Sunni-Shia Conflict - Reasons and History

Sunni and Shia are the two main sects of Islam, and the relations between these two sects almost always remained stressed and full of animosity. The main factor behind these strained relations is opposing ideologies, which comprise the faith (aqidah) and political positions of the two sides. 
From the early days of the Caliphate to modern times, several armed conflicts have been fought between them, and all the efforts to create harmony and normal relations between the two sects remained unsuccessful. The main reasons behind this serious conflict between Sunni and Shia sects are the following.

Reasons behind Sunni-Shia Conflict

·      The most important reason behind the Sunni-Shia conflict is the Shia belief that only persons of the Prophet’s household (ahl al-Bayt) have the right to lead Muslims after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Due to this belief, they regard the first three caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Usman) as usurpers and also reject the Caliphate of all the other Sunni Muslim rulers. On the contrary, Sunni Muslims believe Muslims can elect their political leaders through consensus.

·       Most Shia sects (especially the majority of Twelver Shia) believe that their imams are infallible as they are chosen by Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Shia also visit the shrines of their imams and perform several rituals there. All these Shia beliefs and practices are rejected by mainstream Sunni Islam, while the hardliners (especially Salafi Jihadists) term few Shia beliefs and actions as polytheism (shirk).

·         There are several other differences in Sunni and Shia beliefs, doctrine, rituals, etc.

Major Events of the Sunni-Shia Conflict

·       After the martyrdom of the third rightly guided caliph Usman (RA), Muhammad’s cousin Ali (RA) became the fourth caliph (termed as the first Imam by Shia). But Muslims from Hejaz (especially Makkah and Madinah) and Syria demanded revenge for Usman’s death from murderers who had taken oath on Ali’s hand. On this issue, Ali had to fight two battles. The first one was the Battle of Camel against the people of Hejaz, led by Muhammad’s (PBUH) wife Ayesha (RA). But the stiffest and bloodiest battle was the Battle of Siffin, fought against Usman’s cousin Muawiya (RA), who was leading forces from Syria (Ali’s supporters were mainly from Iraq). The battle remained inconclusive, but it was the first time the term Shi’an Ali (supporters of Ali) was used and later changed into Shia.

·       After Ali’s martyrdom, his son Hassan (RA) became caliph. But he passed the Caliphate to Muawiya (RA) to end the bloodshed and unite Muslims. Thereafter, the whole era of Muawiya’s Caliphate (19 years) remained peaceful. But Muawiya’s appointment of his son Yazid as his successor was not welcomed by several prominent Muslims. One among them was Ali’s younger son Hussain (RA), who traveled to Kufa (Iraq) to gain support against Yazid but was betrayed by the Iraqi people. It resulted in the one-sided Battle of Karbala that took the lives of Hussain (RA) and 72 of his supporters. This battle is regarded as the biggest example of sacrifice by Shia Muslims, while Sunni Muslims consider it a sad incident of civil war between the Muslims. The day of Hussain’s martyrdom is still commemorated by Shia Muslims (and also by a few Sunni Muslims).

·       After the death of the 3^rd Umayyad ruler, Muawiya bin Yazid, the emergence of space gave rise to several political figures, and one of them was a Shiite supporter, Mukhtar Thaqfi. He gathered many people around him on the slogan of revenge for Hussain’s death. He captured Iraq from another political figure, Abdullah bin Zubair (a prominent Sahabi who was also against the Umayyad dynasty), and assassinated many people believed to be behind the martyrdom of Hussain bin Ali (RA). Later, Abdullah’s brother Mus’ab bin Zubair recaptured Iraq from Mukhtar and killed him. Mukhtar is regarded as a hero by the followers of the Shia sect.

·       In 750 AD, the Abbasid Caliphate overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate. Shia were fully supporting the Abbasid movement against the Umayyads in the hope of achieving their goal of the rule of Ahl al-Bayt. Instead, the Abbasids themselves became rulers based on their close relationship with the Prophet (they were from the lineage of Muhammad’s (PBUH) uncle Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib). As a result, the Shia started opposing the Abbasid Caliphate, and the first Shia dynasty of Fatimid (belonging to the Shia Ismaili sect) appeared in the 8^th Century (Cairo became their capital). This dynasty rejected the Abbasid Caliphate and claimed their independent Caliphate.

·      Several Shia dynasties also ruled various parts of the Muslim world during the Abbasid Caliphate. However, more dangerous were the Shia terrorist groups, which never let internal peace prevail. Two of the most notorious Shia organizations were the Hashashins (an Ismaili Shia organization based in Iran and led by Hasan bin al-Saba) and the Qaramites (an extinct Shia sect).

·       In 1501, Ismail I captured Iran and founded the Twelver Shia Safavid dynasty. He converted the mainly Sunni population of Iran to a Twelver Shia Iran (also eradicating other Shia sects) mainly through force. But when he used the same policy in Iraq, he was checked by the Sunni Muslim and global power of the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Chaldiran in 1514 proved decisive as Safavids lost control over Iraq and some other areas. Ottomans and Safavids fought four major wars in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Apart from the third one, the Ottomans remained victorious in all the other wars. The Ottoman-Safavid conflict ended in 1639 with the Treaty of Zuhab, signed after the decisive Ottoman victory in the fourth Ottoman-Safavid war (1623-1639).

·       In 1932, the modern state of Saudi Arabia was established on the ultra-conservative Sunni Salafi ideology, severely opposed to Shiite doctrine. In 1979, Iran became a Shia theocracy state after replacing the secular Iranian monarchy through the Iranian Revolution. Shia-dominant Iran tried to export its revolution to other parts of the Muslim world, which escalated the proxy war between two opposing religious states. Both countries tried to dominate the Muslim world, and their efforts are evident from their participation in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) and the Syrian Civil War (2011-present).