Comparative Study of the Shiite and Sunnite Islamic Approaches Regarding “Ghulat”

The emergence of Ghuluw was among some Muslim groups, and appearance of the exaggerator sects, provoked harsh reactions from other Muslims against Ghulat. Attributing Divinity, Prophecy and Foreknowledge to people, and believing in Simile, Transmogrification, Bada’, Raj‘ah, and Ibahah, were treated as elements forming Ghuluw (exaggeration) According to Ahl al-Sunnah, whereas Bada’ and Raj‘ah are from Shiite theological beliefs. This research has been conducted in a descriptive and analytic approach, and explores the similarities and differences of Shiite and Sunnite point of view in exaggerative ideas. Also the tendency to exaggeration has been investigated and analyzed, based on four social actions of Max Weber’s sociological theory, to make clear how much difference is between Shiite and Sunnite Islam looking at the superstitious beliefs and what are the causes of these differences, assuming that the views of Shia and Sunni about Ghuluw is too close together, and the general tendency to Ghuluw among Muslims, particularly Shiites, were mainly focused on the third and fourth types of those actions.