Journalist Khalid M. Amayreh points out the Major Contradictions in the Shiite Imami Religion in his book My Story with the Shiites. He says the real contentious issue between Muslims and Shiites is not Yazid or Mu’awiya, Hassan or Hussein, Fadak or al-“Zahraa’s limb,” the Karbulaa tragedy or the so-called Raziyatul Khamis (Thursday’s calamity), Hadithul Manzela or the Saqifa of Bani Sa’ada, or the Ghadeer Khom event. In fact, these issues can be reduced to mere “red herrings” used by the Shiites to discredit Islam and undermine the entire Muhammadan message. This timely and eye-opening book clears up misconceptions as it tells the truth about Shiites and Shiism.

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.

A compelling history of the ancient schism that continues to divide the Islamic world When 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 Louër 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. In a sweeping historical narrative spanning the Islamic world, Louër shows how the Sunni-Shi'a divide was never just a dispute over succession—at issue are questions about the very nature of Islamic political authority. She challenges the widespread perception of Sunnis and Shi'a as bitter enemies who are perpetually at war with each other, demonstrating how they have coexisted peacefully at various periods throughout the history of Islam. Louër traces how sectarian tensions have been inflamed or calmed depending on the political contingencies of the moment, whether to consolidate the rule of elites, assert clerical control over the state, or defy the powers that be. Timely and provocative, Sunnis and Shi'a provides needed perspective on the historical roots of today's conflicts and reveals how both branches of Islam have influenced and emulated each other in unexpected ways. This compelling and accessible book also examines the diverse regional contexts of the Sunni-Shi'a divide, examining how it has shaped societies and politics in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.

A thought-provoking, original appraisal of the meaning of religion by the host of public radio's On Being Krista Tippett, widely becoming known as the Bill Moyers of radio, is one of the country's most intelligent and insightful commentators on religion, ethics, and the human spirit. With this book, she draws on her own life story and her intimate conversations with both ordinary and famous figures, including Elie Wiesel, Karen Armstrong, and Thich Nhat Hanh, to explore complex subjects like science, love, virtue, and violence within the context of spirituality and everyday life. Her way of speaking about the mysteries of life-and of listening with care to those who endeavor to understand those mysteries--is nothing short of revolutionary.

The 1400-year-old schism between Sunnis and Shi`is has rarely been as toxic as it is today, feeding wars and communal strife in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan and many other countries, with tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalating. In this richly layered and engrossing account, John McHugo reveals how this great divide occurred. Charting the story of Islam from the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad to the present day, he describes the conflicts that raged over the succession to the Prophet, how Sunnism and Shi`ism evolved as different sects during the Abbasid caliphate, and how the rivalry between the empires of the Sunni Ottomans and Shi`i Safavids contrived to ensure that the split would continue into modern times. Now its full, destructive force has been brought out by the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the soul of the Muslim world. Definitive and insightful, A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi`is shows that there was nothing inevitable about the sectarian conflicts that now disfigure Islam. It is an essential guide to understanding the genesis, development and manipulation of the great schism that has come to define Islam and the Muslim world.

Traces the experiences of a Jewish American who converted to radical Islam during his college years and accepted a job working for an extremist charity that was eventually charged by the U.S. government with funding terrorist organizations.

Eternally amazing! Ten real-life experiences about faith in Allah, the Qur’an, and amazing encounters with the God of Abraham. Ten Amazing Muslims is a compilation of stories representing a vast demographic of Muslims—from Jihadists to peaceful leaders and humble Bedouins to intellectuals of various echelons of society worldwide. True stories include a man raised to be a terrorist, to a scholar seeking to know Muhammad and a woman raised as a Bedouin. Through these experiences you will gain a deeper understanding of Islam and be amazed at the personal encounters with the God of Abraham,Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob. You will hear truths from the Qur’an, the Torah, the Zabur (the Book of Psalms), and the Injil (the Gospel)—the words of Muhammad, Moses, Jesus, and the ancient prophets of God. In their own words, ten amazing Muslims tell their stories about how God chose to reveal Himself to them in extraordinarily supernatural ways. Most of these men and women are devout Muslims, while others are scholars of the Qur’an and Hadith—some are just ordinary Muslims searching for answers from God.

These narratives recount what it means to be a research student at an Australian university. They unpack the complex pathways that have lead the authors to this place, the early imaginings, the attempts to achieve the dream and the challenges that come with that achievement. These students bring a range of life skills and experiences to their studies and need to balance competing financial, family and employment related demands on their time and attention. For the international students whose voices dominate this text, there are also barriers of culture, language and physical and emotional dislocation. Students from Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iraq and Romania recount the personal and academic challenges they have faced and the ways in which they have struggled to find a way of being in academia which both accommodates their sense of self and allows them to be recognised as researchers in the international arena. An Australian student adds her voice to the collection. Their stories all combine the intensely personal with the academic. There is the joy of finding libraries full of books, of making friends with strangers, of managing to be student, partner and parent. There is pride in the achievement of children coping with school and gratitude for the support of family and fellow students. There is also developing confidence in their ability to contribute to research in the international arena and increasing authority in the ownership of their research. As a collection these narratives offer insight into both the student travellers and the academic and personal journeys being taken. Cover photo: International academia, by Erika Akerlund, Hobart, Australia

“Alsanea's wisdom and insight into the female experience seem surreal. She captures the core, universal truths of the complications in finding and holding a life partner. Her characters provide wisdom to each other that are astounding in their accuracy, and Alsanea thus speaks for countless women everywhere.” —Bookreporter.com When Rajaa Alsanea boldly chose to open up the hidden world of Saudi women—their private lives and their conflicts with the traditions of their culture—she caused a sensation across the Arab world. Now in English, Alsanea’s tale of the personal struggles of four young upper-class women offers Westerners an unprecedented glimpse into a society often veiled from view. Living in restrictive Riyadh but traveling all over the globe, these modern Saudi women literally and figuratively shed traditional garb as they search for love, fulfillment, and their place somewhere in between Western society and their Islamic home.

This book describes what Shiism means to those who actually practice it and serves as both an excellent introduction to the subject and an original work of scholarship.