What is the difference between Sunni and Shia?
The classical scholars traced the division to a specific moment in 7th-century Kufa. Here is what the classical Sunni sources say about the origin, the theology, and the lived difference today.
2 passages from 2 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 2 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The fifth is if she is a pagan or a heretic, not affiliated with a prophet or a holy scripture, including those who follow permissive sects."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The Hadith from Aisha, narrated by Ibn al-Sunni, warns that abandoning worship due to boredom incurs Allah's displeasure."
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