In 2009 a group of Shiites on their way to perform hajj pilgrimage (one of the five pillars of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform once in their lives) in Mecca were arrested by Saudi religious police due to the involvement in a protest against the Saudi government

Shi’a Muslims have more freedom to combine certain prayers, such as the midday and afternoon prayers Therefore they may only pray three times a day Shi’a Muslims also often use natural elements when praying

Shia Muslims number 200 million and are the second largest denomination in the faith Many perform the hajj, and they also travel to Iran, Iraq and beyond to visit holy sites In Mina, Saudi Arabia, hundreds of Shias have travelled from Britain to perform the hajj

Both Sunnis and Shiites read the Quran, the sayings of the Prophet

Sunni Muslims Sunni Muslims strongly believe that the redemption of human beings is dependent on faith in Allah, His prophets, acceptance of Muhammad as the final prophet, and belief in righteous deeds as explained in the Koran

The Six Articles of Faith Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Allah) Belief in the existence of angels Belief in the existence of the books of which God is the author: the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), the Torah (revealed to Moses), and Psalms (revealed to David)

Sunni Muslims follow the six articles of faith and Shi’a Muslims follow the five roots of Usul ad-Din

The first part was the emergence of the Shia, which starts after Muhammad’s death ins until Battle of Karbala in 680 This part coincides with the Imamah of Ali, Hasan ibn Ali and Hussain

Haj is among the five pillars of Islam and considered a pious religious duty of a Muslim But not all Muslims are allowed to perform Haj Islam is divided into two major sects – Sunni and Shia The followers of Ahmadiyya sub-sect consider themselves as Sunnis deriving their faith from the Hanafi school of Islam

For the most part, no Both Sunni and Shia Muslims fast during Ramadan Shia also celebrate an additional holiday within the month of Ramadan that Sunnis do not

Better known as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims mourn the tragedy of Imam Hussein’s family, and Sunni Muslims practice fasting on Ashura Shia Muslims eat as little as possible on the 10th of Muharram however this is not seen as fasting

It is marked by Muslims with a voluntary day of fasting which commemorates the day Noah left the Ark, and the day that Moses was saved from the Egyptians by God For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a solemn day of mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 AD at Karbala in modern-day Iraq

However, Sunni and Shi’a communities have a lot more in common in their beliefs and practices than they have differences In fact, in countries where populations and access to power are relatively equal, they have tended to live together peacefully

The word “jihad” is widely used, though often inaccurately, by Western politicians and media In Arabic, the word means “effort” or “struggle” In Islam, it could be an individual’s internal struggle against baser instincts, the struggle to build a good Muslim society, or a war for the faith against unbelievers