Sunni and Shi'a: A Political History by Laurence Louer

Sunni and Shi’a: A Political History by Laurence Louer tells the story of a schism nearly as old as Islam itself. When Muhammad died in 632 without a male heir, Sunnis contended that a successor should be chosen from among his closest companions, while Shi’a believed that God had inspired the Prophet to appoint his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as leader. From that moment, questions about the nature of Islamic political authority have shaped the history of the Muslim world.

In a sweeping narrative spanning the Islamic world, the book shows that the Sunni-Shi’a divide was never only a dispute over succession. It traces how sectarian tensions have been inflamed or calmed by political circumstances, whether to consolidate the rule of elites, assert clerical control over the state, or defy those in power, and it challenges the picture of Sunnis and Shi’a as bitter enemies perpetually at war, showing how they have also coexisted peacefully at various periods.

Readers will explore:

• The origins of the Sunni-Shi’a schism and its early history
• How political authority and doctrine have shaped the divide
• Periods of coexistence alongside periods of conflict
• The divide in Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen and Lebanon

This book is well suited to readers interested in Islamic history, Middle East politics and the historical roots of today’s conflicts. Order online from Books Garden with cash on delivery in Dhaka and delivery across Bangladesh.