Question

The split into Sunni and Shia divisions of Islam can be traced to

Answer 1

The split into Sunni and Shi'a Islam can be traced to the death of the Prophet Muhammad when it was decided who would become the next leader of the Islamic community. The Sunni sect believed that the Islamic community would choose the next leader where as the Shi'a believed the next leader would be a descendant or family member of the Prophet.