The basic disagreement between Shia and Sunni sects is on the question of authority - both religious and temporal.
After the passing away of the Prophet (pbuh) who has the authority to interpret the Quran and Sunnah and who is responsible for implementing it?
Sunnis believe that the interpretive authority now belongs to the scholars from the general Islamic community and the authority to implement belongs to a righteous leader from the Islamic community who has the consent of the community.
Shias believe that the authority belongs to an Imam descended from the family of the Prophet(pbuh) starting from Ali(ra) as the first Imam.
In practice, over the centuries, this basic disagreement has become less and less significant.
Firstly after the disappearance (or hiding) of the 12th Imam there has been no present Imam to lead the Shia community (the only exception are small communities like the Ismaili and Bohris who have a present Imam).
Hence, the de facto leadership has passed to scholars speaking in the name of the Imam, which is not too different from the Sunni practice.
Secondly, the actual interpretation of Quran and Sunnah practiced by the Shia differs from the Sunni interpretations in only minor ways and is essentially the same in all major ways.
This is why Shia and Sunni have more or less tolerated each other (even inter-married) throughout Islamic history and there have never been widespread sectarian wars of the kind experienced by Christian sects in pre-modern Europe.
The current tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia are more a result of hegemonic nationalism than theological differences. What we see in Pakistan are spillover effects of this contest for regional hegemony from which we should do our best to stay away.
After the passing away of the Prophet (pbuh) who has the authority to interpret the Quran and Sunnah and who is responsible for implementing it?
Sunnis believe that the interpretive authority now belongs to the scholars from the general Islamic community and the authority to implement belongs to a righteous leader from the Islamic community who has the consent of the community.
Shias believe that the authority belongs to an Imam descended from the family of the Prophet(pbuh) starting from Ali(ra) as the first Imam.
In practice, over the centuries, this basic disagreement has become less and less significant.
Firstly after the disappearance (or hiding) of the 12th Imam there has been no present Imam to lead the Shia community (the only exception are small communities like the Ismaili and Bohris who have a present Imam).
Hence, the de facto leadership has passed to scholars speaking in the name of the Imam, which is not too different from the Sunni practice.
Secondly, the actual interpretation of Quran and Sunnah practiced by the Shia differs from the Sunni interpretations in only minor ways and is essentially the same in all major ways.
This is why Shia and Sunni have more or less tolerated each other (even inter-married) throughout Islamic history and there have never been widespread sectarian wars of the kind experienced by Christian sects in pre-modern Europe.
The current tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia are more a result of hegemonic nationalism than theological differences. What we see in Pakistan are spillover effects of this contest for regional hegemony from which we should do our best to stay away.
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