Islamic Sects

... (56) which was also followed by the mysterious death of his son Hasan and the Horrific death of his son Husain extremist Shiite beliefs were further exalted and the divisions and differences between the whole of the Shiite creed and the Sunnites grew, especially as the Shiites lay the blame for the deaths of their imams on the Sunnites. "The social mythos of Shi´ism suggests that the blame for the deaths of their imams must be placed at the door of the (Sunni) majority caliphs", (57) who are alleged to have deliberately set out to systematically eradicate Ali and his descendants. (58) The results of these led to the previous feeling of frustration, grief, and disappointment by Shiites to elevate into unrestrained violent passion and raging furiousness, and from that point on, Shiites perhaps felt an impeding desire to deliberately distinguish themselves from the Sunnites, and the differences between them thus became further exacerbated. Concepts, beliefs, practices and Scriptures totally alien to the Koran, the Hadiths attributed to Mohammad and therefore to Sunnites were then developed by the Shiites. "Shiites incorporated many beliefs other than from Islam and thus assimilated it´s borrowing´s into a new synthesis, in which the central figures were Ali, Hasan, Hussein and their descendants". (59) Independent Scriptures such as that contained in the (book) 'Nahj al Baghda´ (Path of eloquence) whereby the Hadiths attributed especially to Ali were collected and emphasised as central teachings of Shiism. (60)

Furthermore, through minor details the Shiite Mosque was developed to become somewhat distinct to that of the Sunnites. (61) The phrase, 'I attest that Ali is close 'Wali´, (friend) and processor of the power to God´, was added and repeated twice in the call for prayer. (62) The obligatory prayers that are by the Koran and by the five pillars, or rules of Islam ascribed to be fulfilled five times during five distinct periods within the day were by Shiites regrouped into three points during each day. (63) Amongst these another point of difference between Sunnite and Shiite prayer was also developed. It became customary to place a small tablet of clay brought from a holy place on the spot where their foreheads will touch whilst praying. (64)

Soon also, the Shiites came to the belief of that the deaths of , or the blood of Hasan and Husain paved their way to Paradise, (65) and by the late decades of the tenth century a public holiday (Ashura) devoted to the mourning for their deaths came to occupy important Shiite ritual practice. (66) Upon this day, "the faithful repeat the lament 'Ya Hasan, Ya Hussein´, groaning and weeping and sometimes beating themselves with chains". (67) There may also be a passion play re-enacting with great realism the suffering inflicted on to Hussein by the believed to be Sunnite persecutors and audiences in some cases have on this occasion become so overwrought that the actors playing the role of the Sunnites have been assaulted. (68) This occasion also soon came to be observed with more intensity than the feast commemorating the sacrifice or the little feast terminating Ramadan that is of greatest importance to Sunnites. (69) Shiites in addition became less concerned with the Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, as opposed to Sunnites, as they rather came to emphasise greater concern with the P ...