1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

8 Questions

Is an agnostic person considered to be a Kafir?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

An agnostic who would be someone that says they cannot confirm God's existence, nor can they reject God's existence would technically not be considered a "believer".  One who doubts God existing or not cannot be classified as a believer of a religion, and hence they would be considered a disbeliever. 

May the Almighty guide us all to the right path.
It causes me a lot of mental stress when I observe that as Shia we are often ridiculed and at times even killed. What is the best way to deal with it?
Zoheir Ali Esmail

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Persecution has been an unfortunate aspect of being a Shia throughout most of the Muslim world for a long time. Indeed the Ma'sumin (as) themselves faced these issues and so the best way to deal with such things is to take their (as) example. Remain balanced and faithful to the religion of Islam and empathise with your fellow Shia in times of difficulty. Pray for the Shia and for the return of Imam al-Mahdi (af) and turn to Allah for the solution. Where you can help alleviate the difficulties, which is sometimes even with a kind word, then be that source of help and encouragement. And know that God will never forsake those who are faithful and will recompense all that have suffered on the path of truth.

May you always be successful 
Can we say and prove that the 12 Imams were divinely appointed? If so, then why cannot other sects, who deny this matter, be called Kafir as a result of rejecting this divine appointment?
Zoheir Ali Esmail

Bismillah

By testifying that there is no God but Allah and the Muhammad (saw) is the messenger of Allah a person enters the fold of Islam and cannot be classified as a Kafir, even if they do not agree with the issue of Imamah despite clear proofs and evidence.

May you always be successful
Given the importance of maintaining family ties, can one refuse to attend family functions due to the fact that those relatives declare the Shi'a as Kafir?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

We should not cut ties with any relative even if they are bad to us and call us Kafir.

Our behavior should prove to them and other relatives our real identity and whether we are Kafirs or not.

Ahlul Bayt (AS) taught us to mix and treat our relatives and tribes with best manners. People wll then know the real teachings of Ahlul Bayt by seeing the good practice of the Shia.

Wassalam.