The
Creed Of Shia
Shi'ism and Islam
are indeed different religions. The divergence of Shiism from Islam can be
summarized from the books which they consider most authentic, and the
statements of their most respected scholars. Some of the proofs available to
support this position are as follows:
1) The Imami Shia
do not believe in or accept authentic texts such as Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih
Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawood or others. Indeed, regarding Imam Al-Bukhari, a shia
scholar, Abdullah as-Subayti states: "He has transmitted strange and even
abominable tales unsuitable even for the minds of superstitious Berbers and
old Sudani women." (Taht Rayah al-Haqq) .
2) According to
Imami Shia doctrine, the vast majority of the sahaba were liars and apostates.
One of the leading
scholars of the shia, al-Kashshi, reported that Abu Ja'far said: "The people
(including the sahaba) all became apostates after the Prophet's death except
for three." When asked who they were, he replied, "Al-Miqdad ibn Aswad, Abu
Dharr, and Salman as mentioned in the verse, 'If he (Muhammad) dies or is
killed, will you then turn on your heels.'" (Rijal al-Kashshi pp12-13) .
In the book "Al-Kafi
fil-Usool, a collection of ahadith attributed to the Prophet SAWS and some of
the Imams of the Shia, and held in the same esteem amongst shia as Sahih
Bukhari is amongst the Ahl us-Sunnah, we find the following:
"Obedience to 'Ali
is true humility and disobedience to him is disbelief in Allah." (vol.10 p.54)
"Whoever sets up
another Imam besides 'Ali and delays 'Ali's caliphate is a polytheist."
(vol.10 p.55) (this "hadith" refers to everyone who accepts the validity of
the caliphates of Abu Bakr, 'Umar and Uthman. The Shia claim that the
caliphate was stolen from 'Ali, and only he and his descendants have the right
to rule the Muslims)
"Syrians are worse
than the Romans, Madinites worse than Meccans, and Meccans openly disbelieve
in Allah." (vol.10 p.107)
In explanation of
the verse: "On the day when the wrong-doer bites his hands saying, 'O if only
I had taken the right path with the Prophet! O woe is me, if only I had not
taken so-and-so as a friend!" (25:27-28) One of the most highly respected
scholars of Tafseer amongst the Shia, Al-Qummi, states that "so-and-so" is 'Umar
ibn Al-Khattab (RA). (astagfiruallah)
In reference to
Talhah (RA) and az-Zubayr (RA), Al-Qummi claims that Abu Ja'far said that the
following verse was revealed about them; "Verily the doors of Heaven will not
open for those who deny Our signs and are arrogant towards them, nor will they
enter paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle."(7:40) He
also adds that the camel in the verse refers to their camel. Thus, according
to Al-Qummi, Talhah(RA) and az-Zubayr(RA), who were both amongst the ten who
received glad tidings of paradise from the ProphetSAWS himself, will never
enter paradise!
Imami Shia doctrine
holds that most of the sahaba were the worst sort, liars and apostates all.
There is even a special dua, called "Dua Sanamay Quraysh" (The two Idols of
the Quraysh). In this prayer (falsely attributed to Abdullah ibn Abbas) Both
Abu Bakr(RA) and 'Umar(RA) are cursed, and called "the two idols of the
Quraysh". Shirk(disbelief) is attributed to the two caliphs, and their
daughters, Ayesha and Hafsah, both wives of the ProphetSAWS, are vilified. The
prayer is published with the endorsement of the following major Imami Shia
scholars:
1) Ayatallah al-Udhma
Muhsin al-Hakeem .
2) Ayatallah al-Udhma
Abul-Qasim al-Khoi .
3) Ayatallah al-Udhma
Roohullah al-Khomeini .
4) Ayatallah al-Udhma
Mahmood al-Husaini .
5) Ayatallah al-Udhma
Muhammad Kadhim Shri'atmadari .
6) The chief
scholar 'Ali Taqi at-Taqwa .
Imami Shia doctrine
in fact holds that all who do not follow their doctrine are disbelievers and
apostate from Islam, with the following hadith from Al-Kafi cited in support:
"Doubt about the
Imamate of 'Ali is like doubt about the mission of Muhammad SAWS and one who
doubts both should be killed if possible, if he claims to be a Muslim. On the
other hand, disbelievers are like the Jews and Christians and should not be
killed for these reasons." (al-Kafi vol.6 p.393)
3) The Imami Shia
have not only misinterpreted the Qur'an, but they have made actual alterations
in the text itself:
The false verse,
"And we made 'Ali your in-law" has been added to Surah Al-Inshirah (Al-Kafi
p.289)
In 25:74, the verse
"And make us a leader (Imam) for the God-fearing" is replaced with "And make
for us a leader (Imam) from among the God-fearing."
Of even greater
audacity is the addition of an entirely fabricated surah to the Qur'an,
called, "Surah al-Walayah" Translation of this false surah is as follows:
1) O believers,
believe in the Prophet and the guardian (wali), whom We sent to guide you to
the straight path.
2) A Prophet and a
Guardian, one from the other, and I am the Knower, the Wise.
3) Verily those who
fulfill their covenant to Allah will have gardens of pleasure.
4) And for those
who deny our signs when they are read to them,
5) Verily they will have a
terrible place in Hell when they are called for on the Day of Judgment,
'Where are the wrong-doers who denied the messengers?'
6) He only created
them in truth and Allah will surely make them victorious until a time in the
near future.
7) Glorify the
praises of your Lord and 'Ali is among the witnesses.
But perhaps the
greatest level of audacity is in the assertion that the Qur'an that we now
possess is not the true Qur'an at all, but rather a fabrication:
"Abu Baseer
reported that he said to Imam Ja'far, "O Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq)
What is Mushaf Fatimah?" He replied "It is a Qur'an containing three times
what is found in your copy of the Qur'an; yet by Allah, it does not contain
even a single letter from your Qur'an." (Al-Kafi p.385)
4) The Imami Shia
consider the Imams to be utterly infallible, incapable of even the slightest
error. Hence following them, according to Shia doctrine is obligatory on all
true Muslims until the Day of Judgment. In fact, reverence for these Imams is
so great amongst the Shia that the Imams are believed to be on a level above
even the Prophets or the highest ranking angels; A level wherein even the
particles of the universe are subservient to them.
Khomeini asserts
in his book, "Al-Hukumah Al-Islamiyyah", "Certainly the Imam has a dignified
station, a lofty rank, a creational caliphate, and a sovereignty and mastery
over all the atoms of creation. It is definitely a basic belief in our school
of thought, that our Imams occupy a station unattainable by either an angel
or a major Prophet. And, according to our narrations of hadith, before the
creation of the universe, the greatest Prophet SAWS, and the Imams - peace be
upon them - were in the form of light which Allah made orbit His throne and
gave rank and proximity known only to Him. As was narrated in the hadith on
miraaj, Angel Jibreel said, 'If I were to have come an inch closer, I would
have been burnt up.' - that is, by the intensity of the Imam's light. It has
also been narrated by them, - may peace be on them - that, 'We have certain
states in relation to Allah not allowed to an angel or a great Prophet.' A
similar status is accorded to Fatimah az-Zahra - may peace be on her..."
and
in the same book, Khomeini also states regarding the Imams:
"...because we cannot imagine the Imams being forgetful or negligent, and we
believe that they perceive all things which could benefit muslims..." and "The
Imam's teachings are like the Qur'an...they must be implemented and followed."
This last statement finds it's support in a chapter of Al-Kafi entitled:
"Surely people have no Truth except what came from the Imams and everything
which did not come from them is false."
The Imams are
thought to have absolute and infinite knowledge, despite what Allah says in
the Quran; "Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He
who sends down rain, and it is he that knows what is in the wombs. Nor does
anyone know what it is that he will earn tomorrow, nor does anyone know in
what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is
acquainted (with all things)"(31:34)
This incredible
belief that the Imams know the unseen can be amply attested by the following
chapter headings in Al-Kafi fil-Usool.
1) Chapter: The
Imams have knowledge of All that was given to the angels and the Prophets.
(Al-Kafi p.255)
2) Chapter: The
Imams know when they will die, and they only die by their choice. (Al-Kafi
p.258)
3) Chapter: The
Imams have knowledge of the past and future; and nothing is hidden from them.
(Al-Kafi p.260)
Clearly, the book
Al-Kafi fil Usool contains such extreme statements of kufr (disbelief) and
shirk (polytheism) that it alone is sufficient to push anyone who believes in
it into the Hellfire for eternity. Yet Ayatallah Khomeini states that the sum
total of his religion is contained in it, saying: "Do you think it is enough
for our religious life to have it's laws summed up in Al-Kafi and then placed
upon a shelf?" (Al-Hukumah Al-Islamiyyah p.72)
What Do Scholars
of Ahl us-Sunnah in the Past and Present say about Shia (Rafidah)? :
1) Imam Ash-Shafi'i:
On one occasion Imam Shafi'i said concerning the Shia,
"I have not seen
among the heretics a people more famous for falsehood than the Raafidi* Shia."
and on another occasion he said; "Narrate knowledge from everyone you meet
except for the raafidi* Shia, because they invent ahadith and adopt them as
part of their religion." (Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah) *
(Some shia at the
time of the Alid Imam Zayd ibn 'Ali demanded that he make a declaration of
innocence (tabarra) from whoever disagreed with 'Ali's right to be Imam. When
Zayd refused, they rejected him, and became known as the "raafida" or
rejectors. Those who followed Imam Zayd became known as Zaydis, and have very
little difference from mainstream Islam. The Raafidi evolved into the the
various Imami shia sects, the largest of which is the Ithna 'Ashari.)
2) Imam Abu
Hanifah: It is reported that often Imam Abu Hanifah used to repeat the
following statement about the raafidi Shia; "Whoever doubts whether they are
disbelievers has himself committed disbelief."
3) Imam Malik:
Once when asked about the raafidi Shia, Imam Malik said; "Do not speak to them
or narrate from them, for surely they are liars." During one of Imam Malik's
classes, it was mentioned that the raafidi Shia curse the sahaba. Imam Malik
recited the verse, "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those with him are
harsh with the disbelievers and gentle among themselves. So that the
disbelievers may become enraged with them." (48:29) He then said, "Whoever
becomes enraged when the sahaba are mentioned is the one about whom the verse
speaks." (Tafseer al-Qurtubi)
4) Abu Zur'ah
ar-Razi: He said of the raafidi Shia doctrine of cursing the sahaba, "If
you see someone degrade any of the companions of the ProphetSAWS know that he
is a disbeliever. Because the ProphetSAWS was real, what he brought was the
truth and all of it was conveyed to us by way of the sahaba. What those
disbelievers wish to do is cast doubt on the reliability of our narrators in
order to invalidate the Qur'an and Sunnah. Thus the disbelievers are the ones
most deserving of defamation."
5) Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi:
During the period of Muslim rule in Spain, Imam Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm would
often debate with the Catholic priests about their religious texts. He brought
before them evidence of textual distortions in the Bible and the loss of the
original manuscripts. When they replied by pointing out the Shia claims that
the Qur'an has been distorted and altered, Ibn Hazm informed them that Shia
claims were not valid evidence because the shia were not themselves muslims.
6) Imam Al-Alusi:
He declared the raafidi Shia disbelievers because of their defamation of the
sahaba. His position was based on the rulings of Imam Malik and other
scholars. In response to their claim to be followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (the
Prophet'sSAWS family) Al-Alusi said, "No, they are really followers of the
devils and the Ahl al-Bayt are innocent of them."
7) Muhammad
Rasheed Rida: This scholar was among those who worked sincerely for
rapproachment between the shia and the sunni, and they in turn pretended
moderation for his benefit. However, in the midst of his efforts, they caught
him by surprise by presenting him with a number of their books which slander
Islam. He then replied in a paper called As-Sunnah wa Ash-Shia in which he
exposed their false doctrines and idolatrous practices.
8) Dr. Hilali:
After living close to the shia for some years, the famous Moroccan scholar,
Dr. Hilali wrote a paper on them in which he declared them to be disbelievers.
9) Abul-A'la
Maududi: This great Pakistani scholar wrote an introduction to the book, "Ar-Riddah
bain al-Ams wa al-Yaum" In it was written, regarding the Imami Ja'fari Shia,
"despite their moderate views (relative to other shia sects), they are
swimming in disbelief like white bloodcells in blood or like fish in water."
10) among the other
contemporary scholars who have expressed similar views are: Sheikh Abdul 'Aziz
ibn Baz, Sheikh Nassiraddin Al-Albani, Allama Ash-Shanqiti, Sheikh An-Nashashibi,
Imam Ahmad Ameen, and Dr. Rashaad Salim.
Taqiyyah
or Calculated Deception
One other Imami
Shia doctrine that must be related is the doctrine of Taqiyyah, or
dissimulation, (i.e. calculated deception). In support of this doctrine of
deception, the shia attribute the following to Abu Abdullah (Ja'far as-Sadiq):
"Nine tenths of
religion is taqiyyah (dissimulation), hence one who does not dissimulate has no
religion." (Al-Kafi vol.9 p.110)
"He who conceals
his religion has saved it, and he who makes it public has destroyed it."
"A believer who
does not dissimulate is like a body without a head." (Tafseer al-Askari)
"Mix with them(i.e.
non-shia) externally but oppose them internally." (Al-Kafi vol.9 p.116)
Concerning the
verse, "Verily the most noble of you in Allah's sight is the most God-fearing(atqaakum)"
, the shia attribute the following interpretation of "atqaakum": "That is,
your deeds done by taqiyyah(dissimulation) (Al-I'tiqadat)
It is interesting
to contrast this doctrine of calculated deception with Allah's statement in
the Holy Qur'an: "Surely those who hide from people the clear proofs and
guidance, which we clarified in the Book(Qur'an), will be cursed by Allah and
all those who curse." (2:159)
And the statement
of the Prophet SAWS who said: "Whoever is asked for knowledge and conceals it
will have a bridle of fire around his neck on the Day of Judgment." (Abu
Dawood, Tirmidhi)
I should stress
that not all who are called shia hold to these deviant and idolatrous beliefs.
As mentioned earlier, the Zaydi Shia hold no real differences of aqeedah, but
only the political position that the Caliph should be from the descendants of
'Ali.
I am not writing
this to insult anyone, nor do I wish to create fitnah. However, when the issue
arises, I am compelled to state what I know. Anything I have stated correctly
is from Allah, and any mistakes are from myself or shaytan
