This is precisely why Makkah and Madinah should be sovereign entities, similar to the Vatican, where no single nation can claim them as property or political tool.

Imagine Italy demanding support from all cotholics because they have Rome lmao anti-italian-action

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[–] QuietCupcake@hexbear.net 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I am also not an expert (would it be inappropriate to @ping a Muslim comrade to ask?) but @Maeve@kbin.earth is correct in saying that Shi'a Muslims believe that it is the direct descendants of Muhammad who are the divinely guided leaders of Islam. The first being Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad’s son-in-law and the first Imam who is the figure that was at the center of the Sunni-Shi'a divide. Sunnis do not accept that leadership was meant to stay in a hereditary line through Ali’s family. They generally see the early succession as a matter for the Muslim community to decide. Which meant that back at the time of the division, Sunnis saw Abu Bakr as the first caliph.

Edit to add:

the schism that divides Shi'a and Sunni Muslims occurred relatively soon after the founding of the religion, like a century or two out.

Less than a century or two! The issue of succession that defined the split was essentially immediately after the death of the prophet Muhammad.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 6 points 1 day ago

Thanks for confirming that. I'm not sure where I heard (or most likely read) it, but it's interesting, since the prophet and his fil were close, from my very sketchy understanding. I'm not sure who to ping, I'm hoping our more knowledgeable comrades will read and be inclined to shed a little more light on the subject.