The Big Split

After the Prophet: the epic story of the Shia-Sunni Split by Lesley Hazleton
New York : Anchor Books, 2009.
239 p. : geneal. table, map ; 21 cm.

This is a great book for understanding the schism between Sunni and Shia Islam. What makes it a compelling read - in addition to it being very well written - is the fact that the story reads like a Greek tragedy or play by Shakespeare. Taking place in the mid to late 7th century, there is romance, betrayal, mystery, murder, heroes and villains - all playing out with consequences that are still with us today.

I really like how Hazelton writes with obvious passion, and clearly has her own idea of whose actions are most noble, but leaves a lot of conclusions to the reader. Did Muhammad really want Ali as his immediate successor? Was Ali's son foolhardy or Christlike in heading into the obvious tragedy of his death? Was Aisha a vainglorious, spoiled favorite, a brilliant political strategist, or some combination of the two? Is the Shia or Sunni interpretation of the succession true? She manages to leave all these open-ended without seeming evasive or vague.

With its index, this is a fine resource for student research on the origins of Islam and for any student of ancient history it is a great read.