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Within Shia Islam about 85% are Twelver, [10] [11] and within Twelver Shia, the overwhelming majority follow the Usuli school of jurisprudence. In Iran, an officially Shia country since 1501, [12] around 90–95% of Muslims are Shia. [13] [14] 65–85% of Muslims in Azerbaijan are Shia, [15] [16] and 55–75% in Bahrain.
With its various branches, it is the largest Sunni movement in the Arab world, and an affiliate is often the largest opposition party in many Arab nations. The Muslim Brotherhood is not concerned with theological differences, accepting both, Muslims of any of the four Sunni schools of thought, and Shi'a Muslims.
The Bahraini government has reportedly imported Sunnis from Pakistan and Syria in an attempt to increase the Sunni percentage. [1] [2] Shiite Muslims are blocked from serving in important political and military posts. [2] Sunnis and Shia often stress that, no matter what their denomination, they are all Bahrainis first and foremost.
The last census in Lebanon in 1932 put the numbers of Muslims (Shia 19%, Sunni 22%, Druze 7%) at 48% of the population (388,400 of 791,700). [23] A study done by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1985 put the numbers of Muslims (Shia 41%, Sunni 27%, Druze 7%) at 75% of the population (1,667,000 of 2,228,000).
Islam is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shia Islam, each with its own sub-sects. Large numbers of Shia Arab Muslims live in some Arab countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar. Shia Muslims are a numerical majority in Iraq and Bahrain.
Sunni Islam [a] (/ ˈ s uː n i /; Arabic: أهل السنة, romanized: Ahl as-Sunnah, lit. 'The People of the Sunnah') is the largest denomination of Islam , followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims , and simultaneously the largest religious denomination in the world.
Millions of Shiite Muslims — in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond — are marking the festival of Ashoura.
In the 7th century some early Muslims expected Ali to become a first caliph, successor to Muhammad.After ascension of Abu Bakr, supporters of Ali (and future Shia) continued to believe only people from Muhammad's family to qualify as rulers and selected an imam, from each generation (the proto-Sunni, in contrast, recognized Abu Bakr as a legitimate first caliph). [5]