Sunni and Shia are different sects among Muslims and the difference of opinions have resulted in many Fatwas, non-binding but authoritative legal opinion or learned interpretation issues pertaining to the Islamic law. Fatwas are based on the question and answer process found in the Quran, which seeks to enlighten on theological and philosophical issues, hadith, legal theory, duties, and the Sharia law. Sunni fatwas have been used to justify the persecution of Shia throughout their history.

Points of difference

While all Islamic schools and branches of Islam recognise the Qur'an, they differ in which other authorities they acknowledge; in particular the question of the Succession to Muhammad separates the Sunni, who acknowledge the elected Rashidun Caliphs and their descendants, from the Shia, who acknowledge the Imams or descendants of Muhammad; these two branches are then subdivided by their views on the further course of the succession. Shia fiqh differs with Sunni fiqh on not only political issues, but also important theological issues. Various attitudes towards Shia can be found among the worldwide majority Sunni community.

Opinions

The Sunni fatwas on Shia often involved legal opinions issued by an expert in the Sharia law. However, modern fatwas were also given by other Muslim authorities and these were recognized as long as they cite the legal sources used. Some of the notable fatwas are listed below:

Ottoman Empire

Ebussud Effendi

Ottoman clergy officially maintained the pronunciation of Takfir on Twelver Sh'ism, a stance which was used by Ottoman sultans to declare the wars fought against the Safavid Empire as Jihad. The 16th century Ottoman Shaykhul Islam Ebussud Effendi issued a series of fatwas excommunicating Twelver Shi'ites as kuffar (disbelievers). He also proclaimed the legal verdict calling for the killing of the Kizilbash; which was implemented by Ottoman authorities to suppress Shi'ism throughout the empire. Declaring the Qizilbash as disbelievers and calling for their executions, Ebussud states: "'These outrageous people became unbelievers as they scorned the Holy Qurʾan, the noble shariʿa, and the religion of Islam, disdained and killed scholars on account of their knowledge, [and] considered their immoral cursed leader god and prostrated before him. [They] considered permissible many religiously forbidden acts whose prohibition has been established by definite scriptural sources, and cursed Abu Bakr and ʿUmar (the first two caliphs after Muhammad’s death), may God be satisfied with them. In addition, they became unbelievers because they denied the Holy Qurʾan by defaming Aʿisha the trustworthy (Prophet’s wife), may God be pleased with her, who was exonerated by the revelation of several verses [in the Qurʾan]. By doing so, they also cursed the Prophet (hazret-i risalet-penah) and blemished his saintly personality. According to the consensus of a multitude of scholars from different times and places, killing them is permissible (mubah); those who doubt their unbelief become unbelievers."

Ibn Abidin

However, major Sunni scholars have declared the unbelief of Shia who hold certain beliefs. For example, Ottoman scholar ibn Abidin, a source of authoritative fatwas for Hanafis writes: "There is no doubt in the disbelief of those that falsely accuse Sayyida Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) of adultery, deny the Companionship of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ( Allah be pleased with him), believe that Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) was an Imam... even if they believe in Allah, the last Prophet, and the perfection of the Quran (Radd al-Muhtar, 4/453)."

Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi

According to Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, the founder of the Barelvi movement, most Shiites of his day were apostates because they repudiated necessities of religion. This includes, according to him, the following: "a) to believe that Qur'an is incomplete. b) to call it 'book of Uthman'. c) elevate Sayyiduna Ali karram Allâhu wajhah and other imâms above the prophets. d) if these imâms are held to be higher than even one prophet. e) to allege that Allâh was regretful after issuing a command and hence remorsefully, changed His earlier ruling. f) to allege that Allâh didn't realize the wisdom of a certain ruling (or the lack of it) and when He realized it, He changed the rule. g) to allege that RasûlAllâh practised taqiyyah in the course of his tabligh. Those who hold the above and other such statements that amount to disbelief are kâfirs by ijmâ`a. All dealings with them are similar to those with apostates. it is in Fatâwâ Dhahîriyyah, Fatâwâ hindiyyah, Hadiqatun Nadiyyah: [aHkâmuhum aHkâm al-murtaddîn] they are to be dealt with as apostates."

Historical Fatwas

Other Sunni scholars who have declared Shiites as deviants or apostates: There are Sunni fatwas that were considered Sunni obligation to the "insult offered to the Sunni faith by the Shia religious literature." This is demonstrated in the case of some Sunni fatwas issued in Pakistan, which were considered as defensive materials created for the purpose of defending the faith from the Shia. The latter's mere existence in the country within the context of these specific fatwas was considered as an insult.

Other opinions

In 1959, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mahmood Shaltoot issued fatwa that Shia theology is a part of Islam. In 2016, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb reissued Shaltoot's fatwa on Shia Muslims. In 2004, both Sunni and Shia scholars released the so-called 2004 Amman Message, which established some form of standards to prevent or at least discredit and counter renegade interpretations such as those made by Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This initiative outlined who are qualified to issue fatwas or legal opinions, promoting a more conservative framework over progressive interpretations. The Amman Message also asserted the common beliefs of the two Islamic sects. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani has noted that it is not the way of Sunnis to make blanket takfir of Shia. He writes: "...we only declare someone who denies something necessarily known of the religion to be a kafir--and this is not the case with common Shia. Someone who says 'There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah' is a Muslim. Shia Muslims, who make this declaration of faith are therefore MUSLIM."