The conflict that appeared in the Muslim community was based on the way the religion was preached and practiced. Some of the Muslims were on the opinion that the religion has moved away from its course, and that the religious authorities have became corrupt and changed the religion in the manner that they want it to be. This was not well accepted by the religious authorities of course, so soon a dispute emerged. The end result of the religious dispute was separation of the Islam in two branches, the Sunni Islam and the Shiite Islam, with the Shiite Islam being the one that was the new on the scene, or rather was trying to return to the roots of the religion.
The conflict within the Muslim community began with the death of the fourth caliph, Ali. Following his death, the caliphs and their families began to surround themselves with wealth. Extravagant ceremonies were held, and the caliph appeared to live a lifestyle similar to non-Muslim rulers. This led to disputes between traditionalists, who believed in following the example of Muhammad, and radical Muslims, who felt that the only connection to Muhammad should be that the caliph must be his direct descendent. The final result of this conflict was the formation of two separate Muslim groups: the Shiites and the Sunnis.
