The original split between Sunnis and Shiites occurred soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, in the year 632. “There was a dispute in the community of Muslims in present-day Saudi Arabia over the question of succession,” says Augustus Norton, author of Hezbollah: A Short History.
Q. Where can the split into the Sunni and Shia divisions be traced to?
Unit 2 Test Review
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The split into Sunni and Shia divisions of Islam can be traced to | who should take over after Muhammad |
| The cities of Mecca and Medina were vital to the foundation of what religion? | Islam |
Q. What caused the split into Sunni and Shia divisions of Islam can be traced to?
Though the two main sects within Islam, Sunni and Shia, agree on most of the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam, a bitter split between the two goes back some 14 centuries. The divide originated with a dispute over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Islamic faith he introduced.
Q. What issue divided Shiite and Sunni Muslims?
A dispute over succession after the Prophet Muhammad’s death in 632 split the Muslim world into Sunni and Shiite branches. Shiites believe Ali, the prophet’s son-in-law, was Muhammad’s rightful heir. Sunnis believe the succession went to Abu Bakr, the prophet’s close associate.
Q. How many Shia live in Saudi Arabia?
The Saudi government does not conduct census on religion and ethnicity but some sources estimated the percentage of Shiites in Saudi Arabia is roughly 15-20% of approximately 23 million natives of Saudi Arabia (Additional 9 million or around 30% of 32 million Saudi residents are foreigners).
Q. Where is Shia Islam practiced?
Shia Muslims are in the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and, according to some estimates, Yemen. There are also large Shia communities in Afghanistan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Q. Are there Shias in Egypt?
Even today, Egypt remains a country with strong Shia ties. Egyptian Sunnis especially followers of Sufi denominations visit revered Shia shrines and mosques dedicated to Hussein, Hasan, Zainab, Ali, and other Shia Imams, and unwittingly incorporate Shia practices into their traditions and funerary rites.
Q. When did Islam arrive in Egypt?
The Muslim conquest of Egypt by the Arabs took place between 639 and 646 AD and was overseen by the Rashidun Caliphate. It ended the centuries long period of Roman/Byzantine reign (beginning in 30 BC) over Egypt.
Q. Which religion is followed in Egypt?
Ancient pagan beliefs gradually faded and were replaced by monotheistic religions. Today, the majority of the Egyptian population is Muslim, with a small minority of Jews and Christians.
Q. Which country has the most mosque?
Saudi Arabia
Q. How many mosques are in Saudi Arabia?
The figure is approximately 60 percent of the Kingdom’s estimated 94,000 mosques since it is unlikely that every mosque offers a free iftar,” he said.
Q. What was the religion in Algeria before Islam?
Before the Arab incursions, most of the Berber inhabitants of the area’s mountainous interior adopted traditional Berber mythology. Some had adopted Judaism, and in the coastal plains many had accepted Christianity under the Romans.
