Sunnis and Shia by Laurence Louer HARDBACK 9780691186610

Sunnis and Shi'aA Political History\nAuthor(s): Laurence Louer, Ethan Rundell\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Princeton University Press, United States\nImprint: Princeton University Press\nISBN-13: 9780691186610, 978-0691186610\nSynopsis\nA compelling history of the ancient schism that continues to divide the Islamic world\n\nWhen Muhammad died in 632 without a male heir, Sunnis contended that the choice of a successor should fall to his closest companions, but Shi'a believed that God had inspired the Prophet to appoint his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as leader. So began a schism that is nearly as old as Islam itself. Laurence Lour tells the story of this ancient rivalry, taking readers from the last days of Muhammad to the political and doctrinal clashes of Sunnis and Shi'a today.\n\nIn a sweeping historical narrative spanning the Islamic world, Lour shows how the Sunni-Shi'a divide was never just a dispute over successionat issue are questions about the very nature of Islamic politi.