"Thus, we see that Shí'ism became, in the early history of...

"Thus, we see that Shí'ism became, in the early history of Islam, a cover for different forces of social and political discontent...But with the shift from the Arab hands to those of non-Arab origin, the original political motivation developed into a religious sect with its own dogma as its theological postulate...Upon this were engrafted old oriental beliefs about Divine light and the new metaphysical setting for this belief was provided by Christian Gnostic Neoplatonic ideas."[^3] He further comments: "This led to the formation of secret sects, and just as Shí'ism served the purposes of the politically ousted, so under its cloak the spiritually displaced began to introduce their old ideas into Islam."[^4] It is in this background that I find it extremely difficult to understand how a learned scholar, from Shí'í background, could echo somewhat similar ideas about the origin of Shí'ism by writing: "Most of these early discussions on the Imamate took at first sight political form, but eventually the debate encompassed the religious implications of salvation.

This is true of all Islamic concepts, since Islam as a religious phenomenon was subsequent to Islam as a political reality."[^5] "From the early days of the civil war in A.D.

656, some Muslims not only thought about the question of leadership in political terms, but also laid religious emphasis on it."[^6] Referring to the support of shi'a of Kufa for the claim of leaders for 'Alids, the learned author writes: "This support for the leadership of the 'Alids, at least in the beginning, did not imply any religious underpinning...The claim of leadership of the 'Alids became an exaggerated belief expressed in pious terms of the traditions attributed to the Prophet, and only gradually became part of the cardinal doctrine of the Imamate, the pivot on which the complete Shí'ite creed rotates."[^7] After explaining the failures and the martyrdom of the religious leaders who rose against the authorities, he writes: "This marked the beginnings of the development of a religious emphasis in the role of the 'Alid Imams..."[^8] The Beginning of Islam The Sunnis as well as the Shí'as believe that Islam is primarily a religion whose teachings are not limited to the spiritual realm of human life but also encompass the political aspect of society.

Inclusion of political ideals in the religion of Islam does not mean that Islam started or was basically a political movement. Look at the life of (s.a.w.).