I was asked to speak on a few historical issues concerning Islam. Undoubtedly, the most significant era in Islamic history is that in which the Holy Prophet(sa), under the command of God the Exalted, presented the religion of Islam to the world. He imprinted its reflection upon the hearts of hundreds of thousands of men through twenty three years of arduous labour, and created a community of thousands of men whose thoughts, speech and actions became [an embodiment of ] Islam itself. However, the foundation for dissension in Islam was laid fifteen years after the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa). After this time, the cracks of schism between the Muslims continued to widen. The history of this very era is concealed in heavy veils of darkness. According to the opponents of Islam this is a hideous blemish upon Islam and even to its friends, serves as a perplexing question. Only a few have sought to cross the swamp of the history of that era safe and sound, and who were able to succeed in their objective. It is for this reason that I have decided to speak to you on this very topic.