>>112805807>>112813639>>112824901Muhammad had children but after his passing his line only survived through his daughter Fatimah. The shiites maintain that Muhammad chose his son-in-law, Ali, Fatimah's husband, as his successor.
The Sunnis chose to follow Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr, father of Muhammad's wife Aisha. The two factions split, violently, and the divide has never mended. Several other divisions formed later as well. Sunni is the most followed and widespread branch by far.