Compare And Contrast Abu Bakr And Shiites

Abu Bakr or Ali ibn Abi Talib? The chasm between Sunnis and Shiites is deeply etched in the earliest histories of Islam. Muhammad, during his life time as a prophet spread word of Islam and Allah which united several tribes in the Islam world. Following Muhammad’s death there was heavy controversy on who would be named the prophets successor. The Sunnis, believed Abu Bakr, a friend of Muhammad should be the successor whereas the Shi’ites wanted Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin. Doctrine from the Qur’an was their primary source of supporting each successor. The split between the Shia (Shiites) and Sunni sects of Islam originated from unresolved issues determining a successor after Mohammed’s death which was later antagonized through Western
When Muhammad passed there was heavy debate over what type of person would be able to perform the job as well as Muhammad. Muhammad's parents both died either before his birth or shortly after and his grandfather died a couple years later. His strength during this time was well respected and he eventually was seen as a very honest man termed as al-Amin, or "the faithful." This characteristic is what primarily defined Muhammad as a good leader. In his early years after the death of many family members, he accompanied his uncle to a monastery where a monk told him that "al-Amin" would be a leader of his people. Later on, after Muhammad's death, discovering someone who possessed the same characteristic appeared to be a difficult task. The type of person who would take on leadership over the Islamic people became a central argument for conflict between the Sunni's and the Shiites, but during the early stages of the Islamic State, the Arabs were also going through a transitional period of tribalism to "national existence." This transition resulted in a need for laws to be developed for the whole Islamic community. The idea behind those laws was to maintain discipline. Laws were generally put into place with the authority of local gods in each community as seen in Semitic history. When Muhammad died unexpectedly in 632, there was no longer a main source for laws. The different tribes of the Islam
A caliphate was to be considered as the leader of the Islamic community as a successor to Muhammad. The first to be named was Abu Bakr which the Sunnis favored. Then it was Umar, Uthman and Ali. (Encyclopedia Article) Uthman ibn Affan was the third caliph and a major influence on Muslim society. Uthman during the time of Muhammad was the first convert that held a high social standing. He was named a caliph by a council under the authority of Umar, the second caliph. Uthman tried to create a “central authority to replace the loose tribal alliance” formed during Muhammads time, but failed. Violence began to rage when the Sunni accused the Shia of assassinating Uthman in 656 and later Ali, the fourth caliph would be said to have been killed by the Sunnis. The death of Ali’s son Husayn would mark the official beginning of the Shi’ite sect of Islam. The death of Uthman would be the beginning of intense violence and harsh controversy between the two Islamic sects that would continue to affect them for centuries. (2nd Encyclopedia