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Article: History Of The Sunni-Shi'ite Split.
- Article from:
- APS Diplomat Redrawing the Islamic Map
- Article date:
- June 11, 2007
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The Shi'ites are the result of a violent schism which followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD, and through the centuries have generally been the losers in a struggle to lead the Muslims and to divide power. That has left them with a sharp feeling of dispossession, of being a people denied their destiny by corrupt Sunni rulers. The split began with a fight over who should lead the Muslims after Muhammad's death.
One side held that direct descendants of the prophet should take up the mantle of "khalifa" (caliph - i.e., successor). They were Shi'at-Ali (partisans of Ali), after the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi-Taleb, whom they favoured to ...