Introduction For most of its Islamic history, the land of Iran was majority Sunni. The Shi’i Safavids, who took control of Iran in 1501, changed this forever. Unlike other Shi’i dynasties such as the Fatimids in north Africa and the Buyids in Iraq, the Safavids were successful in permanently changing the religious landscape of the […]
Category Archives: Politics
This article compares the Sunni theory of caliphate with the Shia theory of leadership.
The Khawarij sect emerged during the first civil war (656-61) following ‘Alī ibn Tālib’s decision to accept arbitration at the Battle of S̩iffīn.
Imamate is a cornerstone of Shi’i belief, one of the pillars of faith, and it distinguishes a Shi’i from a Sunni.
In part one we compared the Sunni theory of leadership with the Shia theory. In part two we discuss the necessity of having a leader, the methods by which he may be selected and the problem of tyranical leaders.
A common myth propagated by some groups is that the Khilafah ended 1924.