For this prompt, begin with a general intro about how islam got broken up into sectarian divisions such as Sunnis and Shi’is over ideological differences and how all of these divisions had major political implications as each sect recognized their own leaders and denounced others. The thesis sentence should introduce the main argument which should sound something like, “ideological differences among believers led to multiple splits within the Muslim community, resulting in a complex mosaic of religio-political entities”. The end of the intro paragraph should introduce examples, each of which should get their own body paragraph if possible.

The specific divisions you should use as examples of sects emerging with sociopolitical consequences are…

• the split between shi’is and sunnis,
• the Ismaili sect and their establishment of a rival caliphate,
• the Hanafi sect’s support for the seljuks and their adoption and spread of it,
• the maliki sect,
• and the ibadi state at tahert.

Be sure to give an explanation of the history and causes of the emergence of each sect while also addressing the political implications that came with it. The main focus should be about the social and political histories of these sects.

A short conclusion paragraph is preferred

There are no specific sources for this prompt however it should not be too difficult to google search the topics and follow the outline in these instructions. For example, for the maliki sect (as well as all the other stuff) you could just google Maliki, find good sources that discuss the circumstances surrounding their emergence as well as the sociopolitical implications surrounding their emergence, and cite them properly if necessary.