Videos of Current Events: sunnis and shites

The Islam religion is split into two different branches, the Sunni and the Shiite.

They both believe the Islamic faith are agreed upon by all Muslims. These fundamentals include the belief in the oneness of God, the role of the Prophet Muhammad as his final messenger, prayer, the requirement to perform Hajj once in one's lifetime, and the requirement to give to charity.

The passing on of Prophet Muhammad in 632 C.E. thrust the Muslim community into a protracted debate over who would be their next leader causing a split and division. Some felt that Muhammad's nephew and beloved son-in-law 'Ali as his political and religious successor, and thus the Imam (leader) of the Muslim community. Many opted out for the procedure of choosing from among a group of elders. Watch the video....

Video Sunni-Shi'a Differences

The Shiite Branch:

The Shiite believe in the 12th Imam.

The Sunni Does not believe in the 12th Imam.

The twelfth was the son of the eleventh and he disappeared and they never found his grave. They teach today that he is either hiding in a cave or somewhere in the desert and in the end of days he will reappear riding on a white horse. He will ride into Jerusalem on that white horse and take over Jerusalem and Jesus will come with him and tell the world, “I am not the Son of God” and make the people who are there deny the trinity. If they don’t agree that Jesus is not the Son of God and don’t deny the trinity, the Mahdi will be given permission to kill them.

Revelation 6:1 says:

1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. (6:1-2)

Some bible scholars believe it is Christ but it is not. It is the antichrist who comes out as a conqueror.

Interesting that John saw this 2000 years ago and now this is what the Shiites believe today.

The Muslim unrest in the middle east

You cannot escape the muslim unrest in the middle east today. Turn on CNN, Fox News and we witness the war, battle, uprising in the middle east first, in Egypt, then Libya, Yemen, etc.

We think of the roman empire as Europe, but in truth, the Roman Empire also consist of northern part of Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.

The Muslim Mahdi comes riding on a white horse and Revelation 6 speaks of a man coming riding a white horse with a crown and a bow with no arrows, which could say he is coming in the name of peace (though different men have said that is Jesus, Satan or the antichrist).

The Mahdi comes to convert the World to Islam

According to Islamic tradition that when the Mahdi comes he will bring Islamic justice and convert the world to Islam, but if you don’t convert you are beheaded. Revelation 20 tells us that there are saints who are beheaded for the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 20:4 “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;”

The antichrist will be over the fattest places

In Daniel this man that will rule, the antichrist, says he will be over the fattest places and the Hebrew word that is translated from means oily places. Daniel 11:24 “He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.”

Any man who can control the oil wells can control the world. Where are the oil of the world? The Muslim countries.

The Sunni Mahdi is not the Same as the Shiite Mahdi

The Sunnis - are not looking for a Mahdi. The Sunni Muslims are looking instead for the appearance of the Antichrist, whom they call the Dajjal. If a person were suddenly to appear on the world scene claiming to be the Mahdi, he would be automatically rejected by the vast majority of Muslims.

Now, that could be changing because of the unrest in the middle east and the Brotherhood trying to take over by overthrowing kings and princes of the middle east. The muslim world wants democracy but that democracy is not the same as the United States.

Sunni Mahdi different from Shia Mahdi

The Sunni Muslims believe today's Quran is fully authentic and complete. Sunni Muslims also are expecting a Caliph (Leader, not a prophet) titled Al-Mahdi to appear at the End Times, based on prophecies of Prophet Mohammad.

The Sunnis believe that the Mahdi will be normal human being and will be born 30 - 40 year years before he accepts the leadership of Muslims.

The Shia are waiting for their 12th Imam called Imam Mahdi (they also call him "Al-Qa'im") whom they expect will appear before the Day of Judgment and will bring the full Quran. The Shia believe today's Quran is only is small part of the original full Quran. The trouble is that some of the Shia may reject the true Mahdi because he is not going to be a Shiite and instead they may wait until the Anti-Christ appears and follow him, thinking he is the Mahdi. Shia believe Imam Mahdi has been alive for the past 1200 years since he supposedly disappeared and went into a state of occultation.

What Is a Caliphate?

The term caliphate refers to the first system of governance established in Islam. The most common translation for the word which appears in the Quran is vicegerency (or caretaker). It is a constitutional republic, which means that the rulers are bound by a set of laws which they cannot break at a whim, and the people have the right to appoint their leader through their local leaders and should the leaders divert from their obligations as vicegerents, the people have the right to remove them.

the Fatimid dynasty, which claimed descent from Muhammad through his daughter, claimed the title of Caliph in 909, creating a separate line of caliphs in North Africa.

Sunni Muslims are expecting 3 main individuals to appear in the End Times: (1) at least one caliph (ruler) whose is referred to as Mahdi (good man), (2) Anti-Christ (evil man), and (3) Jesus Christ (good man).

Sunni Muslims are expecting Jesus to return to Earth, by descending from Heaven.

- For Sunni Muslims, the Mahdi (Mehdi) is a unique Muslim leader who will appear in the End Times and act as a Caliph, ruling the Muslim World. He is not a prophet. According to our numerical analysis of the Quran, it seems that the Mahdi will be fulfilling a divine mission and will act as a Warner and Carrier of Good News.

- Most probably, shortly after Jesus descends from Heaven, the Mahdi will die and Jesus will become the Caliph of Muslims.

- For Sunni Muslims, Jesus will play a very important role. Jesus will kill the Anti-Christ and rule the World after the Mahdi dies and Jesus' reign will be longer.