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:

Praise be to Allaah.

How possibly did you come to the conclusion that shia's are muslims my dear brother in Islam. It is well known that “Shi’ah” means the Raafidah, i.e., the Ithna ‘Ashari Imaamiyyah. They have false beliefs, such as their regarding Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and most of the Sahaabah (Companions of the Prophet) as kaafirs (disbelievers), their belief that the succession after the death of Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) should have passed to ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), and their belief that the twelve Imaams are infallible.

Among their basic principles is the idea of Taqiyah (dissimulation) which means concealment of their false beliefs. Their way is the way of the hypocrites. They have obvious bid’ahs (innovations in religion),such as building mashhads (shrines) and domes over tombs, and taking them as places of worship, and their remembrance of the killing of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him), during which they openly commit all kinds of evil actions. The worst of that is their associating of others in worship with Allaah (shirk), when they seek help from ‘Ali and al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with them) and all their imaams, unless they are living in societies which do not allow them to do that.

On this basis , if the Sunnis have a state and are in power, and the Shi’ah openly display their bid’ah, shirk and beliefs, then the Sunnis are obliged to fight them, after calling upon them to stop manifesting their shirk and bid’ah, and to adhere to the way of Islam. If the Sunnis do not have the ability to fight the mushrikeen (those who associate others in worship with Allaah) and the innovators, then they have to do whatever they can to call them to the truth and to explain the right way, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”

[al-Baqarah 2:286].

Written by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak.

On the basis of the above, it cannot be said that the Raafidah are a group of Muslims, because whoever believes that the twelve Imaams have knowledge of the Unseen and that what they say is (Islamic) legislation, or curses the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or seeks help from people who are dead and buried instead of from Allaah, or seeks help from ‘Ali, al-Husayn and others instead of Allaah, cannot be a Muslim. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

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Answer:

Shia are not 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.

Your Question: How possibly did you come to the conclusion that shia's are muslims my dear brother in Islam.

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.’

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, we must realize that first and foremost, no matter which man-made and self-invented sect name in Islam one claims one belongs to, if the person has declared the ‘shahahaadah’ or testimony of faith that there is no god but Allah Subhanah, and Prophet Mohamed (saws) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah; that person will be considered a legal ‘muslim’, no matter what shortcomings he might have or what sins he might commit.

Secondly, the Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers in the above authentic hadith that three things are considered the ‘root’ of faith or ‘emaan’. Two amongst the three are:

not to declare a person who has declared the ‘shahaadah’ an unbeliever, whatever sins he may commit;

and never to excommunicate the person from the fold of Islam for any of his actions!

No matter how misguided one may think the other is from the Straight Path, provided that the person has verbally and openly declared his belief in the Oneness of Allah Subhanah, and believes that Prophet Mohamed (saws) is indeed the Last and Final Messenger of Allah; that person will and should be considered a muslim.

The statement: On this basis , if the Sunnis have a state and are in power, and the Shi’ah openly display their bid’ah, shirk and beliefs, then the Sunnis are obliged to fight them, after calling upon them to stop manifesting their shirk and bid’ah, and to adhere to the way of Islam. If the Sunnis do not have the ability to fight the mushrikeen (those who associate others in worship with Allaah) and the innovators, then they have to do whatever they can to call them to the truth and to explain the right way, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”

[al-Baqarah 2:286].

Written by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 78: 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!

Beloved and dear Brother in Islam, the believers should be proud to be recognized by the one name that our Merciful Lord has chosen for us, and that is: ‘muslims’. Neither Allah Subhanah nor the Messenger of Allah (saws) have endorsed the self-invented sects of the Shias, and Sunnis, and Itna-Asharis, Bohris, etc. that have unfortunately sprung up in Islam!

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.

In these trying times for the Muslim Ummah, it is our duty and responsibility that instead of going to the extremes in the deen and propagating ‘the Sunnis are obliged to fight them (the Shias)’, we must follow the commandment and guidance of our Merciful Lord and ‘set the relations right between your brethren and fear Allah.’

For one sect in Islam to accuse the other sect in Islam of ‘kufr’ and ‘shirk’ will do nothing, but weaken and destroy the Brotherhood of Islam, which is exactly what is happening today in our Ummah. How is it possible that both profess solemn belief in Allah and His Messenger (saws), and then declare each other as disbelievers???

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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-54: 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.

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, no matter how many shortcomings one might think the other has, our only duty and responsibility is to invite them to the Truth of Islam from the Quran and Sunnah with wisdom and in the best possible manner, and leave the Judgement to Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125: Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

May Allah Subhanah have mercy on the Ummah of Islam, and guide them to be united in the One Brotherhood of Islam. May Allah Subhanah save us from the prevailing ‘fitnah’ created by some people who accuse each other of disbelief, and propagate one muslim to fight another muslim in the name of ‘Islam’! May Allah Subhanah forgive us our shortcomings, and save the Ummah from being weakened and broken up into our own self-invented sects and creeds, and unite us all in the worship of the One and Only True Lord of the Worlds.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of being led astray.

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