Sunnis and shiates: historical and cultural differences of the two streams of islam

The purpose of the article is to define the historical and cultural differences of the two main currents of Islam. The study outlines the history of the division between Muslims into Sunnis and Shiites, defines the fundamental and inviolable principles of Islam for both currents and their main disagreements. The methodological basis of the research is the following methods: historical, which allows you to monitor the evolution of historical and cultural differences between the specified currents of Islam; logical, which contributes to the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships in the emergence of traffic flows; structural and functional, which makes it possible to show in detail the conceptual and categorical apparatus that researchers use when studying historical and cultural differences; comparative, which helps to find out how the value and geopolitical doctrines of Sunnis and Shiites differ. The presented research is interdisciplinary, based on the use of a combination of comparative-historical, phenomenological and hermeneutic-textological methodologies. Scientific novelty and relevance of the article are driven by the sharpness of interconfessional polemics, where the main issues of divergence between Sunnis and Shiites and their current state are often considered ideologically, with a noticeable bias towards one of the sides involved in the polemic. The authors of the article consciously engage materials from scholars of both currents, while maintaining research neutrality. Conclusions. Research findings indicate that the historical roots of differences between Sunnis and Shias in Islam trace back to the period following the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD. Despite maintaining unity regarding the fundamental ideas and values of Islam, the main Islamic currents diverge on the following important issues: 1) the procedure by which Shias and Sunnis choose their religious leaders; 2) the influence of secular authority on the formation of religious hierarchy; 3) nuances of belief in the afterlife; 4) specifics of prayer organization; 5) interpretation of the imams’ theme; 6) differences in attitudes towards self-flagellation; 7) attitudes towards “temporary marriages”; 8) perspectives on the twelfth Imam Mahdi.