1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said he was the city and one particular man was the gate. To get to the city, you'd have to go through that man. After his death, that gate was left untouched for 25 years. 3 caliphs came and went and it took the death of the 3rd caliph at the hands of the Muslims for that gate to be opened.

That gate was known as Imam Ali (PBUH) and the consequences of the above would ultimately lead to a schism in Islam that reverberates until today, shapes the Islamic world and has led to countless dynasties, debates, disputes and at times, death.

Join me in season 2 of the Lispective as we try to recount this important 25 year period after the death of the Prophet (PBUH) and approach it from a rational, logical, historical and academic perspective where we attempt to answer the question: what were the results, both at the time and beyond, from the Islamic community ignoring the gate and choosing to find their own path forwards.

In episode 1, join me as we lay down the foundations for why this topic is worthy of being discussed, how we will break down the season, what sources I will use, how I will try to avoid this being a polemic, heated discussion and rather make this a healthy discourse looking at a small period in a shared history (emphasis on the word shared). It's long but buckle up; it's going to be a long ride.

Welcome to Season 2: From the City to the Gate.

Imam Hussain (PBUH) stood up to injustice 1400 years ago and paid for it with his life and the lives of his family. So what?

Join me and a few of my friends in this final episode, where we seek to wrap up our discussion and attempt to answer the question above, the most difficult question of all when it comes to discussing this story.

This episode attempts to look into how the story of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and his message is used today, on both a macro and micro scale, and how his story has the power to influence real change for good. Join me for one last episode and see whether you find yourself at the end asking the question – so what?

Every community mourns in different ways. For Muslims, most specifically Shia Muslims, there is no bigger tragedy than the tragedy of Ashura. For Shia Muslims, the 10th of Muharram each year represents the saddest period of the calendar year and one Shias mourn for; not just with their tears, but through practices that have existed for centuries, if not over a millenia.

Shia Islam is often marred through images of some of these practices. Many non-Muslims, and even some Muslims, cannot wrap their heads around it. Join my friend and I once more into a deep dive of what these practices are, how different communities do different things and the importance of it in commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (PBUH).