Yaqeen Podcast

The Sunni-Shia divide is among the most consequential fault lines in Islamic history — yet it is rarely examined with the care and precision it deserves. 

In this opening episode of Deep Dive: Iran, Imam Tom Facchine returns to the formative period following the death of the Prophet ﷺ, tracing the theological disputes, political tensions, and communal fractures that gave rise to Shia Islam as a distinct tradition.
 
Drawing on primary hadith sources, this episode resists both the polemical impulse to weaponize sectarian differences and the revisionist tendencies to minimize it. 

The goal is neither condemnation nor uncritical solidarity — but an informed understanding of where these divisions come from and what they actually mean.

00:00 Is Iran a Hero or a Sectarian Monster?
00:44 Two Extremes: Polemic vs. Erasure
04:16 Finding the Middle Ground on Sectarianism
05:14 Shi'ism: A Whisper That Grew Into a Shout
07:09 Fatima (RA)'s Inheritance and the First Fracture
09:08 Why Did Ali (RA) Delay His Oath of Allegiance?
13:29 What the Hadith Actually Says — and Doesn't
18:21 The Council, Abdurrahman (RA), and Uthman (RA)'s Election
21:37 Was Uthman (RA) a Puppet? Debunking the Conspiracy
32:20 The Cult of Personality Around Ali (RA)
34:31 Three Traumas That Changed Everything
35:04 The Assassination of Uthman (RA) and Civil War
36:00 Hasan (RA)'s Conditional Abdication to Muawiyah (RA)
37:12 Karbala: The Wound That Never Healed
38:27 Post-Karbala: Revolt, Repentance, and Revenge
41:28 The Kaysanites: The First Identifiable Shia Sect
42:51 Ghadir Khumm and the Revisionist Origin Story
52:12 Do Twelver Sources Claim the Quran Is Corrupted?
53:42 Attacking the Companions as an Act of Worship
58:41 Honest Critique: The Responsibility of Every Muslim
01:03:23 Wala and Bara: Loyalty Has a Gradient
01:07:53 Do We Have Solidarity With the Muslims of Iran?
01:09:25 Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

When life feels unbearable, remember this: Allah never places a burden on any soul greater than it can bear. Faith isn't only for the easy seasons of life. True worship means turning to Allah in your darkest moments and your brightest ones.

In this khutbah, Dr. Omar Suleiman explores why Allah tests those He loves, how to maintain strong faith when you're at your breaking point, and practical ways to find peace and perseverance through hardship.

What are you keeping your angels busy with? What are they building for you in Jannah, brick by brick, with the dhikr that you make every day? And how does dhikr give you the strength and courage in this life to do the right thing? 
Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Yaser Birjas continue to discuss gems on the benefits of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) that are outlined by Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) in his book Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib (available in English translation under the titles “The Invocation of God” or “Remembrance of the Most Merciful”).

“How can you neglect to remember the One Who never neglects to remember you?” 

Never discourage the dhikr of Allah for yourself or others, for that is a way of showing enmity to Allah and depriving yourself of the great reward of even just being present in the gatherings of remembrance.

What is ma’iyyah (with-ness) of Allah, and how do you gain it? And how can we avoid the pitfalls of our dhikr becoming mere lip service, a pursuit of spiritual ecstasy, or something that feels like a cheat code? 
Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Yaser Birjas continue to discuss gems on the benefits of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) that are outlined by Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) in his book Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib (available in English translation under the titles “The Invocation of God” or “Remembrance of the Most Merciful”).