Doctrinal differences between Sunni and Shia

[Lorelei]

Would it be fair to say that Sunni is the equivalent of Catholicism in Christianity? The original and largest group, from which others have split away?

[Bilal Brown]

I don't think that it would be fair to call catholicism the "original" group although it is the largest. As a simple analogy, I guess it's acceptable.

[sunni-from-iraq]

the shiit sect belives in 12 imams they belive they have special abilities and can speak all languages plus they belive the the 12 imam mehdi has been hiding for 100 years and will come out on the day of judgement the sunnis belives that 4 khalifas come after prophet muhamed peace be upun him
(former shiit)

[sunni-from-iraq]

Are there any Islamic sects that are neither Sunni nor Shia?

yes their is a small sect called Ibadhi that alot of people dont know about their mostly in oman

[Quandary]

Doesn't Sunni have sects?

You and the person to whom you are speaking are utilizing the term differently. You are utilizing it to refer to a broad spectrum of Islamic groups that refer to the same general materials as textually binding, he's using it to refer to what he considers to be Islamic orthodoxy.

The Shi'a are founded upon politics (in the sense that the Shi'a opposed the Sunnis for what was essentially a political reason) and mutated into something else entirely over time due to the blending of Islamic beliefs with Persian mythology about 'divine kings,' and helped along by the fabrication of hadith-texts and then the extremist Shi'a take-over of Persia by Shah Ismail I during the 16th century.