| To be a Shia or a Sunni? - A thirteen centuries old question. |
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There are a number of differences in the Shia and the Sunni Juristic opinions. But these differences cannot be termed as the "basic differences" in these two (unfortunately) major sects of Islam. The basic difference in the two sects is that of the Shiite faith of the system of "Imamat". The Shiite faith of "Imamat" implies that after the Prophet (pbuh), there shall be no other prophet, but the only true leader of the Muslims, at a given time, is an "Imam" who, like the prophets of Allah, is directly appointed by Allah. The appointment of the first "Imam" was made by Allah through the last prophet (pbuh) and every subsequent "Imam" is appointed by Allah through the "Imam" who precedes him. Another qualification of the "Imam", according to the Shiite belief is that he shall belong to the family of the last prophet (pbuh). In this category, the khilafat of first, second and third caliphs of Islam are held null and void and done out of treachery to the Ummah. The Shiite belief holds that the "Imams", like the prophets of Allah, are "masoom" (sinless, innocent) and therefore should be obeyed in all matters and under all circumstances. The "Imams", according to the Shiite faith, are thus not just the political leaders of the Muslims but also their religious leaders and clergy. The Sunni school, on the other hand, do not hold any such belief. This may, at first sight, seem to be a trivial difference between the two schools. But a close analysis reveals that it amounts to a difference of the sources of religion for the two schools. The Sunni school, because of its lack of belief in the institution of "Imamat" holds the last prophet of Allah and the book revealed on him as the two primary sources of Islam, while the Shiite school, because of the importance and position it gives to the "Imams" holds them to be an autonomous source of their religion. Anything that an "Imam" says, any thing that he does and anything that he narrates is "religion" for the Shiite school. Differing with an "Imam" in any matter is of about the same consequence as differing with a prophet. Not submitting to the directions of an "Imam" is as grave a sin as refusing to submit to the directions of a prophet of Allah. As can be seen from the above explanation, the difference between the Shiite and the Sunni schools are not trivial, rather these differences are "very" basic.
It should be interesting to note here that although these two sects have co-existed for centuries now, the extent and gravity of sectarian violence has never been felt more than in the present times, especially in Muslim countries of Pakistan and Iraq. The basic reason for this change in the situation is that a number of prominent scholars and knowledgeable personalities of both these sects have changed the roles that they played in the past. In the past, the differences of both the sects were a matter of intellectual debate between the scholars of these sects. The gravity of these differences was also fully known, but the scholars never promoted violence against each other. But now the situation is completely different. The scholars of these sects now sit on their respective pulpits and use these differences as fire to burn the emotions and feelings of their addressees against the people of the other sects. They promote the killings of the followers of other sects by labeling these followers with various derogatory terms. They call such killings a part of Jihad and they promise their followers the everlasting bliss of jannah (paradise) if they take part in such killings. None of them can attain paradise this way, if they believe in the this authentic of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Abdullah b. (Mas'ud) reported Allah's Messenger (on whom be peace ) as saying: The first (thing) that will be decided amongst people on the Day of Judgment, will pertain to bloodshed. [Book 016, Number 4158 (Muslim)] A Muslim killing another innocent human being, be it a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a Jew, will have to answer for the blood of the innocent or the murder he committed. How can any group of Muslim, claim to enter paradise by flowing the blood of another Muslim who ( at least) believed in the Unity of Allah(swt) and Prophethood of Muhammad (saw), is beyond my senses. Yes, I do agree that the difference in the Shiite and the Sunni sects are quite basic and not trivial, but I think there is still no need to fire each other’s emotions to such great extents, even on differences that are so grave.We Muslims must be united. We must be one hand, one body, one heart, one mind and one word. We have the same God, the same Prophet (SAW), the same Mecca, the same prayers, the same Ramadan, the same goals, the same destiny and the same enemy. True Muslims do not allow anything to create disunity among them, because Allah (SWT) Has repeatedly prohibited divisions among believers. "Do not be like those who
are divided among themselves and fall into disputations after
receiving clear evidence; for those (who are divided) will be
a great punishment" Holy Quran 30:31, 32 Reader 1 comments: Having read all this, my belief is still that, Shias are not true Muslims which by the way is also supported by Sunni scholars let alone those who can rule by virtue of 'Fatwa'. Your position is that it is a duty of a state to make such a declaration. I think you probably may not want to get involved in such a controversy which may take a big bite of your time and efforts which you may rather like to use for what you have been doing? Where do you stand in matter of theology of the two sects? I really see no benefits accruing from such an act. I am sure you would agree with me that the position of an individual in the hereafter is not affected by yours or my opinion about his or her being a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Allah(swt) shall decide about that position on the basis of His own absolute knowledge, obviously, not on the basis of my or any one else’s opinion about that individual. As far as the worldly benefits of our declaring someone a non-Muslim are concerned, I am completely unaware of any that are likely to follow such a declaration, except for creating an obvious aversion in the hearts of such individual's against prophet's call to the path of Allah(swt). Some
people point out that if such a declaration is made, it would
result in spreading the knowledge that the beliefs of such and
such group are not a part of Islam. I do not agree with this
opinion. In my opinion, this advantage can more effectively be
enjoyed by merely presenting the true beliefs of Islam in an
effective and consistent manner.
Therefore,
even though I consider the Shiite beliefs to be against the
teachings of the Qur’an, as otherwise I would, obviously,
have been a Shiite myself, yet I am not prepared to call them
non-Muslims as I do not consider such an act to be within anyone's
jurisdiction. Regarding my personal stand on this issue, then according to the Shias claim, there were 125,000 followers of Islam present at Gadhir-al-Khum and around Mount of Arafat, the site of the last Sermon. It was here, that Prophet (pbuh) declared Ali(ra) as Muslims 'mawla', then how come each and everyone of the 125,000 disobeyed the Prophet for the first voting, for the second voting and even for the third voting for the appointment of the THREE Khalifs? I hate to think that the followers of Prophet of that generation were that COWARD, so as not to raise their voices for all these years when Abu Bakr(ra) mischievously declared himself as Khalifa of the Ummah despite prophet's clear indications? Finally, the religion is for ALLAH ALONE and not for any individual, be it Ali or Abu Bakr or Umar or Uthman(pbut) or current Shia Ismaili Imam - Karim Agha Khan.
We're against the hereditary (generation
after generation) Imamat of Ali's descendants. Also, never
did either Prophet (pbuh) or even Ali(ra) say that Ali's son or sons were to be
the next Imam or mawla. A Khalifa's son or Minister's Son or
Pope's son does not become the next Khalifa or Minister or
Pope. I once asked a question to myself as to, "on
what basis have we decided to be called as Muslims and who are
our primary sources for guidance mentioned in Qur'an? From
what I have read till now, the ONLY reason of us having opted
to be called as Muslims is because we believe in Allah(swt)
and ALL his prophets, including the last one, Muhammad (pbuh). Lets all ask ourselves one simple question, "Have we been commanded by Allah(swt) in Qur'an to respect ALL the companions including Ali(as) and ALL the wives of the prophet are mothers of the believers, irrespective of what they might have done during their lifetimes...for their case rests with HIM and HIM alone? " If the answer is Yes!, then it absolves them of every curse or condemnation and we lose the right to even criticize them in the light of these Quranic verses...
Reader 2 comments: Let me ask you this: Have you recited the following verse of the Qur’an? Please do explain to your readership what you understand from this:- Yauma nad’u kulla unasin bi imami-him… (and the day when We will call every people with their respective Imam….) Qur'an .17:71
Readers 3 Comments: Now consider this hadeeth report recorded by Mulla Ali Qari in his Sharh-i-fiqh-i-Akbar (Mulla Ali Qari is a Sunni Alim and this book is a commentary on Imam Abu Hanifa’s book of Islamic laws FIQH AKBAR), “man mata wa lam y’arif Imam-i-zamanihi, faqad mata meetat-al-Jahiliyya.” (one who dies without knowing the Imam of his time, dies the death of Jahiliyya). How could the Prophet (peace be upon him), have spoken the above text of the Hadeeth, recorded by Mulla Ali Qari or by anyone for that matter, when the actual "Concept of The Imamah" and/or the very perception of "The Imam of his time" was not even known by the Ummah, that lived during the life of the Prophet? The Concepts of the Khilaphat and the Imamat were developed *after* the passing away of the Prophet. Even at the Ghadir-e-Khumn, in accordance with the Shiah Traditions and Riwayats, the Prophet did not declare Hadhrat Ali as the "Imaam" of the Ummah. He just called him as their 'mawla'. Same reader 3, further writes : The hadeeth report from the Prophet about the Muslims having twelve Imams is so strongly vouched by Isnaad that it is really impossible to deny it. Consequently, Muslims had to invent at least twelve names to fit that hadeeth. However, in every century and every generation the list of the names has been changing, depending upon who was running the government. It is only the Shi'a Ithna Ashari who have maintained the list of the twelve Imams from day one and it has not changed. There is a serious problem of reconciliation within these two Ahadith. In the earlier Hadith, recorded by Mulla Ali Qari, the Prophet is supposed to have said (one who dies without knowing the **Imam of his time**, dies the death of Jahiliyya). In the later, so called as the strongly vouched Hadith, the Prophet is supposed to have said (the Muslims having **twelve Imams**). These two statements contradict each other. IF the Prophet knew the future and he also knew it for sure that there were not going to be any more Imams (Leaders) after the twelfth Imam, he could not have made the earlier statement asking the Muslim Ummah that it was imperative to know the Leaders (Imams) of "their own times". How could those that were to be born after the twelfth Imam, know the "Imams of their own times" when there were going to be none, during their life time? The earlier statement in effect acknowledges the perpetually of the Leadership (Imams), which the later statement NEGATES. Here is one more reason why each and every narration that is in circulation could not be recognized as the authentic narration. Some are, others are not.
Reader 4 comments:
Do you sunnis know what? Bibi Fatima cursed both Abu Bakr and Umar after
her prayers till the day she died. Abu Bakr and Umar displeased Allah. They
burned the house of Fatima, attacked Ali, broke Zubair's sword, and smashed
the door of the house so that Fatima was squeezed between it and her baby
miscarriaged. Doesn't your blood boil with this? Also the Holy
prophet had predicted that the people of his faith will be divided into
73 groups of which only one will be on the right and will be saved, and the
Let's all,
for our own sake, UNITE and do away with our sectarian mindset,
lest we suffer and die in the hands of unbelievers for being
the followers of one true God - Allah (swt). When Zionists in
Israel or communists in China or Shiv Sainiks in India, goes
hunting for Muslims and rampaging their homes, they don't
demarcate between Shias or Sunnis. Sunnah and Shi`a are
Muslims who pray to the same God. Both believe in the same
Qur'an, have faith in the same message of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him), and you are recommended to pray
with the Iranian Muslims in their mosques sticking to your
Sunni understanding of Islam as it is high time for the Muslim
Ummah to appreciate all the segments of this Ummah and to have
common understanding and appreciation of the Islamic faith.
The
Qur'an calls us to unite and cooperate and avoid causes of
dissent. Allah Almighty says:
" And hold fast,
all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not
separate. And remember Allah's favor unto you: how ye were
enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye
became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the
brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus
Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may
be guided.” (Al `Imran: 103)
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| Credits:- Mr. Moin Amjad, Mr. Akber Ali and Mr. Abdul Rehman. |
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