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Recommended history books

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
I am wondering if anyone has some books especially on the First Four Caliphs and especially any books that deal specifically with the Sunni-Shia split. Various different perspectives are quite welcome and would be extremely helpful. Well that is just my inner-historian speaking but any suggestions on the topics would be an excellent help.:D
 

Rational_Mind

Ahmadi Muslim
I am wondering if anyone has some books especially on the First Four Caliphs and especially any books that deal specifically with the Sunni-Shia split. Various different perspectives are quite welcome and would be extremely helpful. Well that is just my inner-historian speaking but any suggestions on the topics would be an excellent help.:D

http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Khilafat-e-Rashida.pdf

Here is one, I will try to find others. I myself am interested in a good book on this topic.

http://www.alislam.org/library/khilafat/Hadhrat Omer.pdf
 
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Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Khilafat-e-Rashida.pdf

Here is one, I will try to find others. I myself am interested in a good book on this topic.

Thanks for the link. I have become quite interested in this period of history but really haven't found anything solid to read yet. Either it is extremely pro-Sunni or pro-Shia and there is nothing wrong with that but I feel that sometimes the bias colors it. I figure if there isn't a very objective book on the situation I could read a pro-Sunni book and a pro-Shia book and see if I can come to any conclusions. Unfortunately history and splits like this with so much blood between the two makes it hard to be objective for many.
 

FearGod

Freedom Of Mind
I am wondering if anyone has some books especially on the First Four Caliphs and especially any books that deal specifically with the Sunni-Shia split. Various different perspectives are quite welcome and would be extremely helpful. Well that is just my inner-historian speaking but any suggestions on the topics would be an excellent help.:D

Hi Brother Dingbat,

Hope this book will be helpful
The Caliph and the Heretic: Ibn Saba? and the Origins of Sh??ism - Sean Anthony -
 

Shia Islam

Quran and Ahlul-Bayt a.s.
Premium Member
I am wondering if anyone has some books especially on the First Four Caliphs and especially any books that deal specifically with the Sunni-Shia split. Various different perspectives are quite welcome and would be extremely helpful. Well that is just my inner-historian speaking but any suggestions on the topics would be an excellent help.:D

Thanks for this question...
Will come back to it soon, insha'allah
 

Gharib

I want Khilafah back
Hi Dingbat.

I am officially supposed to be away and not posting, however, I'd like to help you out.

If you want to buy actual books on this matter (the time period of the Rightly Guided Khalifa's) then I suggest to you the books of Dr Ali Muhammad As Sallabi.

You can find his books in the Darussalam website at: Dar-us-Salam.com - Product Search

You can buy the 4 books of the Khulafa. They mention the division. The Sunni's were in favour of Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu being the leader as the Prophet gave him authority to lead the people in prayer before his death among other things, while the Shia believe that those of his household have more authority than anyone else and at times infallibility is attributed to those of the household of the Prophet, which Sunni's reject as no one other than the Prophets were infallible with the permission of Allah.

If you do not wish to buy books, roughly the same material is available on audio/video recordings in the Kalamullah website at: Kalamullah.Com | In The Shade of The Qur'an The brother who goes through the lives is Imam Anwar Al Awlaki, may Allah be pleased with him and accept his martyrdom.

If you prefer the latter, send me a PM and I will get the direct links for you Insha Allah.
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
Hi Dingbat.

I am officially supposed to be away and not posting, however, I'd like to help you out.

If you want to buy actual books on this matter (the time period of the Rightly Guided Khalifa's) then I suggest to you the books of Dr Ali Muhammad As Sallabi.

You can find his books in the Darussalam website at: Dar-us-Salam.com - Product Search

You can buy the 4 books of the Khulafa. They mention the division. The Sunni's were in favour of Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu being the leader as the Prophet gave him authority to lead the people in prayer before his death among other things, while the Shia believe that those of his household have more authority than anyone else and at times infallibility is attributed to those of the household of the Prophet, which Sunni's reject as no one other than the Prophets were infallible with the permission of Allah.

If you do not wish to buy books, roughly the same material is available on audio/video recordings in the Kalamullah website at: Kalamullah.Com | In The Shade of The Qur'an The brother who goes through the lives is Imam Anwar Al Awlaki, may Allah be pleased with him and accept his martyrdom.

If you prefer the latter, send me a PM and I will get the direct links for you Insha Allah.

Thank you for the recommendations Brother. I will definitely have to pick up these books for study. I have quite fallen in love with Islamic history as it is a very fascinating history.
 

Shia Islam

Quran and Ahlul-Bayt a.s.
Premium Member
I am wondering if anyone has some books especially on the First Four Caliphs and especially any books that deal specifically with the Sunni-Shia split. Various different perspectives are quite welcome and would be extremely helpful. Well that is just my inner-historian speaking but any suggestions on the topics would be an excellent help.:D

sorry for being late fulfilling my promise to reply to your post...

I have recently finished writing an article related to your question. I will publish it fully in the future, Allah willing (insha'allah).

bellow is a paragraph from that article, that I wish you will find suitable. I will inform you once the article is fully published, insha'allah. I must say that i don't know when I will publish it...It may takes time :)

Here is the quoted paragraph:
In order to succeed in facing these challenges, you need to ensure maintaining your independent thinking, and to resist the imposition of ideas upon you. It’s logical to start with seeking to understand the historical and theological backgrounds of the areas of extensive debate. Practically, you need to identify the defining events that have divided the Muslim Ummah and to read about them from the different points of views. Although some may discourage you from researching some areas that are considered taboo, you need to acquire an adequate understanding of some critical events that have shaped the Inter-Islamic map, such as the final hours of the life of the prophet , The conference of al-Saqeefa, which was held While the dead body of the Holy Prophet of Islam was still being prepared for, and the Battle of the Jamal (Camel) that took place between forces allied to the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) and forces allied to Aisha (widow of the prophet ).



For Shia Islamic sources, the following site is very rich:
Al-Islam.org by the Ahlul Bayt DILP - Home
 

Matemkar

Active Member
Salam.. MashaAllah..
Did you study the biography of Prophet Muhammad well? :)
Anyway, I want to suggest a few books on history of islam especially on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) and the history later, from both shia and sunni muslim historians and non-muslims as well..

The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad by Lesley Hazleton (Agnostic Writer as she desribes herself)
After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split by Lesley Hazleton
The Message by Ja'far Subhani (Shia Muslim Writer)
Seal of the Prophets and His Message by Mujtaba Musavi Lari (Shia Muslim Writer)
Mohammad; Man of Allah by Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Shia Muslim Writer)
Polarization Around the Character of Ali ibn Abi Talib by Murtada Mutahhari (Shia Muslim Writer)
Hussain, the Savior of Islam by Mir Ahmed Ali (Shia Muslim Writer)
The Visage of Prophet Mohammad by Dr Ali Shariati (Shia Muslim Writer)
History of Islam by Mahdi Pishvai (Shia Muslim Writer)
Fiqh al Sirah - Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan Al-Bouti (Sunni Muslim Writer)
History of Islam by Mustafa Asım Köksal (Sunni Muslim Writer)
Biorgaphies of Khulafah Rashidin by Syed Qotb (Sunni Muslim Writer)

the first two and the last three is a bit against shia islamic history.. but, I like them anyway.. I have many more but these are good as a start :) none of these are extreme in any way.. so, they might introduce the Last Prophet of Islam (pbuh&hp) and also his succession better.. There are sites you can get them as hard copy or if you like reading online books or would like to print some, I have most of them as e-books and I can share.. Please let me know.. thanks.. ma salam
 
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