Asked by lexi

What was the reason for the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims?

a disagreement about whether Muhammad was a prophet of Allah
a conflict over whether Mecca should be a holy place in the Muslim faith
a dispute about whether Islam should continue to expand its territory
a disagreement over who should lead Islam

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
d. A disagreement over who should lead Islam.

After Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, Muslims split over succession: Sunnis supported choosing a leader (caliph) by the community (starting with Abu Bakr), while Shia held that leadership should remain with Muhammad’s family, beginning with Ali and his descendants. Over time this political dispute developed into religious, legal and theological differences.