This chapter documents the ways in which discourses of heresy and orthodoxy were anchored in wider social beliefs and mentalities about the sacred and profane nature of places, holy and unholy regions, the divine curse, and the devil’s role in society. To illustrate this connection between regionalism and heresy, the chapter analyses al-Fasawi’s ninth-century history which hosts a section dedicated solely to discourses of heresy against Abu Hanifa and the region he settled in, Kufa. We see vividly how proto-Sunni traditionalists established a link between unholy regions and heresies.

This chapter examines the historiographical depiction of Mukhtar b. Abi ‘Ubayd in the period between 61/681 and 67/687. It identifies four primary interpretive frameworks that pervade historical depictions of Mukhtar. The first framework highlights tensions between Arab tribal elites and non-Arabs (both clients and slaves) with Mukhtar representing the demands of non-Arab populations systematically denied status and financial benefits. The second centers on the religious dimensions of Mukhtar’s rebellion often equating his supporters with the Shi‘a. Some historians openly dispute the sincerity of Mukhtar’s religious claims, particularly his calls for avenging the family of the Prophet. The third interpretive framework places Mukhtar’s revolt within a broader regional struggle between the Umayyads in Syria and the Zubayrids in the ?ijaz. The fourth and final interpretive framework integrates Mukhtar into larger propagandist narratives that center on other historical figures or movements. The chapters finds no discernible differences between historical sources based on their genre (chronography vs. prosopography vs. biography).