Lesley Hazleton

Explains the origins of the Shia and Sunni conflict, describing how a seventh-century struggle between the supporters of the late Muhammad's family members erupted in a massacre at Karbala that became a central part of Shia Islam.

The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam

After the Prophet

Laura Mauler

I loved this book, it was the very best kind of non-fiction: engaging, entertaining, informative. 

Things that made the book great:

1. The story itself is damn fascinating.
2. The writing was wonderful, it truly felt like a story rather than a historical account. 
3. There was a good amount of tie-in with modern times, explaining how specific events or teachings or symbols turn into what we know today (I especially liked learning about how Muslim women came to wear the veil, which was a situation that every high schooler understands).


This book is especially useful for Americans because none of this is covered in our public schools' history classes, unlike the Catholic/Protestant split, which is covered extensively.

coriander

This book gives a good and very readable overview of the history of the Sunni-Shia conflict. It does come off as biased toward the Shia - giving that history and viewpoint much more attention than the Sunni side, so I would have to read more to get a more full understanding of the Sunni perspective. But overall, a good introduction to Islam's development after the death of the Prophet.

Yasser Yahia

An interesting read down the history of the Sunni-Shia split. Lesley Hazleton a British agnostic jewish as she often describes herself summaries the series of events starting from the prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) death and ending with the massacre of Hussein's death touching upon the main conflicts in political views that led to the current split. She didn't take sides in her book and made sure to show the points of view from both sides (usually focusing on the controversial side) which made it a calmer trip with no feelings of biases at least for me.

garima mamgain

This is my first standalone book on history of Islam. The book is an extremely intriguing one. The story begins after death of the founder of the religion and ends with after effects of that event in modern times. 
The stories of all characters are very real. The book is a great work of storytelling. A very interesting read for those who want to understand the genesis of the Shia-Sunni differences in today's world.

Anooshay Abbasi

Not recommended for people looking to learn about Islamic history. Rather, for those who already know islamic history and wish to understand it a bit better and gain some perspective.

In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells the tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, a rift that dominates the news now more than ever. Even as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over who would take control of the new Islamic nation had begun, beginning a succession crisis marked by power grabs, assassination, political intrigue, and passionate faith. Soon Islam was embroiled in civil war, pitting its founder's controversial wife Aisha against his son-in-law Ali, and shattering Muhammad’s ideal of unity. Combining meticulous research with compelling storytelling, After the Prophet explores the volatile intersection of religion and politics, psychology and culture, and history and current events. It is an indispensable guide to the depth and power of the Shia–Sunni split. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Kate Lillie

Sara Piteira 

Raihan Khan

Ethan E. Harris

A narrative history of the origins of the Shia and Sunni conflict describes how a seventh-century struggle between the supporters of the late Muhammad's surviving family members erupted in a massacre at Karbala that would become a central component of Shia Islam.

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

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