Sunni and Shia historiographies diverge over whether history serves or has betrayed God’s purpose.

Evidence

Sunni historical writing is on the whole very sober. In the Sunni view, what happens is important because it represents the working out of God’s purpose for mankind, and history is therefore a source of guidance on theology and law, a tangible expression and realization of the Sunna. The Shi a by contrast took the view that after the murder of Ali and the resignation of his son, history had, so to speak, taken a wrong turn; all non- Alid regimes were illegitimate and all existing societies were, in a sense, living in sin. The defense of the existing order is therefore an important theme of Sunni historiography. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 478

Categorization

• XREF: Contrasts with the earlier chapters on communication and media theory — the Sunni/Shia split is essentially a dispute over whose narrative of providence counts, echoing Innis on bias of communication.
• DEFINE: Explains the theological-framework difference between Sunni and Shia views of history, a conceptual key for understanding Islamic historiography.