Shaykh Ibn Baz explains that the term 'Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah' (Sunnis) refers to those who adhere strictly to the path of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his Companions (Sahaba). They are the saved group mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ) who follow what he and his Companions were upon.

The primary and most significant difference between them and the Shia lies in the doctrine of the Imamate and the status of the Companions. The Shia, specifically the Ithna 'Ashariyyah (Twelvers), believe that the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed 'Ali ibn Abi Talib as his immediate successor by divine command. Consequently, they view the caliphates of Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman as illegitimate usurpations of 'Ali's rightful position. This leads them to revile, curse, and even declare as apostates the vast majority of the Prophet's Companions, including the most senior among them. Ahlus-Sunnah, in contrast, revere all the Companions, acknowledging their virtue and precedence, and accept the historical succession of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, with Abu Bakr being the best of this nation after the Prophet (ﷺ), followed by 'Umar, 'Uthman, and then 'Ali.

Furthermore, the Shia attribute infallibility ('ismah) to their twelve Imams, claiming they are free from all sin and error, a status Ahlus-Sunnah reserve only for the Prophets and Messengers in their conveyance of revelation. They also hold to other beliefs considered to be major innovations (bid'ah) and deviations, such as the occultation (ghaybah) of their twelfth Imam, his eventual return (raj'ah), and the permissibility of dissimulation (taqiyyah) in faith. These core creedal differences, particularly the slander against the carriers of the Sunnah—the Companions—constitute the fundamental divide between the two groups.