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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

16 Questions

Why do Muslims separate into different sects and identify themselves in sectarian terms when Allah (swt) says not to do so?
Amina Inloes

Most Muslims who follow a specific sect or ideology do so because they genuinely believe it is the correct one. Since we do not have the Prophet (S) here present with us today to tell us which beliefs and practices are the most authentic, everyone has to do their best to try to discover that. So it is less about making sects and more about following what one thinks is most true.

(Of course, what we consider to be true or authentic is strongly influenced by the ideas we live around or grow up around, the ones that are shared by people around us, etc. However, the sincerity is usually there.)

For that reason, it isn't possible to impose one view of what Islam "is" on all Muslims and expect them all to agree on it. There are some areas today where we just have to agree to disagree.

Of course, in some cases, sectarianism may also be due to other factors such as politics, national identity, racial factors, or personal agendas, as well as the influence of Shaytan, and this sort of thing would be condemned. 
Where did the confusion of praying with hands open and hands closed arise? Why did different sects have different interpretations of praying postures?
Abolfazl Sabouri

It is because of different ahadith.

The position of the hand in prayer may not be very important, but a scholar must determine who he should refer to after the demise of Prophet to receive the his Sunnah, and  he should know that who is his Ulolamr. Should he refer to the Ahl al-Bayt or he can refer to the companions of the Prophet, even though some of them, they don't know deeply about Islam?

The followers of Ahlulbeit are called Shia and the followers of companions are called Sonni.
Is this an authentic Hadith from the Prophet (pbuh) that says that the Ummah will be divided into 73 groups and only one group will enter paradise, those who follow the Jama'ah of the Muslims?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

The Hadeeth which is narrated in Shia and Sunni books is (My Ummah will be divided in to seventy three sects). The additional words which you quoted are not authentic. Obviously, the followers of the Quran and the Progeny of the Prophet (SAWA) will be saved because they are the real followers of the Prophet (SAWA).

Wassalam.
Sunnis and Shias have differing definitions and opinions on which hadiths are authentic and which hadiths should be regarded as unreliable. Where do these differences come from and why is it that the two sects differ so greatly on this subject?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

1. Both Shia and Sunni scholars emphasised on the authenticity of all the narrators of every Hadeeth, but they differ when they come across some narrators who are controversial e.g. Abu Huraira, Samarah Ibn Jundob, etc who are considered as accepted by many Sunnis while not accepted by Shia scholars because of their behaviour against Ahlul Bayt(AS).
2. Shia scholars follow the most strict procedure of authentication of every narrator whether Shia or Sunni.

3. Shia scholars take Ahlul Bayt as the main source of the authentic Hadeeths from the Prophet (SAWA) not only because they are the most pious and most knowledgeable about the Real Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWA) as they lived with him, but also because of the order of the Prophet (SAWA) to all Muslims to keep following Quran and Ahlul Bayt (SAWA) (Saheeh Muslim, Hadeeth number 4425, and Tirmithi; Hadeeth number 3718 and 3720, and al-Mustadrak by Al-Haakim al-Nisabori; Hadeeth number 4576 and hundreds of other Sunni and Shia books.
4. Shia scholars have written the Hadeeths right from the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and through the times of all the Infallible Imams (AS), while Sunni scholars were forbidden by their rulers from writing any Prophetic Hadeeth from the time of Saqeefa till the time of Umar ibn Abdul Azeez who was first Sunni ruler who lifted tha ban on writing Hadeeths, which means that Sunni scholars did not write Hadeeths for around hundred years. That has definitely affected the authenticity and the accuracy of their narrations.

5. Sunni rulers used to interfere in religion to suit their political aims. Mu'awiyah for example used to pay huge amounts of money to some narrators to fabricate narrations in his favour and against Ahlul Bayt (AS). He used to kill or torture scholars who narrate any Hadeeth in favour of Imam Ali (AS). This corruption went on during tyrant governments of Bani Umayyad and Bani Abbas. Shia Hadeeths since beginning till now are pure from any political corruption.

6. Shia scholars following the teachings of Ahlul Bayt(AS) do not accept any narration which contradicts Quran, while you find many Sunni scholars narrate narration which are clearly against Quranic verses and claim than authentic narration is accepted even if it contradicts a Quranic verse. For details you may see ( A review of the two Saheeh ( Bukhari and Muslim) by Shaikh Sadiq Najmi and ( (Quick look at the two Saheehs, by Shaikh Aasif Mohsini and many other books in this subject).

7. Many Sunni books narrated from open enemies of Ahlul Bayt and considered their narrations as authentic. Bukhari narrated from Imran Ibn Hattaan who used to praise Ibn Muljam, the murderer of Imam Ali (AS), and also from Uthman ibn Hareez who used to openly curse Imam Ali every day. This shows that some non trusted narrators have penetrated in some Sunni books and taken as trusted narrators. This has added to the difference between Muslims.

Wassalam.