After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam

I just finished reading Lesley Hazleton's book After The Prophet and I am delighted. Most writers describing historic events do so in a very dry, sterile manner that is exhausting for the poor reader. Hazleton manages to go over the same material that has been endlessly researched and re-written and puts down her version that draws the reader directly into the story. She breathes life into her story, puts expressions and thoughts into the personalities . She analyses personalities and inter-relationships and even as she deals only with facts...the same facts as most other historians, she makes hers come to life such the readers feels emotions and get involved in the story while reading facts. This book is about the period after the prophet Mohammed and the machinations that followed over the next several decades. Hazleton spares no one in her analyses of what might reasonably have gone through their minds, she stays faithful to the matters of historic record while conjecturing what people may have been planning as evidenced by their past and later actions. She deals with the fracturing relationships after the death of the prophet and how they degenerated into what we know today, as "The Shia-Sunni Divide". In my opinion, thus book is a "must read" for any non-Muslim in order to even begin to understand how Shia and Sunni relate with one another; this is a book the policy-makers in the halls of Washington, should read before they deal with anything further, regarding Iran or the Middle East. Most Muslims go through life knowing only what their peers and their faith-leaders tell them about the "other" sect. Sunnis believe in a whole lot of mythology about the Shia, that stirs up suspicions and antipathy towards the Shia. Shia, on the other hand, have little ability to help inform their Sunni brethren, about the origins and distinctions of the Shia sect. Would that this book were read by members of both sects! My congratulations to Hazleton for another excellent work, it is a real contribution to human understanding.

I think that this is good chronicle of the Shia-Sunni split in Islam. Interestingly, what makes this book intriguing is almost the same thing that takes away from it, albeit not by much. This book is divided into 3 chapters, about Muhammad, Ali, & Hussein. The death of one leads to the other & so on. Since this book is organized by its emphasis on characters, with chronology/historical context tacitly tucked in, this book reads like a great novel, with character sketches complete & additional narrative to add flavor to historical text which otherwise may come across as insipid. Aside the main characters, the story of Aisha finds great resonance in this text & is probably, as other other reviewers have commented, is the most polemic & divisive content of this text. If you do not have an opinion on this historical figure, you're very likely to find her powerful & assertive - however, the way in which power manifests itself demarcates it as virtuous or vile &, I think, that is in this judgement that the 2 sects of Islam differ widely. This, however, is not the only source of separation - there are many others & this book does a good job of highlighting the various other disagreements between the two sects. Because of it's flavors, you could argue that the book is not exactly an academic view on the matter - I, like many other reviewers, felt that it glorifies the Shia slightly more than it should have, or, on the other hand, represented the Sunni in ways that are more redeeming. I also found certain discrepancies in the exact detail of history between the book by Reza Aslan - No God but God - & this one. Finally, I felt that not enough content was there between the death of Hussein & the formalizing of the Shia as cogent sect of Islam. This is a good introductory book, very easy to read & thoroughly enjoyable - my slight disappointments with it, notwithstanding.

While I can understand the criticism of some reviewers who are likely Sunni Muslim, she makes it clear in the comments after the book that she relied heavily on the history detailed by the early Islamic historian al-Tabari, including some of the quotes that some reader critics have questioned. Interesting to note that he is a Sunni Muslim, so his words would likely not have skewed to favor Shiism. Subject like this can be very dry, but the author's style holds your attention as she literally tells the story of those years in the 7th century, interspersed with some comments on how those events still influence what we see in the Middle East today. I'd highly recommend this if you wish to learn more about the origins of the Sunni-Shia conflict as well as who was instrumental in leading Islam after the death of the Prophet.

This is an absolute favorite of mine. It is so descriptive and detailed. Having grown up with these stories and retained them only in a dream-like, blurry sense from my childhood, having her paint the whole picture just filled my soul with happiness and a sense of completeness to a childhood narrative I could never grasp the contours of. It is amazingly written, descriptive, and balanced. The author has the benefit of being removed from the inherent sectarian bias she writes about, and her objective outlook gives credence to her rendition. It is a critical work for laying a canvas on which to build a better and deeper understanding of Islam and sectarian differences.

This title was selected by our book club recently. Meeting next month to discuss. I expect it will generate a lively discussion. Hazelton's writing is spare and engaging rather than erudite and bland. While it appears to be well researched, at times the story takes on a soap opera air. But that's because the story of early Islam has more than its share of drama, intrigue, politics and familial rivalry. With the recent appearance of Sunni-backed ISIS/ISIL on the world scene, After the Prophet gives the reader considerable background on the earliest history of the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam and what drives their deep animosities and fundamentalist extremism. For readers looking for more understanding of the Koran and its teachings, this book does not satisfy those needs. But, if you want an overview of the early history of the emergence of the faith, it very much delivers.

This is a highly engrossing book that is highly relevant to today’s world. The author is a journalist and as such writes in a highly readable style. The book reads more like a novel, rather than a textbook, but nonetheless covers the subject based on numerous sources, some of which go back to the 9th century. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Islam and to all those interesting in understanding the roots of today’s Muslim fanaticism. This book details the death of the prophet Mohammed and his initial successors, particularly that of his cousin and adopted son Ali. Ali, initially passed over for the leadership of Islam, eventually became its leader. However, the struggle for the leadership of Islam and Ali’s assassination set the stage for the eventual struggle between the Shia (followers of Ali) and the Sunni who believed that the leadership of Islam should not be through Mohammad’s kin. Ali’s son Hussein (also Mohammad’s grandson because Ali married one of Mohammad’s daughters) was likewise killed by the Sunni leadership, creating the basis for Shia martyrdom. The events surrounding the deaths of Ali and Hussein and the nature of how and why they died are highly relevant to today’s world as they created the basis both the Sunni fanaticism of groups like Al Qaida, and Shia fanaticism. The author is clear in explaining these connections, making this book important for understand the modern world.

Arabic is a subtle language ... it can only be understood when learned. Both names, Sunni & Shii imply "to follow". This is why, though widely used even by Muslims in describing themselves, they are misnomers ... they serve no purpose but to mislead and to divide. Sunna is short for "Ahl Sunna’t Muhammad … followers of Muhammad's example" and Shia is short for "Shia’t Ali … followers of Ali ". The first is the following of a way … the second is the following of a man. In other words, one has a religious component while the other is strictly political … and neither excludes the other, for Muhammad & Ali were never competitors. This is why Sunnis are also Shiis and Shiis are also Sunnis in their beliefs. And this is why, though the differences between them seem insurmountable today ... theologically, they are astonishingly small. Yes, grave mistakes were committed by the closest of the Prophet's companions (despite what Sunnis say) and also by his relatives (despite what Shiis say), but they are humans ... and no human is infallible. The Quran has always pointed out the vulnerabilities of the human spirit, even those of revered Prophets ... let alone others. Chapter after chapter it spells out the human condition, corruptible & error prone ... but when repentant, God is merciful. Precisely because it's message was never tied to the deeds of individual characters or even to a place or a time, Islam has endured those dark days, continues to endure in modern times despite the negative publicity and the bad actions of a few and will continue to endure in an increasingly postmodern world. What's sacred is always the message, not the messenger ... the community, not the leader. In this respect, Sunnis understand; to them what happened or happens is the story of man, just that ... a history. To Shiis it became an obsession. And to the west ... no understanding at all. This is why I think Lesley Hazleton did a very good job in narrating this part of human history and relating it to the present. Not only did the west not understand the Sunni/Shii divide before going to war in the Middle East, but also the west does not understand Islam itself. It should be of comfort to nervous westerners, that Muslims were never unanimous in accepting or following their leaders ... even if they declare themselves to be Caliphs. And equally, to over zealous Muslims ... despite this, Islam has flourished. In the words of Abu Bakr in the chaos and panic when the Prophet passed away: "For those of you who worshiped Muhammad, Muhammad has died ... but for those of you who worship God, God is immortal" ... perhaps this is the true message of Islam. Contrast this to the words of another Abu Bakr (in modern times) who has asked Muslims all around the world to obey him. The majority of Muslims (Sunnis or Shiis), despite their difference ... are not impressed.

The book is well written and the flow keeps the reader well engaged. However, I did feel that the book was written from a slanted perspective of the facts and did not give enough background of the two closest companions of the Prophet (PBUH) to try to explain their actions in the course of history - particularly after the death of the Prophet (PBUH) who himself spoke so highly of them both. "If the virtues of all of humanity were placed on one side of the scale and virtues of Abu Bakr Siddiq on the other side, the weight of Abu Bakr's virtues would far outweigh those of the rest of humanity" "If there were to be a prophet after me, it would be Umar Al Khattabh" I felt the book was written from the perspective of a story needing a victim - in this case Ali. No doubt he was of greater virtue than almost all others but the book is written from the start to play out historic facts from a psychology which makes us feel sorry for his situations and thus hanker on one side of the Shia, Sunni argument. The reality is that there was no such thing as a Shia during the life of the Prophet himself and whilst difference of opinion is perfectly allowed in Islam (including those who wish to not follow Islam as their chosen religion) the book plays to the split more than a simple rendering of the historical facts. With this element in mind, the book is a fantastic read, without it, it is a polarizing catalyst that will likely bias your opinion for some time to come.

Hazleton tells this pivotal Islamic story beautifully. Despite her occasional stream of rhetorical questions as a device, which can grate, she writes with sensitivity, sympathy and historical understanding. Her flowing and conversational prose can, when describing emotional events, transcend to the poetic; the highlight being her moving and poignant re-telling of the events and tragic climax at Kerbala. She narrates the factual events in a concise, usually neutral and strictly temporal way, underscoring similarities between 7th century and 21st century figures and events in a shrewd and at times wickedly wry way, while weaving in her own thoughts, insights and ascriptions of motives to key figures. Some of these will not only jar with but also vex many Muslims as hers is not a hagiographical account. The account she offers seems to be heavily flavoured by Shia versions which might be why she makes the howler that the Lady Fatimah was the Prophet's eldest daughter as opposed to being his fourth and youngest one (a flick through the bibliography shows that the contemporary Muslims books are indeed Shia; this may be more a reflection on Sunnis and their neglect to author good well written books on this subject in English than any bias on Hazelton's part). Lady Aisha emerges as a head strong feisty woman child who is driven by the need for recognition and attention, an unrecognisable person to most Sunnis. On the other hand Imam Ali rightly emerges as a towering otherworldly man full of nobility, integrity, moral courage and ethical conviction. Hazelton seems to think that officially Sunnis are against Imam Ali whilst Shias were for him. She neglects or is unaware that the real root for the continuing hostility between the two groups isn't so much the political split but rather the theological diversion which resulted in some Shia sects ritually cursing the first three Caliphs as well as denigrating Lady Aisha and other leading companions of the Prophet (PBUH) with some extreme sects going so far as putting Imam Ali on the same station as the Prophet (PBUH) himself. It is arguably this that raises the Sunni red mist rather than the claims and counter claims of succession. Of course this sensitivity has been ruthlessly exploited by many, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. However she does rather splendidly point out in the end that the similarities between Sunnis and Shias are, ultimately, more than their differences. How long before more Muslims can see this. Overall I would recommend this book as worth reading, maybe along with a book on the topic from an orthodox Muslim perspective. This has whetted my appetite for her forthcoming biography of the Prophet (PBUH).

Lasley summarises the issue nicely without compromising on key events. Additionally, most text on this issue might be perceived biased due to other authors' being part of one of two groups, which isn't the case with Lesley.

This is an extremely easy to read book suitable for general public i.e. occassional reader. I happen to have some background in the subject matter but still found it informative and well researched. The best thing I found was the non judgmental way in which this author tried to present various points of views and competing narratives such as the point of view of the Shia's and the Sunnis. It is a very delightful blend of historical facts and author's imagination to fill the gaps in availble facts. I give it the hgihest rating.

Ein sehr schönes Buch...

especially in our current times, when people condemn Islam as a whole, not knowing much about it, based only on the atrocities carried out by extremist. The book is easy to read, in a ’’modern’’ style, full of details that make the narrative interesting and authentic. For those, who want more information and/or further reading there are sources, notes and an index. And for those dealing with quarrels in their family ... it‘s quite nice to know that even Muhammad, the Prophet himself, struggled with this problem.