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Basically it is political, a very old succession struggle that was turned into an issue of religious legitimacy and of sectarianism. Najaf is the site of the tomb of Ali. Allegiance to Ali and his successors (as they saw things) was the origin of the Shia branch of Islam. Shia means "partisan", and the designation is short for "Partisan of Ali". (Ali was assassinated in 661 AD).

Below is a Shia version of the story. Note that Sunnis would tell it differently, and claim to be supporters of Ali himself, but not of schism within Islam by his self-proclaimed "followers", after his own death.

'Ali

"The foundational figure in Shi’a history is 'Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad. After the death of Muhammad, rival claims were put forth for the caliphate which was the office that was the supreme secular authority of Islam. In Shi’a history, Muhammad designated 'Ali as his successor, so that all the others who served in this capacity were illegitimate. The "Partisans of 'Ali," Shi’a 'Ali in the struggle to get 'Ali in the Caliphate and in the civil war that broke out when 'Ali was finally named Caliph gave the name to the religious schism that divided the Islamic world from the very beginning. Eventually the Shi'ites would develop a religious doctrine that differs in fundamental respects from orthodox, or Sunni Islam. Nevertheless, at the cornerstone of Shi’a history is the figure of 'Ali and his persecution by the illegitimate caliphs.

"Upon Muhammed's death, a hastily collected group of prominent Muslim leaders elected Muhammed's father in law, Abu Bakr, to be the secular head of Islam. However, 'Ali, Muhammed's son-in-law and cousin, was not part of this committee nor were other members of Muhammed's immediate family, and many believed that Muhammed had designated 'Ali as a successor, for the Traditions had Muhammed naming him as both his brother and his successor. 'Ali had been raised with Muhammed and was the second person (after Muhammed's wife Khadija) to recognize Muhammed's role as a prophet; he was the first of Muhammed's tribe, the Quraysh, to declare himself an apostle. But the Meccan and Medinan leaders, with no members of Muhammed's house present, gave their allegiance to Abu Bakr as Caliph, or Successor to Muhammad and supreme head of Islam, and attempted through force of arms to coerce 'Ali into acknowledging Abu Bakr as well. After the caliphates of 'Umar and 'Uthman, 'Ali became caliph n 656. The Umayyads who ruled the various governments, however, revolted and established the Umayyad caliphate.

"From this point onwards, authority was divided in the Islamic world. The Umayyads continued as caliphs; but there now existed in Iraq a separate Islamic community that did not recognize the authority of the Umayyad Caliphs. Rather they recognized only the successors to 'Ali as authorities, and they gave these successors the title Imam, or spiritual leader of Islam, both to differentiate their leaders from the more worldly and secular Umayyads. They called themselves Shi’a 'Ali, or "The Partisans of 'Ali," and are called by historians, 'Alids.

Husayn

"In Shi'ite history, 'Ali is the first Imam and was followed by a grand total of eleven Imams, who passed the Imamate down to their sons in hereditary succession. However, the most important Imam of Shi’a was Husayn, whose martyrdom at Karbala is the most important event in the Shi’a experience of history. Husayn was killed by Yazid, the second Umayyad caliph, because of the growing threat the 'Alids posed to caliphal power. The successful massacre of Husayn and his followers was in part due to the failure of Shi'ites to rally to their Imam—so the martyrdom of Husayn represented to Shi'ites both the illegitimacy of Islamic authority and Shi'ite failure to bring about legitimate Islamic rule."

One can see ways in which Sadr is courting a Husayn-like self-image. Those worldly rulers, they make compromises and so destroy the purity of Islamic faith, and that is why God deserts them. If Muslims all followed their Imam, God would give them victory. When they don't, their true leaders accept martyrdom in the true cause, and have their eventual reward. As a means of making a sect immune to practical compromise, it works like a charm. Every time somebody gets practical, a true believer wing splits away and refuses to go along.