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The two main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia. A disagreement between them began after Muhammad's death. The Sunni Muslims wanted to elect the best-qualified man to be their caliph, or religious leader. He would be similar to Christianity's Pope. The Shia disagreed, however. They wanted a caliph descended directly from Muhammad. The Shia believe Allah chose Muhammad's family to lead Islam.
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The Sunni make more than 80% of the Muslim population, while the Shia take up about 20%. Both of these branches are not completely different, however. They both believe that Allah is their god, that the Koran is the message of Allah, Muhammad is the messanger of Allah, and that they shall always be faithful to Islam.
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