Barout used his time to explore the theological, historical dynamics which gave rise to the institutionalization of these distinct identities in later periods. Barout was followed by historian Wajih Kawtharani, who offered a critique of Barout's depiction of the growth of distinct Islamic identities. Kawtharani's main contention was that Jamal Barout's treatment of the disputes which brought the nascent Sunni-Shia divide to an edge did not take into account the political turmoil and mass revolts which characterized the preceding three centuries of Islamic social history.