The basis for the split in Islam into Sunni and Shi'a was

The basis for the split in Islam into Sunni and Shi'a was

• A. Political
• B. Theological disputes
• C. Ethnic differences
• D. Geography

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that the split between Sunni and Shi'a arose from a political disagreement over who should lead the Muslim community after Muhammad’s death. With no clear instruction on succession, one view favored choosing a leader by community consensus to preserve unity and governance, while another held that leadership should stay within the Prophet’s family, starting with Ali. This latter position gave rise to the Shi’a, who emphasized lineage and the Prophet’s kin as the rightful rulers with special spiritual authority. Over time, these political differences acquired theological and doctrinal overtones, but the initial fracture was fundamentally about political authority and succession, not ethnicity or geography.

The main idea being tested is that the split between Sunni and Shi'a arose from a political disagreement over who should lead the Muslim community after Muhammad’s death. With no clear instruction on succession, one view favored choosing a leader by community consensus to preserve unity and governance, while another held that leadership should stay within the Prophet’s family, starting with Ali. This latter position gave rise to the Shi’a, who emphasized lineage and the Prophet’s kin as the rightful rulers with special spiritual authority. Over time, these political differences acquired theological and doctrinal overtones, but the initial fracture was fundamentally about political authority and succession, not ethnicity or geography.