Shi'a

Shia (شيعة‎ Shīʿah, from Shīʿatu ʿAlī, "adherent of Ali"), also transliterated Shiah and Shiʿah, is a branch of Islam which holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and the Imam (leader) after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from the caliphate as a result of the incident at Saqifah. This view primarily contrasts with that of Sunni Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor and consider Abu Bakr, who they claim was appointed Caliph through a Shura, i.e. community consensus in Saqifa, to be the first rightful Caliph after the Prophet. Adherents of Shia Islam are called Shias of Ali, Shias or the Shi'a as a collective or Shi'i or Shi'ite individually.

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Shi'a . Imam Husayn

How can we respond to people who say the Shi'a are responsible for the death of Imam Hussain (as)?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 6 years ago

Thank you for your question. I think this kind of question arises from a misunderstanding of the historical circumstances of the people of Kufa and the success of Ibn Ziyad's policies in Kufa before the arrival of Imam Husayn (as). Not everyone in Kufa was a Shia and equating Kufans to Shias is not true or accurate. There were nobles in Kufa who stood to loose from the establishment of Imam Husayn (as) as the leader of Kufa and they helped Ibn Ziyad enforce tyrannical policies which induced an extreme amount of fear within the Kufan population such that all but the staunchest supporters of the Imam (as) chose silence and compliance over uprise.

For example, if any member of a tribe was seen to support the Imam, the whole tribe would be punished through the cutting off of stipends (which was the income for most people), not just the individual. This meant that before a person took action they had to think about all of their family members and their wider tribe including the women and children. They also had to bear in mind that many were willing to divulge any plans of disruption to Ibn Ziyad in order to protect their own skin and to seek favour with the government. It is in this way that many thousands of Kufans were forced on the battlefield but a much smaller percentage actually took part in the battle. People who wrote letters to the Imam (as) were not able to break out of these policies. It was also not certain for the people participating in the battle that the intention was to actually kill the Imam (as) until much later in the ordeal. I am certainly not justifying their lack of support of the Imam (as) at such a critical time, but am explaining the reason as to why these phenomena occurred and that is by coercion. Coercion does not prove anything other than the responsibility of the person who coerced, who was Ibn Ziyad.

The Tawwabun movement was also comprised of Shia that had been imprisoned and some historians have opined that it was the taking of the women as captives and their journey to Damascus that were significant causes for that movement. As for the blame for the death of the Imam (as), there is no doubt that it is on the immediate killers of the Imam (as) as well as all of those that were happy that he had been killed. There is no true Shia that would claim to be happy with the martyrdom of the Imam (as), whereas the tribe of Bani Umayyah celebrated the killing of the Imam (as) in the most flagrant manner.

May Allah's Mercy be distant from the killers of Imam Husayn (as) and may you always be successful.

Shi'a . Imam Husayn

How can we respond to people who say the Shi'a are responsible for the death of Imam Hussain (as)?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answer updated 6 years ago

This baseless claim is made by those who try to deny the facts of history admitted by their main scholars, just to run away from the curse on their leaders who caused the killing of Imam Husain (AS).

Let us go briefly through the crime and who committed it to know whether Shia or their opponents killed Imam Husain (AS):

1. Imam Husain (AS) was killed by Yazeed son of Mo’awiyah, who sent a big army to Karbala for this crime. The army was led by Omar Ibn Sa’d.

Mo’awiyah is praised by many Sunni persons claiming that he was a companion. They overlook his crimes which are clear for every student or researcher.

Shia curse Mo’awiyah because he fought against Ameerul Mo’mineen Ali ( AS), while many Sunnis praise him.

2. Yazeed is cursed by Shia while you find some Sunni books praise him.

3. Omar Ibn Sa’d is cursed by Shia because of his role in killing Imam Husain (AS) while you find big Sunni scholars like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani praising him and claiming that he was an authentic narrator of Hadeeth ( Taqreeb al-Tahtheeb, 1:717).تقريب التهذيب لابن حجر

Another Sunni book by the name of Ma’rifat al-Thiqaat by Al-Ijli معرفة الثقات للعجلي admitted his role is killing Imam Husain, yet praised him 2:166.

Al-Dhahabi is another very prominent Sunni scholar, praise Omar Ibn Sa’d in his book Meezan al-I’tidaal 3:198. ميزان الاعتدال للذهبي

So, when you see these facts and many similar facts, How can any person with minimum sense accept the false allegation that Shia were behind the killing of Imam Husain ( AS) ?

Wassalam.

Shi'a . Imam Husayn

How can we respond to people who say the Shi'a are responsible for the death of Imam Hussain (as)?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 6 years ago

First, I would question why someone is bringing this up. Are they asking because they have a genuine historical inquiry? Or is it just an attempt to prove "Sunnis are right, Shi'is are wrong" [or vice versa]? If it is the latter, people should be called on this at the outset.

Assuming it is a genuine question... First, the primary blame for a crime goes on the perpetrators. In this case, that is those who ordered the killing of Imam Husain (A) and those who struck blows. Yes, the people of Kufa had a secondary responsibility for not supporting the Imam, but it is rather revisionist to blame a bystander for a crime. (How often does that happen today!)

Second, the line between "Shi'i" and "Sunni" was not as firm then as it is today. While, early on, the concept of "Shi'a of 'Ali" was known, the concept of "Sunni" took time to develop. Many Muslims - in Kufa and otherwise - were favorable to Imam 'Ali (A) and his descendants because they had had a good experience with him as caliph, or because the Prophet (S) had respected Imam Husain (A), or because of a sort of tribal loyalty to the Prophet (S). However, they can't all be said to have been Shi'is, in the sense of having an unwavering, lifelong dedication to the Imam as the imam, or advocating Shi'i fiqh or theology. They were simply inclined towards him.

Basically, there was a big middle ground between what we would today consider "Shi'i" and "non-Shi'i" or "Sunni". There were some dedicated Shi'is, such as al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, who were genuinely unable to be present in Karbala for reasons such as imprisonment. Conversely, what happened in Karbala upset many Muslims, not just Shi'is. While the people of Kufa at that time, overall, had human failings (and exceptions apply), I don't think there is any text in which the Imams say that "our followers killed us".

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Gender . Dysphoria . Shi'a

When a person has been confirmed as having gender dysphoria and they are in deep distress about their gender identity, are they allowed to transition to the opposite gender according to Shi'a law?

If the genes of the person confirm his or her gender, but they look like a different gender, then it is allowed for them to seek medical help to make their original gender more clear in their body.

No one is allowed to change his or her original gender confirmed by their genes.

Wassalam.

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Ahl al-Bayt . Shi'a . Sunni . Abu Talib b. Abd al-Muttalib

What line of argument do the Ahlul Sunnah use to support the belief that Abu Talib (ra) died as a disbeliever? How do the Shi'a respond to it?

Sunni view:
(a) He never openly converted
(b) Some quotations from Sunni hadith and history books and interpretations of Qur'an.

Shi'i view:

(a) He was obviously a clear supporter of the Prophet and couldn't have done that if he were openly a Muslim.

(b) Hadith and quotations such as the marriage khutbah he is said to have recited for the Prophet (S) and Khadijah

In my view, the important thing is to maintain respect for him as a human being and not make this into a purely sectarian issue. Often, certain issues are hotly debated between Sunnis and Shi'is not for their own sake, but because they are closet debates aiming to prove "I'm right and you're wrong", which is more about ego or group identity than the actual issue at hand.

Further details can found rather copiously online!

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Prophets . Prophet Adam . Shi'a . Infallibility ('Ismah) . Qur'an

Why do the Shi'a believe that all the Prophets (pbut) are infallible despite the fact that the Qur'an seems to suggest they were fallible, such as in the story of Prophet Adam (a)?

The meanings of Quranic verses must be taken from the Prophet himself as Allah (SWT) said in Quran وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم

( We revealed on you the Thikr ( full knowledge of Quran) So that you explain to the people what was revealed for them). Al-Nahl, 44)

Verses which seem to suggest that any Prophet was fallible, are been misunderstood. Verses regarding Prophet Adam (AS) are been explained by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his Holy Progeny confirming that Adam did not commit any sin whatsoever.

Ahlul Bayt (AS) had many debates in this subject including a very well known debate between Imam Al-Redha (AS) and Al-Ma’moon al-Abbasi, the ruler of that time, in which al-Ma’moon put to the Imam ( AS) the Quranic verses which were according his understanding, showing fallibility of some prophets, and Imam Al-Redha (AS) explained the real meaning which confirms infallibility of all the Prophets.

You may see Tanzeeh al- Anbiyaa’ by al-Shaikh al- Mofeed. تنزيه الأنبياء للشيخ النفيد.

The claim of fallibility of any Prophet goes against Quran where Allah orders people to absolutely obey the prophets. Allah will never order people to obey a sinner.

Wassalam.

51968

Prophet Muhammad . Marja' . Shi'a

What is a Marja? And why should the Shi’a follow them? Isn’t the Prophet (pbuh) and his family (as) enough? Can I be Shi'a without following any Marja?

When you can directly meet the Prophet (SAWA) or Ahlul Bayt ( AS), you will not need any one after them, but when we are unable to meet them, we need to follow their teachings and since the gap between us and them is big, there are many different narrations on same subjects, we need to refer to the most learned scholars who know which narrations are authentic and which narrations are not authentic, and can explain the meanings of the narrations in the best way. That is why, you need to follow the evidence provided by the Marja' of Taqleed to be sure that you are really following the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt ( AS) and not something or someone else.

With out following the Marja' of Taqleed, your religious acts will be with out authentic evidence. Such evidence can not be found and taken but from the most learned scholar who is called Marja' of Taqleed.

Wassalam.

55180

Sunni . Ahl al-Bayt . Shi'a

Sunni's in general have no hatred for the Ahlulbayt (AS) but they do not follow them as the Shi'a do. Does that mean they are condemned to hell?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 6 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

This is a theological topic that is vast and extensive. Is it possible for a non-Shi'a to enter heaven.

In general, Shi'a Ulama do not condemn all non-Shi'ah to Hell. There might be some people who were not informed in any way about the true path of Islam and the true path of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

If there is someone who hates Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and shows hostility to them, they are certainly condemned to Hell.

If there is someone who knows the true status of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and out of stubbornity refuses to follow the truth, then of course their judgment will be harsh.

The important thing to mention in this topic is that as Muslims we must stay away from the Takfeeri mentality, and treat all Muslims equally in this Dunya. As for what happens in the Akhirah, that is with Allah ta'ala.

And Allah knows best.

Sunni . Ahl al-Bayt . Shi'a

Sunni's in general have no hatred for the Ahlulbayt (AS) but they do not follow them as the Shi'a do. Does that mean they are condemned to hell?

No, they are not condemned to hell.

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Sunni . Marriage . Shi'a

Can a Shia man marry a Sunni woman?

Yes it is allowed for a Shia man to marry Muslim woman from any Muslim sect. Obviously every marriage must meet the aim of marriage in Islam and never be a cause of weakening faith or religious practice.

Wassalam.

55146

Imam al-Hasan . Shi'a . Hasan ibn Hasan

Why did Hasan al-Muthanna (ra), the son of Imam Hassan (as), not become the fourth Imam of the Shi'a?

Allah (The Glorious) knows whom to appoint as an Imam and we have no authority nor capacity to know. We definitely believe that every order by Allah (SWT) is based on the absolute benefit of human beings and the whole universe.

Al-Hasan Al-Muthanna was never an Imam, as the Imamate after Imam Husain (AS) was to Imam Ali Zainul Abideen (AS). No one from Imam Hasan's sons or grand sons was an Imam.

All the names of the Twelve Imams were clearly mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) in many authentic Hadeeths. (Ithbaat Al-Hudaat By Al-Hurr Al-Aamily in three volumes).

Wassalam.

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Sunni . Hadith . Shi'a

Is it true that Sunni Hadith came before Shi'a Hadith? If yes, then how can Shi'a can be sure that they are correct?

The major Sunni hadith collections were compiled before the major Shi'i collections primarily because the Shi'is had the 12 Imams to rely upon to answer their questions, and the 12 Imams are considered to be absolutely accurate in their transmission of hadith from the Prophet (S).

Additionally, Shi'is were subject to intense persecution for much of their early history, and so it was more difficult to compile such books.

As for the correctness or incorrectness of hadith, this is a subject discussed in depth in the study of hadith, and I would recommend that you read some books on the subject. Here is a suggestion: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Hadith-Abd-Al-Hadi-Al-Fadli/dp/1904063470

However, one area that the Shi'is had an advantage is that hadith were being recorded during the lifetimes of the Imams (in that the major compilations, such as al-Kafi, were not the first records of hadith), whereas Sunni recording of hadith, for the most part, only started a hundred years after the Prophet (S). (I use the term "Sunni" loosely here to refer to what eventually became Sunnism)

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