Shia sect emerged with its Infallible Imams and opened door to Ijtihad, an American website writes

In an important comparison in an article by the American website (Patheos) concerned with religious affairs, between the Sunni and Shia Islamic sects, the article saw that the Shia school of Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them) has many pioneering features, most notably the believers’ conformity to religious authorities.

The article, translated by Shia Waves News Agency, says: “The difference between the two sects is centered on the Shias’ loyalty to the Twelve Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s household (peace be upon them all), while the Sunnis follow the caliphate school and the schools of jurisprudence based on it.”

It adds that “the infallible imams are the true leaders (religiously and politically) for the Shias, and in fact they were never looking for political ambitions, but rather they exercised their divine roles after their grandfather, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family).”

The article points out that “what distinguished the Shia sect from the rest of the Islamic sects was the opening of the door to ijtihad among religious scholars and the presence of seminaries, while we do not find that with the Sunni sect, which closed the door of ijtihad.”

The writing of this article comes less than two weeks after the calls of the Saudi Islamic preacher, Saleh al-Maghamsi, who stated in a television interview that “the Sunni sect made a big mistake in closing the door of ijtihad and left the legacy of its former scholars.”