After The Prophet: Summary

After the Prophet

"After the Prophet" by Lesley Hazleton is a phenomenal piece of writing that describes the rift between two prominent Muslim communities namely; Sunni and Shia. The author has narrated the story from the roots of history; from the time when the Last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad SAWW was having the last days of his life. On one hand, Prophet Hazrat Muhammad SAWW lay ailing. What made him hurt so much was to see his close relations and companions fighting to be a successor after him.

The politics and planning to take over as an heir after the Prophet Muhammad SAWW was a big controversy that everyone wanted an answer to. That is what created the ripples of deep rivalry between people that later became two popular Muslim sects; Sunni and Shia.

Sunni on one hand, believe that it was Hazrat Muhammad SAWW who nominated Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) as a Caliph after him. While on the other hand, the Shia community is of the view that Hazrat Ali (RA) was the deserving and nominated candidate for Caliphate. The issue of the caliphate was not only about leading Muslims. Rather it related to political power and rule over the whole of the Muslim world. Lesley Hazleton has given a thought-provoking and diverse glimpse of the events of the caliphate till the time of Hazrat Ali and the events of Karbala.

After The Prophet: Book Review

This book is surely going to make your heart rip into pieces and the Karbala part is so heartwrenching, you can't stop yourself from crying.

I'm surely going to recommend y'all to give this one a read if you're interested to read about the Sunni-Shia rift from an unbiased view.

Even though the book has been written from a completely neutral point of view, supporting none of the sect over another. There are some things that might seem offending and I didn't like them. So I would suggest you read it with a broad mind. And I think it's one of the reasons for this book getting banned in Pakistan.

After the prophet Lasley Hazleton

After The Prophet: Book Quotes

Sharing some of my favorite quotes from "After the prophet" here;

Do not seek this world even as it seeks you.

Human truth is always flawed, realities are multiple, and that everyone has some degree of bias.

Riches beget enmity and mutual bitterness.

Oaths were one thing, the courage to follow through on them another.

Hope can be as evanescent as it is inspirational.

Tears are infectious, almost physically so. People fight back tears of sympathy and then find that their vision has blurred and the fight has already been lost.

If faith can be used as a way to channel hope for the future, it can also be used against that hope.