A podcast dramatization of the schism that split Islam into Sunni and Shia

The ancient succession drama that led to the Sunni-Shia divide

The split that divided Islam into its major branches comes down to succession: after Muhammad's death, Sunnis backed an elected leader, Abu Bakr, while Shia Muslims sided with a member of Muhammad's bloodline, his cousin and son-in-law Ali. That 7th-century disagreement shapes geopolitics today, Ramadan's traditions, and communities worldwide.

The Sunni-Shia divide has fueled conflict and rivalry throughout the Middle East for centuries

Islam's ancient sectarian split, rooted in a seventh-century dispute over succession following the Prophet Mohammed's death, has shaped modern geopolitics—most visibly in the proxy rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, whose competition for regional dominance has inflamed conflicts across Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.

A full documentary on the origins of Islam narrated by Ben Kingsley

A rare feature-length treatment of Islam's founding that traces Muhammad's life from Mecca to the emergence of the religion. Narrated by the famed Gandhi-portraying actor Ben Kingsley, it brings production values to material that's often handled dryly in text—a good visual narrative option to the religion's origins.

Hear how the US and Iran went from close allies to bitter adversaries after the 1979 revolution

Covering five decades of conflict and diplomacy, this podcast examines key flashpoints—from the Iran-Iraq War and the 1983 Beirut bombings to Iran's use of proxy forces and cyberattacks—offering insight into one of the most consequential and complex rivalries in modern geopolitics.

Mapping the Middle East showing Sunni and Shia populations by country

France24's interactive visualization shows where each branch of Islam predominates across the region, from Iran's Shia majority to Saudi Arabia's Sunni dominance. The map helps make Middle Eastern politics (and conflicts) more legible.

A 12-minute crash course on Islam, its beliefs, and history

John Green's Crash Course World History episode overs Islam's core tenets, the Five Pillars, and the religions spread across continents in a jam-packed video under 15 minutes. The video is an efficient on-ramp for newcomers and is an ideal starting point to Islam.

A podcast unpacking Pakistan’s political turmoil

Pakistan has been immersed in political crises for over 20 years. Despite being one of the world’s few nuclear powers, Pakistan’s internal instability has caused experts to question whether the country is, in fact, a failed state. Deep divisions...

Explore a podcast devoted to uncovering different conspiracy theories

Hear stories of controversial events from all around the world and come to your own conclusions about why they happened—and if someone shaped the narrative around them. From art fraud to the death of a Roman emperor, this Spotify podcast covers it all.

Aisha's firsthand account (or hadith) of Muhammad receiving the Quran

The hadith—or record of Muhammad's words or actions—includes an account from Muhammad's third wife, Aisha, who retells the story of Muhammad first receiving the revelation from Jibril. It's one of the most cited primary sources in Islamic tradition, and comes first in the broader Sahih al-Bukhari collection, a compilation of hadiths.

Ayatollah Khomeini led the ideological opposition to the Shah from exile

Exiled in 1964 for opposing a law that granted diplomatic immunity to US military personnel in Iran, Khomeini built a large following by smuggling recorded sermons into Iran on cassette tapes. He aimed to replace the monarchy with an Islamic republic governed by religious law.

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by over 1.5 million Muslims.

The rise of ISIS, explained in 6 minutes

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is incredibly powerful, and has seemingly done the impossible. The group has seized vast areas of the Middle East to form a mini-state it calls a reincarnation of the ancient Caliphate. Since forming, ISIS has waged war with all of its neighbors and has launched deadly terror attacks all over the world. This six-minute video, by Vox, outlines the history and rise of ISIS.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on why iftar at someone else's table is the whole point

The podcast "Not Even Water" interviews Khan about how Ramadan is actually lived, examining the hospitality culture that surrounds iftar, the logistics of suhoor, and what the month feels like from the inside. The episode is a grounded, personal view of the season.

Experience the political intrigue that followed Lincoln's assassination in 1865

It is April 15, 1865, and Abraham Lincoln is dead. Follow Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in this historical fiction audio drama as he hunts Lincoln's killer and battles to preserve the Union's fragile legacy in the aftermath of the assassination.

Hear about the Supreme Court case so divisive that it caused a justice's breakdown

This podcast episode examines Baker v. Carr, a landmark redistricting ruling that Earl Warren called the most important of his tenure. The case was so divisive it triggered a justice's breakdown and permanently reshaped American democracy.

A first-person account of receiving an Alzheimer's diagnosis

Having Alzheimer's is a bit like having a part of your brain sliced away each day, according to author Greg O'Brien. This 34-minute podcast episode introduces O'Brien and his co-host, author David Shenk, as the two embark on a multi-season conversation on Alzheimer's disease and O'Brien's diagnosis.

The story of Palestine through the eyes of its people

Issues of identity are crucial to understanding Israel-Palestine. This site weaves individual narratives with key historical moments and common Q&As around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ordinary people share personal stories about surviving massacres, displacement, and military occupation. And young Palestinians from across the world reflect on their identity, life under occupation, exile, and future aspirations. Explore what it means to be Palestinian through this interactive site by Al Jazeera.

That time British slavers killed enslaved people and filed for insurance reimbursement

In 1781, a British slave ship tossed 132 enslaved Africans overboard, leaving them to drown. This 52-minute podcast explores the context behind the massacre and its implications. The slavers of the ship named Zong sought insurance reimbursement for...

For the medievals, the moon was a versatile religious symbol

Within the distinct traditions of Christianity and Islam, the moon became a central metaphor and sign for religious teaching. For Christians, its light was used to explain Jesus' humanity with the light of the sun (divinity). For Muslims, the moon represented a cosmic longing for god.

One murder and two siblings' betrayal

Sophia Johnson was convicted and later acquitted of murder in the 2002 slaying of her mother-in-law. More than 20 years later, she continues to deny the allegations first voiced by one of her younger brothers who said he saw Johnson commit the crime. This is the first episode in a 10-part series covering a three-year journalistic investigation into the cold case.

Mo Amer shares his immigration journey through comedy and storytelling

In the 2025 "Code Switch" podcast, comedian Mo Amer discusses how his Netflix series, "Mo," and other stand-up specials draw on his real-life experience as a Palestinian refugee navigating the US immigration system.

Salman Rushdie's 1988 satire led to a government-sponsored death threat

Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" mocked religious dogma, including an extended sequence about the Prophet Muhammad. The book was accused of blasphemy and was banned in Pakistan and India. In 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and his publisher.

Historically, cholera has repeatedly disrupted the Hajj for Muslims

Outbreaks of the disease throughout the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, killed thousands of religious pilgrims as they sought to complete this obligatory pilgrimage.

Listen to the history of the Super Bowl halftime show

This two-part podcast traces the halftime show’s evolution from early marching band performances to star-driven productions, beginning with Michael Jackson's 1993 performance, and explains how it became one of the most influential music stages of the year.

Watch contemporary footage covering the US-backed Shah of Iran fleeing the country in the face of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

Hear today's call to prayer and special 'duas' sung by the muezzin

The call to prayer is a distinctive sound marking the start and end of the fast each day, playing a key cultural role in the rhythms of the period. This archive collects "duas" (or supplications, or a prayerful petition) for each day in the year, with timely prayers and recitations sung by the muezzin, or cantor, in gorgeously intricate melodic intervals.

Oscar snubs and losses can generate controversy

Comedian Bruce Vilanch's podcast "The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?" takes listeners behind the scenes at the Academy Awards to get the inside scoop on everything from the nominating process to the celebrity spats backstage. For example, "This One Hurts!" is about the 2010 Oscars battle for best picture between "The Hurt Locker" (directed by Kathryn Bigelow) and "Avatar" (directed by James Cameron, her ex-husband).

Salvador Dalí believed he was his own dead brother, who had died nine months before he was born

Explore chaos in this simulation of two double pendulums, where small differences in the release angles produce wildly different outcomes.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

In 2018, 26-year-old missionary John Allen Chau was killed by tribesmen after attempting to reach and evangelize on India's isolated North Sentinel Island

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

Watch how viruses like Ebola can spill over from animals to humans—and vice-versa.

The rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson centered on federalism—the question of how much power the federal government should hold relative to the states.

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Hear about the 250-year history of the United States Postal Service, complete with some of its strangest deliveries, important innovations, and the figures that made it an American institution.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

The term 'algorithm' originated from the Latinized name of al-Khwārizmī, a 9th-century mathematician whose works introduced Arabic numerals and the decimal-based numeral system to Europe and whose treatise 'Al-Jabr' gave algebra its name.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

One disco producer saw 'Star Wars' four times on its opening weekend and was so inspired that he recorded the album 'Star Wars and Other Intergalactic Funk,' which produced a chart-topping single.

Poison ivy's characteristic rash is caused by an allergic response to an oily compound in the plant called urushiol.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

Neutron stars, the remains of some massive stars after they explode in a supernova, are the densest directly observable objects in the universe.

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

The Great Salt Lake's distinct dual coloration results from high-salinity organisms that only live in the northern portion and produce a purple protein.