Al-Huda
Foundation, NJ U. S. A
the Message Continues ... 6/126
Newsletter for February 2012
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SHIA-SUNNI UNITY
By Dr. Shahid Athar M.D.
(Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and
Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis,
Indiana, and a writer on Islam).
The centuries-old Shia-Sunni differences are the major obstacle to Muslim
unity. The enemies of Islam to their benefit have always
fanned these differences. Unfortunately, some so-called
Muslim scholars on their payroll have also played a key role in
keeping
these differences alive.
Although I was born into a Sayyid Sunni family, I did not know of many
differences while growing up as a child. Our families always
respected Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his parents
and participated in ceremonies marking the anniversary of his
martyrdom
(the 10th day of the month of Muharram which is called
Ashura) by reciting the first chapter of the Quran (al-Fatihah)
and other
chapters and verses of the Quran and fasted on the ninth
and tenth days of that month.
Now when I give lectures on Islam to non-Muslims, one of the questions
they always ask me is if I am Shia or Sunni. I ask them
if they know the difference. They have no knowledge, other
than what has been given to them by the media. So they say
Shias are the
ones who are the bad guys, the militant version of Islam,
and cause all the trouble in the Middle East these days.
These non-Muslim American audiences of mine are surprised to learn that
some of the known tyrants like Saddam Hussain and
troublemakers like the PLO and Hamas are all Sunnis, just
as they are surprised to learn that Tariq Aziz ( Iraq 's Foreign
Minister)
was Christian and not a Muslim.
This is what I say to them about Shi'ites."If Ali Ibn Talib (cousin of
Prophet Muhammad) was a Shia, then I am a Shia. If he was a
Sunni, then I am a Sunni [i.e., a follower of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)]. In Islam there are five recognized
schools of Divine Law:
1) Hanafi; 2) Shafi; 3) Maliki; 4) Hambali and 5) Jafari.
The first four are called Sunni, and the fifth one, who in addition to
following sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), also
follows those of Ali and consider him as the rightful
successor of the Prophet, are called Shia. The first four have
many major
theological differences among themselves and according to
aChristian friend of mine, "The only time Sunnis are
united is when
they are fighting Shias." Shi'ism started as a political
movement (Shia means follower or partisan) to help Ali become
successor of
Muhammad (PBUH).
Around every successful popular figure, there are some admirerswhose own
future interests rest with the rise of their leader. Thus
in Indiana , we have "Friends of Lugar Club", who are hoping
thatsomeday Senator Richard Lugar will become a US President.
Nationally, we now have a Hillary Rodham Clinton Fan Club with
4,000members! Thus, there were the Followers of Ali Club, which
later on
became a political movement. During the initial battles
withunbelievers, Ali, the Sword of Islam, was in the forefront
and
defeated and killed many of their leaders whose children
andgrandchildren, even when they became Muslims, always
remembered who
killed their father (animosity).
Ali was raised by Prophet Muhammad as a child so he knew Islam verywell.
Thus, when he became a judge, his judgments were based on
strict Islamic principles, much to the disappointment of many
whoexpected him to be lenient to the rich and powerful. He was
so well
respected and trusted by both Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar, that
indifficult cases they asked his opinion.
Nevertheless, I tell my non-Muslim audience that both Shia andSunni have
many things in common. They both believe in One God
(Allah), follow the same Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the
lastProphet, offer five daily-prescribed prayers, perform the
prescribed
fast in the month of Ramadan, go to Mecca for the pilgrimage
(hajj),read the same Quran, and pay the poor-due.
However, my answers can only satisfy my uninformed non-Muslimaudience. The
Sunni brothers, misguided by western propaganda, who
are ready to embrace non-Muslims (especially the white ones), in
thepretext of invitation to Islam, will not do so for Shia. They
are
ignorant Sunnis. Our job as a missionary should be to invite
bothgroups to the true Islam and not chase them out. There is a
movement
in the Sunni world to have Shias labeled as disbelievers. I
havebeen told that Shaykh Bin Baz of Saudi Arabia has declared
an edict
that the meat of the People of Book (Jews and Christians)
ispermissible for Sunni Muslims to eat but not the meat
slaughtered by
Shias.
There are scholars on both sides, like Imam Khomeini and Shaykh Shaltut of
al-Azhar who have done their best to minimize these
differences and bring unity, but it is not working due to the
misinformation prevailing in the common masses of Sunnis about
Shi'ism. Thus I am listing their misconceptions of Shia belief
and practices. For answers, I have consulted two Shia scholars
in
America. Dr. A. S. Hashim of Washington and Imam Muhammad
Ali Elahi of Detroit .
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote to me "to ignore and not waste time in
responding to such wrong allegations." He also mentioned
that "a great deal of money and effort is being spent in the
last few years to fan the fire of hatred between Shia and Sunni
in the
Persian Gulf region with obvious political and economical fruits
for powers to-be."
However, in the interest of Islamic unity, I must deal with the questions
rather than shun them. Please note that Imam Jafar (peace
be upon him), founder of the Shia school of law, was the
teacher of Imam Abu-Hanifa (peace be upon him).
Misconception #1: Shias have a different Quran.
They add another 10 chapters to the original Quran.
Response: Not true. I have checked many times Quran kept in Shia
homes and mosques. I still find it the same as the original
Quran. More recently, I took care of an Iranian lady patient
hospitalized here. I saw a copy of the Quran by her side. I
borrowed it from her and browsed through cover-to-cover. In
Arabic it was the same as our Quran. Of course, since I did not
know the Persian language, I can't say much about the
translation. It is a sin to even say that the Quran can be
changed or added to by Shia when God protects it.
Misconception #2: Some Shia considers Ali as God.
Response: Not true. It is disbelief to even think of such a
thing. During the time of Ali, some pagan groups called Gholat
did consider Ali as Lord. When he found out, they were burned to
death.
Misconception #3: Shias have different declarations of faith and
they add to the call to prescribed prayer.
Response: The declaration to become a Muslim, as administered to
non Muslims, is the same. Some Shia add to themselves, "Ali is a
friend of God (PBUH) or Ali
is a spiritual leader of God," after the call to prescribed
prayer, but not as part of the call to prescribed prayer.
Misconception #4: Shias do not perform Sunnah prayers. Sunnah
prayers are non-obligatory prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH).
Response: Shias do perform non-obligatory prayers, 36 cycles per
day in total, but call it Nawafil (extra) and not Sunnah as all
of the
Prayers are Sunnah.
Misconception #5: Some Shia believes the Angel
Gabriel made a mistake and prophet hood was meant for Ali
and not Muhammad (PBUH).
Response: Not true. No Shia thinks of such false
claims. "Only demented minds think of such questions."
Misconception #6: Shias slander and ridicule the
first three caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman) and Prophet
Muhammad's wife, Aisha.
Response: Shia considers the first three caliphs as companions
and administrators, but not spiritual leaders (Imams).
Imam Jafar Sadiq, whose mother and grandmother came from the
line of Abu Bakr, said of Abu Bakr, "He gave me birth twice."
Aisha is respected by Shias as
the"Mother of Believers," as Ali respected her when he sent her
back from Basra to Medina after the Battle of the Camel. If some
Shia do
slander the three caliphs and Aisha, they do it out of ignorance
and should ask God's forgiveness. (As we have witnessed how Imam
Khomeini The Shia bravely declared death of Salman Rushdie -The
author of Satanic Verses who abused the wife of Prophet Aisha
and Only The Shia Leader declared it as blasphemy, just for his
Fatwa the whole western countries became against Iran . See how
much price did Shia
pay to defend Aisha - while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc.
etc. as the Sunni government were silent they did not
defend Aisha. Now who
loves Aisha?)
Misconception # 7: Shias combine all five prayers
into one prayer in the evening.
Response: Not true. In Shia mosques, whether in Iran or the USA
, all five daily prayers are performed. Shia do combine
noon and afternoon and evening and night, but Shia scholars
recommend performing them separately. Such combinations may not
be
ideal, but better than not praying at all. How can a Sunni who
does not pray at all be better than a Shia who combines prayers?
Misconception # 8: Shias do not pay zakat
(poor-due).
Response: Not true. They not only pay 2.5% left over from
savings as zakat, but also an additional 20% as Khums or general
charity. However, they prefer to pay directly to the needy, or
their grass roots recognized scholars rather than corrupt Sunni,
or Shia (The Shah?) governments.
Misconception #9: Shias practice temporary
marriages (Mutah).
Response: Mutah (temporary marriages) was allowed during the
time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and he himself practiced it. Ibn
Zubayr was born out of the temporary marriage. Later on Caliph
Umar prohibited it due to social reasons as the Islamic world
was rapidly expanding.
Shias discourage Mutah but do not consider it prohibited. Some do abuse
this. As a temporary privilege during travel, it is better
than adultery.
Misconception #10: They consider Imams infallible and above the
Prophets.
Response: Not true. All prophets are born Prophet but as
mentioned in Quran about Abraham that after passing the test, a
prophet becomes a leader (Imam). Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet
(Nabi), Messenger (Rasul) and leader (Imam). Shias consider The
Imams as error free carriers of the message of Islam. Shias
consider
Ali only as an Imam and not prophet. But his relevance in
relation to The Muslim Ummah in particular and the times in
which we all
live, his contribution as "carrier" is more relevant than the
Prophets before Muhammad whose books are lost, and contributions
are
"legendary" at best.. With the little knowledge I have, I have
tried to do my best as a Sunni in defending my Shia brothers in
Islam with
the hope and prayer to God Almighty that He will "instill love
in the heart of the believers" and bring us closer to each other
so
that we jointly can fight our common enemy, Satan and his
followers.
May God forgive my mistakes in this article and this book (Amin).
"Knowledge is better than wealth because it protects you while you have to
guard wealth. It decreases if you keep on spending it but
the more you make use of knowledge, the more it increases. What
you get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears
but what
you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you."
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