars Hanbali, Hanafi, Maliki and Shaafii. The Shia believe only a living scholar must be followed.
Sunni Muslims pray five times a day, Shia Muslims can combine prayers to pray three times a day. Shia prayers can often be identified by a small tablet of clay, on which they place their forehead whilst prostrating in prayer.
The practice of Mutt’ah marriage, a temporary marriage, is also permitted in Shia Islam but Sunnis considered it forbidden as they believe the Prophet abolished it.

13. Group/Pair Work
15 min
In groups produce a timeline of the main events about the division of the Sunni and Shia split.
Begin from 632CE

14. Complete the timeline 632 CE 644 CE 657 CE 661 CE 680 CE 634 CE 656 CE

15. Timeline of key events 1
632 - Muhammad dies, sparking the ongoing controversy about his rightful successor, or caliph. Sunnis believe that the Prophet nominated his close friend, Abu Bakr --- father of Aisha, Muhammad's youngest wife --- while the Shia maintain that he appointed his first cousin and son-in-law, Ali.
634 - Abu Bakr dies after two years of serving as caliph. Another of Muhammad's father-in-laws, Omar Ibn al-Khattab, is named as his successor. He wins stunning military victories over both the Byzantine and Persian empires.
Omar is assassinated by a Christian slave. Othman Ibn Affan, a scion of Mecca's ruling Umayyad clan, takes over the caliphate.

16. Timeline of events 2
Othman is murdered by dissenters from his army. Ali is finally appointed caliph, a role he reluctantly accepts - becoming the fourth so-called Rightly Guided Caliph. For Shias, however, he holds the title of Imam, or leader -- the first of 12 Imams believed by "Twelver" Shias to be the true successors of Muhammad. Aisha, Muhammad's most outspoken widow, leads a military campaign against him but is defeated at the Battle of the Camel.
Ali moves the capital from Mecca to Kufa, situated in modern-day Iraq. Muawiya, an Umayyad brother-in-law of Muhammad's, and a cousin of Othman's, confronts Ali for rule of the caliphate but is defeated at the Battle of Saffin. Unable to overcome Ali in battle, he instead manoeuvres him into accepting arbitration -- a move that causes a schism among his followers, with a breakaway faction, known as the Kharijites, now rejecting Ali's rule.

17. Timeline of events 3
Muawiya declares himself caliph in Damascus.
Ali is assassinated by Kharijites in his mosque in Kufa, leaving Muawiya as the uncontested caliph.
Hasan Ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson the second Imam in the Shiite tradition, is poisoned by his wife on orders from Muawiya . His brother, Hussein Ibn Ali, becomes the third Imam.
Muawiya dies, leaving his son Yazid as caliph. When followers of Hussein rise up against Yazid, he sends 4,000 troops to besiege the third Imam at the Battle of Karbala, leading to a massacre that is commemorated by Shia Muslims during the ten day mourning period known as Ashura. This is arguably the theological beginning of Shia tradition and practice

18. Homework Plan for the following question and write a detailed answer as homework due for next Monday.
Assess the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam [9 marks]

19. Extension
Explore the development of the Sunni and Shia division during the 7th Century.
AO1 Question

20. Do you know? What does Sunni and Shi’a mean?
Give three reasons for the emergences of Shi’a.
How many Imams do Shi’as believe in? Name a few.
What is the significance of the last Imam?
List the 5 areas of belief & practice which differ Shi’as from Sunnis.
After having read both sided beliefs and practices. What is your judgement?