<P> When prostrating during ritual prayer (salat), Shias place their forehead onto a piece of naturally occurring material, most often a clay tablet (mohr), soil (turbah) at times from Karbala, the place where Hussein ibn Ali was martyred, instead of directly onto prayer rug . </P> <P> Some Shia perform prayers back to back, sometimes worshipping two times consecutively (1 + 2 + 2 i.e. fajr on its own Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha'), thus praying five times a day but with a very small break in between the prayer, instead of five prayers with at some gap between them as required by Sunni schools of law . </P> <P> Shias and the followers of the Sunni Maliki school hold their hands at their sides during prayer; Sunnis of other schools cross their arms (right over left) and clasp their hands; it is commonly held by Sunni scholars especially of Maliki school that either is acceptable . </P> <P> Twelver Shia as the main branch of Shia Islam permit Nikah mut'ah--fixed - term temporary marriage--which is not acceptable within the Sunni community, the Ismaili Shia or the Zaidi Shia and is believed a planned and agreed fornication . Twelvers believe that Mutah was permitted until Umar forbade it during his rule . Mutah is not the same as Misyar marriage or' Arfi marriage, which has no date of expiration and is permitted by some Sunnis . A Misyar marriage differs from a conventional Islamic marriage in that the man does not have financial responsibility of the woman by her own free will . The man can divorce the woman whenever he wants to in a Misyar marriage . </P>

What is the difference between a shia or a sunni muslim