What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shiite

Keys
Number 3 is Othman Bin Affan
Number 4 is Ali Bin Abi Talib
Number 4's older son is Hassan
Number 4's younger son is Hussein
Number 5 is Mo'awya Bin Aby Sofian
Number 6 is Yazid Bin Aby Sofian

Khalif number 3 was assassinated by a group of mostly Iraqis, the children of the 4th Khalif defended his house along with other fighters. 3 is out of the picture, number 4 gets nominated. The 4th Khalif gets endorsement from most Muslims districts. Tow districts refuse to endorse the 4th Khalif until he avenges the murder of number 3. Egypt and Syria were those two districts.

Number 4 says, he will not avenge the murder of 3 until everyone has endorsed him. A battle breaks between number 4 and the leaders of Egypt and Syria. Number 4 accepts mediation as proposed by his opponents who said "The Holy Book Will be The judge". Those who killed number 3 wanted number 4 to keep on fighting the Syrians and the Egyptians. He refuses. The group that killed number 3 goes on and kills number 4 as he prays in the mosque who was in war with them as they were constantly plotting to break his word. He defeated them every time.

Number 4 refuses to nominate anybody and says, the Muslims will pick the next Khalif. Most people nominate and endorse number 4's son. Egypt and Syria refuses to endorse number 4's son. A battle is about to break between supporter's of Number 4's son and the leaders of Egypt and Syria. But luckily number 4's son who could have fought and defeated the other guys, gave the Khalif away to the leader of Syria.

Keep in mind, the day number 4's son gave away his office was 30 years after the prophet has died. Number 5 was a smart leader, and was a good politician who never alienates anybody. Some took on him his love of life and living in a palace. As number 5 was in his final days, he wanted to nominate his soon to be number 6 Khalif. Some thought his son was unworthy, others thought this is an invention that strays from Islamic tradition. Most endorsed number 5's son, but not in Arab peninsula., they refused to endorse him.

One of the heads of those objectors was number 4's son who was nominated by people in Iraq. Some even believe number 4's son (not the one that gave away his office, but his brother) was promised the Khalif position. Number 4's son was of high regards with all Muslims--he is the grandson of the prophet. Number 4's son heads to Iraq to meet up with his supporters. Now number 6 was a power hungry and he was no politician, he was a thug who installed other thugs.

On his way to Iraq, number 4's song gets intercepted and camps out in the desert. His supports the ones that pledged to support him, changed their mind. The change of heart happened as they were bribed, intimidated and promised great revenge of they stick with number 4's son. Number 4's son has a number of 80 people with him and the army the thugs had was 5000. One of the army leaders commissioned to stop number 4's son changes his mind and fights with him instead of fighting against him. Number 4's son and all his supporters (many of his family) have been all brutally murdered and the women and children been taken hostages.

Who killed number 4's son? Was it the man who commissioned his death or his supporters who pledged to support him and then turned against him, ending up killing the same many they wanted to instal as the Khalif. That's when the split official starts. Some stuck with the murder leader--they had no love for him and his term was only 4 years. Others wanted to avenged the death of number 4's son and cry over the death, not moving on and installing anyone form that household is a person of high religious significance.

From my understanding the whole split could have been averted if there were decisive actions that stopped those ill minority that had political and tribal ambitions. Giving bad people the benefit of the doubt does little to bring unity. Bottom line, Muslims are not supposed to judge other Muslims. For example, we are not allowed to say "He/she is not a Muslim", because we don't know what's in their hearts and we certainly don't know their motives.

As far as I can tell, politics in today's world plays a large role in inflaming this split. Take fro example, Iran uses the Shiite card to say that Sunni Saudi Arabia has always been corrupt. The Saudi's don't disappoint either. There's so much passion among those two countries and throw Iraq in the mix and things get weird. It has little to do with the faith, it's about nationality, tribal mentality and history. I know that no Muslim was happy with the murder of either Muslim figure, it's a sad day for all of us.

Another thing that makes no sense, number 4 and his children are all from what's now Saudi Arabia and they all have been murdered by Iraqis. I find it bizarre, that people blame modern day Saudi Arabic for their murder. There are plenty of reasons to resent that country, but enough with the faux outrage.

P.S. Those are my personal understandings, as far as I know, they are in the center of the road, as there are many accounts of similar stories.