Is Ali is the name of Allah?

Ali (Arabic: علي‎, ʿAlī) is a male Arabic name derived from the Arabic root ʕ-l-w, which literally means “high”, “elevated” or “champion”….Ali (name)

How can you tell if a person is Shia or Sunni?

Just check whether his surname is Sayyad, Hashmi, Pathan, Ansari, Mansuri, Khatik, Qureshi, Bagwan, Shaikh or Baig (not Khan, because Khan is used by Shia as well). If yes, then again, surely a Sunni. Just check whether his name starts as Ali, Hussein, Hassan, Zainab, Fatima, Abbas, Mehdi, Zoeb, Mufaddal, Taher, Saif, Zulfikar, Jafar, Taha.

How can I differentiate between Shia and Sunni Muslims by surname?

It is almost impossible to differentiate among Sunni & Shia, just on the basis of their Names+Surnames. Though it is quite possible in India but difficult in Pakistan or Bangladesh. Just check whether his full name consists any name like Ayesha, Umar, Abu Bakr, Usman, Huraira, Mawiya, Hamzah.

Are there Shia Muslims in the Middle East?

While the majority of Muslims in the Middle East (specifically the Arab countries) are Sunni, there has always been Shia living in those lands. Similarly, there have always been Sunni living in predominately Shia lands, as is the case with the current Saudi Arabia and Iran. Sunni and Shia have been in theological dialogue from the beginning.

What is the relationship between Sunnis and Shias?

Sunni and Shia have lived together throughout Islamic history. Today, it may seem that the two groups live in geographically distinct places, the two groups have lived together from the beginning of Islam. While the majority of Muslims in the Middle East (specifically the Arab countries) are Sunni, there has always been Shia living in those lands.