The twelve Imams according to Shia Islam are the twelve descendants of Muhammad beginning with Ali bin Abu Talib and ending with Muhammad ibn al-Hassan or the Mahdi. According to them, these were the ...

Shia identity is rooted in victimhood over the killing of Husayn, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in the seventh century and a long history of marginalization by the Sunni majority. Islam's dominant ...

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for ...

The Middle East is in the midst of ever-increasing tension, as conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia is spiraling to involve more countries in the region. Saudi Arabia severed all diplomatic ties ...

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The religious differences that contribute to Iraq's sectarian violence have deep historical roots. We asked University of Michigan professor of Middle East history, Juan Cole, when the split took ...

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with leaders of New York University's Muslim community about Shia and Sunni responses to the killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, N.M. A conversation Muslims typically have ...

Harvard does not have a University-ordained chaplain for Shia Muslim affiliates on campus, but some Shia students said it has not significantly impacted their experience at Harvard. Out of Harvard’s ...

The conflicts between Shia and Sunni Muslims go back to the seventh century and the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Yet a spotlight has been shone recently on the differences between the two branches ...

The fifth major difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims is regarding Mohammad Mahdi who is believed to be the descendent of the Prophet Muhammad and is the twelfth Imam according to Shias. They ...