The Shia-Sunni Debate

When Prophet Muhammad died in the year 11 AH, the Ummah was left with a question, what now? What is to happen to this religion? What path should we tread? Who is to carry the flag of leadership? These questions, over the course of centuries, would go on to become the Shia-Sunni debate. Did Muhammad leave a successor or not? If so, who are they, what are they like? This book, which offers a Shia perspective, seeks to answer such questions. While plenty of research has been done on the History, The Quran, and the books of hadith in regards to the Muslim's divide, there remains one facet lacking discussion. Very few works have been published contemplating the succession to Muhammad from an intellectual point of view. This book focuses less on hadith and more on the science of logic. By taking inspiration from the Islamic sciences of Manteq (logic), Hikmah (wisdom/philosophy), Tasawwuf (mysticism), and Erfan (gnosis), and applying them to the Quran and history, we have attempted to present the Shia beliefs in a unique light. If we have been successful in our endeavor, then this book poses a fresh outlook on what Islam should have been, and where it ended up going.