Sunni/Shia

Question 1

What percentage of Muslims are Sunni?

Answer 1

84%

Question 2

What percentage of Muslims are Shia?

Answer 2

15%

Question 3

What percentage of Muslims are Sufi?

Answer 3

1%

Question 4

What are the three branches of Islam called?

Answer 4

Sunni, Sufi, Shia

Question 5

What are the key similarities between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Islam?

Answer 5

• belief that Muhammad was Allah’s final prophet
• tawhid (monotheism)
• fast during Ramadan
• the Q’ran is a Revelation from Allah and is the book with the most authority

Question 6

What are some key practises and beliefs that only Sunni Muslims do?

Answer 6

• elected leadership by the community should be the best way to find a new leader
• when Muhammad died, the best person to lead the Muslim community was his friend and adviser Abu Bakr
• Mainly found in Saudi Arabia, China, Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria
• pray 5 prayers in 5 daily separate prayer sessions, crossing their arms while they prostrate

Question 7

What are some key practises and beliefs that only Shia Muslims do?

Answer 7

• Pray five prayers but in three sessions, usually with their arms by their sides while prostrate. While praying, they rest their head on a small clay tablet known as a Mohr or a Turbah
• you become the leader because you are born of / related to the previous leader
• when Muhammad died, the best person to lead the Muslim community was his son in law, Ali
• calculate the start of Ramadan based on the moon in Iran
• Imams are seen as saints and you can go on a pilgrimage to their tombs to ask them for divine help.
• Mainly found in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan

Question 8

What does Pbuh mean

Answer 8

Peace be upon him

Question 9

What is the Sunnah?

Answer 9

Muhammad’s teachings on the way of life including all forms of how to behave, commands and actions.

Question 10

What is the Hadith?

Answer 10

Muhammad’s sayings about how to live as a Muslim, passed down through word of mouth.

Question 11

What is the Caliph?

Answer 11

The name given to the leader of the Ummah, the entire Muslim population.

Question 12

What is the Imam?

Answer 12

The name given to the religious / spiritual leader of a local Muslim community – leads worship in a Mosque

Question 13

EVALUATION QUESTION: Branches of Islam share more in common than they have differences.

Question 14

What are 5 Muslim countries?

Answer 14

• Pakistan
• Iran
• Iraq
• Saudi Arabia
• Afghanistan

Question 15

What caused the break between Sunni and Shia Muslims?

Answer 15

• initially they disagreed on who should be Muhammad’s rightful successor (Abu Bakr vs Ali)
• as time passed, the two branches became more estranged from each other, though for unclear reasons- possibly geographic