5. Sunni Islam vs. Shia(Shi'ites) Islam

Meaning of Name

• Sunni : "well-trodden path" or "tradition"
• Shia : "party" or "partisan"

Current Adherents

• Sunni : 940 million (90%)
• Shia : 120 million (10%)

Origins

• Sunni : c.632 CE
• Shia : c.632-650 CE

Al Mahdi

• Sunni : will come true
• Shia : was already on the Earth but hidden now.

Meaning of Imams

• Sunni : Human leaders
• Shia : infallible manifestations of God and perfect interpreters of the Qur'an

Holy Cities

• Sunni : Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
• Shia : Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Najaf, Karbala