But it must also be recalled that during the third/tenth and fourth/eleventh centuries the stronghold of Shi'ism was southern Syria and North Africa while Khurasan was the bastion of Sunnism. Such great champions of Sunni Islam as al-Ghazzali and Fakhr al-DIn al-Razi were Persians,and Ash'arite theology, which is often called 'orthodox' Sunni theology, had its early foundation and development, to a large extent, in the hands of Persians.

Ideals and realities of Islam On page 153 Saturday, January 5, 2013 @ 4:45pm