/lit/ - Literature

>>23438209
Shia here. Difference is that Sunnis believe Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) did not appoint a successor, and gave no instructions for how to appoint a successor. Immediately after the Prophet died (before his burial even), some companions of Prophet go off to start a "democratic election", called saqifa. I put it in quotes because only a very small percent of muslims were there, and not even the og ones. They immediately decide first it'll be Abu Bakr, then Umar as caliphs.

Shias believe, as it says in the Quran, that Allah only intends to keep the causes of sin away from the ahl-al bayt (people of the house of Prophet) (https://quran.com/en/al-ahzab/33).). This means they can't sin, they are infallible. We choose to learn the sunnah (traditions) of Prophet Mohammed through his family, who won't be able to misguide us on purpose or on accident. We believe from his family, there are 12 imams/caliphs, starting with his son in law/cousin Imam Ali, and ending with his 12th descendant Mehdi.

Many if not all of the evidences for Shia beliefs are in Quran, and in Sunni narration books (they will obviously exist in Shia narration books). For example the specific number of "12" for the 12 imams/caliphs. Though the Sunni political, worldly caliphs that they follow, number more than 12, Sunni scholars have tried throughout history to come up with an explanation of what this hadith (narration) means but they can't come up with an answer https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4279.. There's more evidences, differences, and topics of discussion that arise because of this question of succession, but that's the root of it all.