After the Prophet Mohammad died, there was a split within the Islamic community over who would succeed him. One faction elected his father in law, Abu-Bakr, as the first caliph, claiming this was laid down in Mohammad's sunnah. However, another faction claimed that Mohammad wanted his son-in-law and cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib to succeed him. Eventually, the schism became too great and Islam was split in two between the two factions, which now call themselves the Sunnis and the Shi'ites. Even when Abu-Bakr began the Rashidun Caliphate, the Shi'ites refused to recognize him nor his three successors as legitimate successors to Mohammad.
Today, Sunnis now make up between 87%-90% of Muslims and several major countries in the Middle East or North Africa regions (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria) are predominantly Sunni. While most Sunnis and Shi'ites get along, Sunni extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL consider Shi'ites to be heretics and several of their terrorist attacks have been aimed at Shi'ites. The Islamic world today is defined by this schism with the two major Islamic powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, on different sides of this religious divide.
So, what if the Prophet Mohammad lived long enough to officially announce his successor, thereby preventing the schism?
Today, Sunnis now make up between 87%-90% of Muslims and several major countries in the Middle East or North Africa regions (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria) are predominantly Sunni. While most Sunnis and Shi'ites get along, Sunni extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL consider Shi'ites to be heretics and several of their terrorist attacks have been aimed at Shi'ites. The Islamic world today is defined by this schism with the two major Islamic powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, on different sides of this religious divide.
So, what if the Prophet Mohammad lived long enough to officially announce his successor, thereby preventing the schism?