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

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

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Amazon.com Review

Book Description Narrative history at its most compelling, After the Prophet relates the dramatic tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between Shia and Sunni Islam. Even as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over his successor had begun. Pitting the family of his favorite wife, the controversial Aisha, against supporters of his son-in-law, the philosopher-warrior Ali, the struggle would reach its breaking point fifty years later in Iraq, when soldiers of the first Sunni dynasty massacred seventy-two warriors led by Muhammad's grandson Hussein at Karbala. Hussein's agonizing ordeal at Karbala was soon to become the Passion story at the core of Shia Islam. Hazleton's vivid, gripping prose provides extraordinary insight into the origins of the world's most volatile blend of politics and religion. Balancing past and present, she shows how these seventh-century events are as alive in Middle Eastern hearts and minds today as though they had just happened, shaping modern headlines from Iran's Islamic Revolution to the civil war in Iraq. After the Prophet is narrative nonfiction at its finest, and an emotional and political revelation for Western readers. Lesley Hazleton on After the Prophet It began with a question asked after a particularly ghastly suicide bombing in Iraq: "How come Muhammad, the prophet of unity who spoke of one people and one God, left behind him this terrible, unending, bloody legacy of division between Sunni and Shia?" The question haunted me, and led me to the magnificent story of the struggle for leadership after Muhammad's death, an epic as alive and powerful today as when it first happened. I knew then that how I wrote this book was as important as what I wrote. I had discovered a story so rich in characters, culminating in such a tragic and unforgettable sacrifice, that it would have made a writer like Gabriel Garcia Marquez green with envy. Of course--how else could it survive and gather power over so many centuries? How else inspire people to forfeit their lives and those of others in its name? Yet though it is deeply engraved in Muslim consciousness--to the Sunnis as history and to the Shia as sacred history--the story of the events that divide them has remained largely unknown in the West. And our ignorance of it has haunted us as one Western power after another has tried to intervene in a conflict they barely understand. That's why I wanted to bring Western readers inside the story, to make it as alive for them as it is in the Middle East, so that they can not only understand it on an intellectual level, but experience it--grasp its emotive depth and its inspirational power, and thus understand how it has survived and even strengthened, and how it affects the lives of all of us today. The subject was all the more irresistible to me personally since it brings together many of my deepest interests: the interplay of religion and politics, more intricately intertwined in the Middle East than anywhere else in the world; my own experience living in and reporting from the Middle East for Time magazine and other publications; my affinity for narrative nonfiction and for tracing the interplay of past and present; and my original training as a psychologist, which comes into play as I explore the story, the way it has endured, and how it is used today in politics, society, spiritual life, and, too often, war. I could almost imagine that if all this had only been better known in the West, American troops would never have been sent within a hundred miles of Iraqi holy cities like Najaf and Karbala, which figure in it so largely, and that we would never have tried to intervene in an argument fueled by such a volatile blend of emotion, religion, and politics. But I know this is wishful thinking. In the end, I will be happy if readers simply turn over the last page and breathe out the words I found myself saying again and again as my research deepened, and that seem to me an entirely appropriate response to a story of this power: "Oh my God..." --Lesley Hazleton (Photo © Lesly Wiener)

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From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Much American foreign policy has been shaped by the centuries-old disagreement between Islam's two main factions, and yet Americans in general, and our politicians in particular, often can't tell Sunnis from Shi'ites. With the publication of this outstanding book, we no longer have any excuse. Hazleton (Jezebel) ties today's events to their ancient roots, resurrecting seventh century Arabia with reverence and vivid immediacy. Here are rich recreations of the lives of the Prophet Muhammad and his beloved wife Aisha; here are often overlooked details (why is green the color of Islam? why do some Muslim women veil?) filling in the contours of the narrative. The battle to name Muhammad's successor is gripping—but it is Hazleton's ability to link the past and present that distinguishes this book: the main issue is again what it was in the seventh century—who should lead Islam?—played out on an international level. Where Ali once struggled against Muawiya, Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia today vie with each other for influence. Anyone with an interest in the Middle East, U.S.-international relations or a profound story masterfully told will be well served by this exceptional book. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product details

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (September 15, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0385523939

ISBN-13: 978-0385523936

Product Dimensions:

6.4 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

Average Customer Review:

4.4 out of 5 stars

281 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#651,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

The author of this book, Lesley Hazelton, is a journalist, not a historian or a social scientist, and it shows. The book is a fast, entertaining read, even exciting. However, without any references, it is impossible to tell how much of it is based on serious scholarship and contemporary sources, and how much is based on the author’s assumptions and conjecture (I would guess quite a bit on the latter). In particular, Hazelton goes on at great lengths about the emotions of the people she writes about, and makes extremely sweeping, unsubstantiated assumptions about their characters and what kind of people they were. Most prominently, I found the portrayal of Aisha as an over-indulged, jealous teenager extremely problematic - teenagers of that era went through a completely different socialization, and were at completely different stages of life than in the modern day (indeed, the concept of ‘teenager’ did not exist until relatively recently). Hazelton seems to think that her middle class British childhood experience is somehow universal - it is not, and while that kind of writing might be all right for a Walt Disney script, it does not suit a book with serious pretenses. I also found the comparison between the Rejectionists and modern suicide bombers extremely simplistic, even dangerous - Hazelton seems to be suggesting that fanaticism in 21st century terrorist organizations is somehow inherent in the religion from the ancient day. This is a bold assertion that should not be simply made in passing, but needs to be substantiated with the kind of proper research and thinking that the author certainly does not exhibit here. The book is all right for gaining a basic knowledge of the historical events, but don’t take it too seriously.

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.

I hope this is required reading for every American diplomat and official and military officer with some degree of responsibility for dealing with Muslims. I have read a lot about Muslims and Middle eastern governments and yet i never really had the whole story on this Shia vs Sunni issue. Hazleton's book gives us all the details of history and lets us in on how the middle east and Islam was formed and why the history of that region is so alive today! This is one of those history books that is actually a page turner. I could not put it down.

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.

I wanted to understand the beginnings of Shia Islam and every book I found in English was either horrendously boring, too politically charged, or both. This book was perfect for it. I couldn't put it down. Yes, this kind of narrative history has its weaknesses, but I haven't seen anything that works better as an introduction to the topic. History is about people's stories, after all.My one complaint is that lending is disabled on the Kindle version. This is the kind of book that, if I owned it in print, I'd be giving out to my friends. It's hard enough to convince friends to try books you recommend even if you are shoving the book into their hands - I'm not sure I can convince anyone to pay $12 for it on my recommendation alone. Maybe I just need better friends.

Surprisingly as a Sunni muslim I don't know why the split of Shia's happened. And I feel like a lot of people don't know either. So many stories are told and sometimes it's political and when you ask another Muslim especially they tend to get very defensive. I loved that I can read this book alone with no judgement simply because I want to educate myself. It's a great unbiased view. Which is what you want when you want truth. The writer is great, and it's an easy read even if you are not familiar with the religion or culture.

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