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Are shias muslims?

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan, Assalmu alay kum and May allah give you better rewards for maintaing this forum.

 

Brother, I am an india by birth and now working in Riyadh. Last month I got an apportunity to work in Makkah for a month long time. And stayed in the hotel where mostly the Iran Shiya were staying.

 

So, I want to know from you the belives of this Shiya guys. Can we consider them Muslim or not?

 

If Yes, it`s OK that they are in Makkah. If not they should not be allowed to be in Makkah, as non muslims are not allowed in Makkah.

 

Please write me the complete belives of the shiya guys.

 

HOpe to recive your details reply soon.

 

Allah Haif and keep up your good work.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Are shias Muslims?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78: O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Al-Mu’minun verse 52: And this ‘Ummah’ of yours is one ‘Ummah’, and I (Allah) am your Lord, so fear Me alone!

 

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, it is indeed unfortunate that today the believers wish to be recognized by man-made names likes Shias, Sunnis, Ismailis, Hanafis, Shafeis, etc. Allah Subhanah has declared that the community of the believers are one Ummah, and the name He has chosen for the believers is ‘muslims’. It is indeed unfortunate that the believers wish to be recognized by their self-invented names, rather than be honored and recognized by the name that Allah Subhanah has chosen for them; ie. ‘muslims’!!!

 

Your Question: So, I want to know from you the belives of this Shiya guys. Can we consider them Muslim or not?

Regardless of what name or sect one chooses to belong to; if one declares the ‘shahaadah’ or testimony of faith that there is no god or deity worthy of worship except Allah Subhanah Alone, and Mohammed (saws) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws); that person will be deemed a ‘muslim’ in the sight of the believers and in the sight of the Shariah or Islamic Law. Any person who declares this testimony of faith will be regarded a legal muslim, and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to the person in full. He can marry amongst the believers, he will inherit from his muslim parents, he can visit the Sacred House of Allah, he will be given a muslim burial, etc.

 

Allah Subhanah has not made it the duty of the believers, nor have the believers been given the power to look inside the heart and determine the intention of those who declare this supreme ‘shahaadah’. Regardless of what has in one’s hearts, or regardless of what one wishes to call himself; or regardless of the discrepancies in his deeds; etc. if one declares the ‘shahaadah’ or testimony of faith in the Oneness of Allah and in the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, the person will be ‘legally’ recognized as a muslim and all the rights that are due to a muslim brother will be accorded to him in full.

 

It is only on the Day of Judgment when the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord Alone will Judge and determine who amongst the people were ‘real’ muslims, and who were not! That decision and judgment is for the Supreme and Majestic Lord Alone to make.

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Three things are the roots of faith:

to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah", and

not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and

not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action.’

 

There is absolutely no doubt that our believing brethren who call themselves ‘Shias’ do declare their belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah, and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah; thus in all aspects of Islamic Law they will be regarded as muslims, and all the rights that are due to the muslims will be accorded to them in full.

 

Your Question: Please write me the complete belives of the shiya guys.

Dear and Beloved Brother, if we were to write the complete beliefs of our ‘Shia’ brethren, it would indeed require volumes of books to be written! Scholar upon scholar from both sides have written their opinions and differences of opinions between those who call themselves ‘Shias’ and the mainstream ‘muslims’, but neither side have been able to convince the other! It is indeed unfortunate that the Ummah of muslims, who were commanded to remain united in their worship of their One and Only Lord, have broken themselves into sects, each trying to declare the other as non-muslims!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-53: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time.

 

The biggest point of contention between the mainstream muslims and their Shia brethren is in the choice and appointment of the ‘Ameer ul Mumineen’ or ‘Leader of the believers’ after the death of the noble Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

The mainstream muslims believe that the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not himself appoint his heir-apparent to lead the believers after his death, and trained the believers enough in his lifetime to choose the best amongst them by consensus to be their ‘Ameer’ or leader; and that is precisely how the believers in consensus chose the noble companion and life-long friend of the Messenger of Allah (saws), Hadrat Abu-Bakr as-Siddiq (r.a.) as the ‘Ameer ul Mumineen’ after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Our brethren who call themselves ‘Shias’ believe that, before his death, the Messenger of Allah (saws) specifically appointed his noble companion and son-in-law, Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) as his heir-apparent and to be the ‘Ameer-ul-Mumineen’ after his (saws) death. They further believe that the appointment of the ‘Ameer’ is not something that should and can be left upto the believers to choose amongst themselves; but they are chosen and appointed by the preceding ‘Ameer’ or ‘Imaam’ under the guidance of Allah, before his death.

 

The choosing and/or the appointment of who would be the ‘Ameer’ after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the succession of the ‘Imaams’ for times to come until the Day of Judgment is the main bone of contention between the two major sects in Islam.

 

Allah says in Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17: "Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing."

 

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, our duty as believers is not to add fire or widen the differences between the two differing parties; but as their brothers in Islam and in these extremely trying times for the ‘Muslim Ummah’ our duty should always be to reconcile and set the relations right between our believing brethren, regardless of their differences.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 49 Surah Hujaraat verses 10: The believers are the brothers of one another; so set the relations right between your brethren and fear Allah. It is expected that you will be shown Mercy.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 

 

 


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