Shia Historical Narratives

These disagreements led to the development of three rival sects in the Muslim community. The Shi’ites supported Ali’s claim to the caliphate and believed that the position of caliph rightly belonged to the descendants of Ali. Those known as the Sunnis believed that the first three caliphs had been correctly chosen and supported the Umayyad Caliphate. The most militant followers of Ali formed the Kharijite (rebel) sects. Most of the 800 million Muslims of today are either Sunnis or Shi’ites.

“This world is a prison for the faithful, but a paradise for unbelievers”(Muhammed). One in every five persons on this earth firmly believes that the Prophet Muhammad is the last Messenger of God. He was a Muslim and there are more than 1.3 billion such Muslims today. Not only individuals but entire countries take pride in declaring their allegiance to him. There are 54 such Muslim states today, ranging from those as large as Indonesia and Bangladesh, with populations of 200 and 125 million. The prophet Muhammad has influenced a huge portion of the world’s population; in addition, he still has impacts on Islamic and Western world till this day this day. Therefore, this research paper will focus on muhammad’s biography, early life, early social changes under Islam, appearance, Family(backgrounds, traditions and ect….), legacy, Muhammad’s view on Jihad, and Muhammad’s last four years.

A change that occurred in the political life of Islamic civilization was the shift from the election of a Caliphate to a more dynastical system. Previously, the caliphates were elected by the Islamic community. Capable leaders were preferred over heirs who were not as qualified. Sunni Muslims were firm believers of this concept, while Shia muslims believed that Ali should’ve

The Sunni Creed of Adud al-Din-Iji and the Zaydi creed of Imam al-Mutawakkil have some major fundamental differences, as you may expect since both come from opposite spectrums of Islam; but, after careful analysis, one may be surprised to find that both creeds hold a fair amount of similarities. In this essay, I plan to compare and contrast the Sunni creed and Zayid creed by showing you evidence of the significant similarities and differences in these two short texts. Even though one branch may have something that the other may not have, one can still see that both creeds of Islam provide the instructions and general beliefs of how a Muslim must act, how God is the most powerful. The biggest

In post-classical history, Islam was recognized for its loyalty to Allah and its precise rules of religion. Muhammad, founder of Islam, was born from a nomad-merchant class, giving a pulse to the traveling trait of Islam and its literal veins of expansion throughout the Eurasian borders. While keeping the classic code of Muhammad’s original law underway, Islam’s expansion during 600- 1200 C.E. introduced advanced authority and systems of economic control.

The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shia" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shia-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household". The historical background of the differences of the two different Muslim faiths is important to recognize due to the significance of its effect on Afghan culture and lifestyle.

division between Shia (followers of Ali) and Sunni (followers of the custom of the caliphate)

Chraibi’s book Muhammad: A Novel is a fantastic, powerful read because it is just that: a novel. It is a fictional story, but written by an author who had an unusual, mystical calling himself to write the book. By using original aspects from the traditional biographies of Muhammad and then adding his own personal, esoteric twist on these characteristics, Chraibi creates a work of literature that is truly compelling and shows Muhammad’s journey to becoming a prophet in a mystical light. Two central distinctions, namely Muhammad’s relations with Khadija and Bahira, add the spice in this novel that really help the reader grasp what is mystical about both this literature and most importantly, Muhammad himself.

One being who would succeed the Prophet Muhammad after his death; Shias holding the belief that Muhammad had elected someone to be his successor; this being Ali, the closest relative to Muhammad. On the other hand, Sunni Muslims believe Muhammad did not choose a specific person to follow this death, but instead the best community would vote the most qualified candidate to take over the role as Caliph. This one controversy has spawn fights, debates, and even wars over who is correct, and is the primary cause in the split between the Sunnis and

Throughout the twentieth century Iran, like many other countries in the world, would enter a period of change that would completely alter the political, social and economic structure of the country. Perhaps the most important result of this restructuring was the incorporation of Shia Islam from solely the religious sphere to both the religious and political sphere. Analysis of history shows that for centuries Shia Islam had maintained its existence by functioning as a religious arm of the monarchy. The establishment of the Safavid Dynasty in 1501 resulted in Shia Islam become the official religion of Persian Empire and it was drawn upon by rulers in the following centuries as a source of imperial power. The collapse of the Safavid Empire in

Ali’s son Husayn was sought out and asked to lead a revolt against the Uyammad’s. When Husayn set out on his journey to overthrow Yazid, the current caliph, his “supporters” failed to join his band. Husayn and 72 of his followers were killed on the plains of Karbala, Iraq. Thus the Shi’at Ali (Party of Ali) or Shia sect of Islam was born (Egger 2004). The Sunni sect would continue to support what they saw as the traditional path of Islam.

Aslan's explanation of early Islam is simply too literalist. The image bestowed is that of a perfect Prophet and principally undeserving heir. Some decades after Muhammad's death the wars of succession led to the beginning of the Shia that asserted on treating Muhammad as more a simple messenger and urged that his family equipped the caliphs, i.e. his in-law Ali and his heirs. Ali was, doubtless, a

The Prophet Muhammad is undoubtedly one of the single most important figures in all of history. His messages as the Prophet of God created a new community of Believers that has morphed into the second largest religion in the world, and created one of the greatest states in history, the caliphate. However, since his death 1400 years ago, his followers have struggled to define exactly how Muhammad’s authority and teachings apply in their day and age (Donner xi). Was he a commanding military leader, a devout theologian, or a master legislator? Muslims throughout history have taken vastly different positions on this spectrum, yielding varied sects of Islam, and leading to the rise and fall of caliphates throughout the ages. Two good examples of this are the Kharijites and the Umayyad dynasty, who through their actions show us their opinions on the authority of the prophet Muhammad, whether as a political leader or spiritual icon. These definitions shaped the rise and fall of the Umayyad dynasty and Kharijite sect by affecting their policy towards other religions and sects of Islam.

The lives of Muhammad by Kecia Ali is a modern book that describes the way the life of the prophet has been told by past authors. It looks at the manner in which he lived his life and some of the decisions that he made. However, many other authors who have written about the life of Prophet Muhammad but Kecia Ali bring out the unspoken perspective that many people hardly notice. She shies away from describing the truth spoken by anti-Muslims and Muslims alike. On the contrary, she analyses both factions of the narrations and tells the story of Muhammad in a new light.

We learn that they look at Imam Hussayn as an idol, more specifically as an ideal representation of what it means to fight for peace and justice, and through tears and emotion we see how important Imam Hussayn’s role and downfall in the Battle of Karbala has in these men’s lives. The documentary goes on to discuss the regime of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the role of Ayatollah Khomeini for Shia Islam and the belief that Imam Mahdi will reappear to dissipate all the oppression without having to initiate the battle on his own, just as Imam Hussayn did. All of these factors come together to show the roots of Shia Islam and the heavy influence this ancient battle has on modern Iranian culture, while briefly exploring the role it had in the Iranian Revolution as