Reddit mentions of The Succession to Muhammad

In terms of academic works, a few more to take a look at would be The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam by Maria Massi Dakake, God's Caliph: Religious Authority in the First Centuries of Islam by Patricia Crone and Martin Hinds, The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate by Wilferd Madelung, and The Origins of the Shī'a: Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century Kūfa by Najam Haider. None of these I would give my 100% approval too, but they are interesting historical takes on the topic in a more critical fashion than you'll often find.

Wow is that a big topic!

Don't want to get into it to be honest. Buy there is a great book I recommend

https://www.amazon.com/Succession-Muhammad-Study-Early-Caliphate/dp/0521646960

It has the best treatment I've seen, but only covers the time of the first four and still far from completely accurate in my opinion.

> Ali's name wasn't even mentioned in the discussion over successor; he himself wasn't even involved in them.

You should not only read scholarly researched history[1] but be able to appreciate it, from both perspective. Obviously, no one can force anyone.

You cannot be more wrong about what I have quoted you saying.

'Ali was part of that shura at Saqifah. But he was more into arranging for the last rites of the Prophet. The shura most definitely rushed to arrive at their consensus. 'Ali hesitantly accepted their result.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Succession-Muhammad-Study-Caliphate/dp/0521646960

If the Ayats I quoted are only relevant to when Prophet (pbuh) was alive, than by logic it means they are not relevant anymore. This makes it your belief, which is fine, but that's not my belief. I do not believe there is anything in Qu'ran that is irrelevant for any time as it is a final Book of final Prophet and it requires interpretation because Prophet is not among us. According to Shi'a belief, the Imam is the interpreter as per 4:59 (referenced at original source).

Since we know this topic is endless and we are not here to convert each other, I will gratefully end this with an acknowledgement of your reference to Arabic grammar. From my end, I recommend you research the event of Saqifa through Wilfred Madelung's The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate, a scholarly and detailed study.

Wa'salaam.

I think the FGM rate indeed horrible. Luckily it has been largely solved( http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/08/iraqi-kurdistan-female-genital-mutilation-fgm) & (''The Stop FGM in Iraqi-Kurdistan Campaign will serve as a model for the Stop FGM in the Middle East Campaign that will begin in 2013. '' http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/725-public-education.html). As you can see, the Kurdish solution has even been praised as a model for the other ethnicities in the region.

Now it will be used for FGM campaign for Arabs(Yemen:http://www.stopfgmmideast.org/countries/yemen/ , http://www.refworld.org/docid/46d5787ec.html). As you can see, FGM came from Arabs to Kurds. Historians have discribed the matter as a byproduct of Arab conquests where Yemen settlers came living in Northern Mesopotamia(http://www.amazon.com/Succession-Muhammad-Study-Early-Caliphate/dp/0521646960).

So as you can see, Arabs still do FGM in Yemen and other Arab countries.

But let's not derail the topic: why do so many Shia Arabs in Iraq hit themselves to death? It is a sin in islam to hurt yourself, why then do it?