A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi'is

I've read a lot of books on Islam and always seem to walk away with as many questions as answers. This book offers many more answers that really help to understand the conflict between Sunnis and Shias that underlies so many of the conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia.There were a few places where many Middle Eastern names were referenced that made the read a little challenging, but I powered through and soon found many more chapters of very useful insights. From time to time McHugo does present views that conflict with my own, but I find his perspective useful as a counterpoint.There are few books that I have read that offer this much value. The research is extraordinary and McHugo does a commendable job of diffusing complexity and communicating non-fiction in the manner of a storyteller.

A useful summary of the history of Islam and the main sets of believers. Written for the general reader and entertaining if somewhat depressing

John McHugo's book has been widely lauded in the press, and I am happy to echo these plaudits. The hefty tome (306 pp without the abundant critical apparatus) is divided into two parts, which might have been (but aren't) called "old stuff" and "new stuff " (the latter including "the long nineteenth century", the history of increasing western influence/interference in the twentieth century, and recent or current political events).The "old stuff" is fascinating especially chapters 5 & 6, but tells of theological divergences rather than a rift. Only at the end, with the rise of Wahhabism, seeking a faith true to its founding texts and stripped of cultural accretions, does opposition to shi'ism become venomous.The entrenchment of the Sunni/Shia divide is recent, and its causes complex. In large part, they are not religious at bottom; contact with- and reaction to western ideology and meddling play a large part. Initially, the Iranian revolution provided an anti-western model for all Muslims to follow, but established régimes were anxious to protect their interests by resisting revolution. While at intervals it has been suggested shi'ism should be considered another (5th) legitimate school of jurisprudence, this was never in politicians' interests.As western armed intervention has destroyed such democratic structures as the Middle East may have possessed, sectarian patronage often remains the only recourse. The rise of Saudi, and (hence) Wahhabi influence has exacerbated and deepened the rift, while Iran fears the extending influence of USA/Israel.Only recently I was telling someone a dissertation has a beginning, a middle and an end. If I have a criticism to offer, it would be that having followed political events in the Middle East right up to the present, the author does not really draw together a synthesis of his ideas; perhaps the events in question are a work in progress, and it is too early to predict where they will lead.

John McHugo’s book homes in on the conflicts between Sunnism and Shi’ism presents the history of Islam over nearly 15 centuries. In doing so, it shows how Islam spread from the Arabian peninsula to other part of the Arab world and beyond: Spain, Portugal, Bosnia, Turkey, Persia, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and many other countries.The book shows how Sunnism and Shi'ism originated, partly because of different beliefs but also because of the interplay of important vested interests backed by military force. When Mohammed died there was a tussle to be his successor involving different relatives and powerful clans. This dispute was never really settled and, over time, differences of religious interpretation and practice helped to solidify the differences between those who saw Mohammed’s family (the descendants of his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali) as the heirs to whom the Faithful should look for religious guidance, and those who thought it should be sought from the teachings of the Prophet's Companions (even though many of them had bitterly opposed Ali). Military force has from the early days been used to spearhead the spread of Islam to many parts of the world and to settle which broad branch of Islam would be established as the official creed in different countries.The author is careful not to draw parallels with the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in Europe from the 16th to the 17th centuries – conflicts which were also partly over territory, as well as being inspired by differences of interpretation and practice. The Quran, like most religious texts, exhorts people to treat others with kindness and consideration. As a reader, one therefore can’t help feeling depressed that Muslims still manage to fight about these things after nearly 1500 years. There was a period when it looked as if Muslims of both Sunni and Shi’i persuasion might recognise that the wise words of the Quran could unite them rather than divide them, but the spat between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with most Muslims in the Middle East tending towards one side or the other, continues to poison the atmosphere and has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in recent years.

Packed with detail this book is recommended for anyone who wants to understand the complexities of the islamic world today. The author ably guides one through the detailed history of islamic sects from the time of the prophet up to the present day in a text which is clear and accessible.

Good coverage of the topic