Episode 1

The Origins of the Shia-Sunni Divide | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 1

About this lecture

In the first episode of a four-part deep dive on Iran, this lecture traces the origins of the Sunni-Shia divide — from the early disputes over succession after the Prophet's ﷺ death, to the traumatic events of the first civil wars and the martyrdom of al-Husayn at Karbala, through to the development of Twelver Shia doctrine and its fundamental divergences from Sunni Islam. Drawing on primary hadith sources and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi's later critical scholarship, the lecture addresses how Muslims can hold genuine solidarity with their Shia brothers and sisters while remaining honest about serious theological differences.