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Khutoot Al Areedah
An Exposition and Refutation of the Sources of Shiîsm | Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib, (an Egyptian Âliim)AN OUTLINE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUNNIS AND SHI'ITES IN MATTERS OF FAITH AND DOCTRINEhttp://www.village.flashnet.it/users/fn034463/khutoot.html
Part 1 Part 2
Table of Contents
1. PUBLISHER'S NOTE
With the advent of Islam in Arabia, the polytheists had to retreat as they
could not withstand the challenge thrown by Islam to accept the reality of
monotheism. These forces were most vociferous in their opposition to Islam. As
they were not in a position to challenge Islam openly, they resorted to strike
from within. It was Abdullah bin Saba who coined and propagated the Divine right
of Ali Bin Abi Talib, May Allah
This book Al-Khutoot Al-Areedah gives a vivid picture of the Shiîte belief
and faith. The reader will come across with some painful truths and horrible
facts.The task to refute the Shiîte deviation is indeed praiseworthy, and the
Board of Governors of the Italian Muslim Association has revised the original
text, to make it completely compatible with the âqidah of Ahlu-s-Sunnah
wa-l-Jamaâh.
2. INTRODUCTION
In the name of Allah
It is intended through this revised version of Al-Khutoot Al-Âreedah to present to readers of English, both Muslims and non-Muslims accurate information about the faith and tenets of the Shiîte sect known as the Twelve Imamers or Ja'faris. It is essential for the Sunni Muslim to know the fact of the Shiîte
deviation from the straight path of Islam taught by the Prophet Muhhammad (Sall-Allah
Unfortunately, it is a common view in the West that the Irani Shiîtes and
their so-called Islamic" revolution, with all its attendant turmoil,
injustice and barbarism, are representatives of Islam. It is hoped that the
non-Muslim reader of this work will come to perceive the abyss which separates
the Shiîtes from the Muslim majority, and that he will no longer condemn all
Muslims for the activities of one deviant sect.
3. THE PREDETERMINED FACT OF SECTARIANISM
The existence of numerous sects, the majority of which are deviant, is a predetermined fact referred to in the Glorious Qurân: And if your Lord [Allah
Furthermore, Allah
Thus, it was incumbent upon us to bring to light the stark differences among
the sects, so that it may be perfectly clear what each sect believes in and
adheres to that Allah
But that Allah
Shiîsm originated in the first century of Islam as an exaggerated affection
for and partisanship of Ahlu-l-Bayt (the family and descendants of the Prophet
Muhhammad [Sall-Allah
Sometimes the Shiîtes claim to have a Qurân other than the one which is unanimously recognized by all Muslims throughout the history of Islam. Furthermore, they reject the authentic compilations of the sacred traditions, such as those of the two great imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim. They consider all but a few of the Companions of the Prophet Muhhammad to be apostates, while they elevate their Imams to a position comparable to that of the gods of ancient mythology Unfortunately, some naive or simple-minded Muslims are inclined to believe that the Shiîtes of today have abandoned their deviant tenets and have reverted to the right path. Grounds for such a belief are yet to be found. A detailed exposition of the Shiîte distortions and misconceptions will follow in this treatise, but at this point I will briefly touch on some of the views of the contemporary Shiîte religious elite; the ayatullahs and mullahs whose commands are obeyed and slavishly adhered to by the ordinary Shiîte. In a treatise entitled Tuhfatul-Awaam Maqbool, published recently, there
appeared an invocation (2) endorsed by six of the
most respected contemporary Shiîte imams including Khomeini and Shariat-Madari.
In that invocation, Abu Bakr and `Umar, may Allah
Khomeini, in his book Al-Hukoomatul-lslamiyyah (the Islamic government),
claims that the Twelve Imams are infallible, and he raises them to a level above
the heavenly angels and the commissioned Prophets of Allah
In short, Khomeini and his fellow clergymen adhere to all of the perverse tenets of the Shiîte faith as laid out in detail in Al-Kaafi. Khomeini clearly admits this in his book Al-Huloomatul-Islamiah: "Do you think that it is enough for us, with respect to-our Religion, to collect its rulings and directives in Al-Kaafi, then put it on a shelf and neglect it?" Al-Khutoot Al-Âreedah, provides some details from Al-Kaafi, a foundation
stone of the Shiîte Religion, so that the naive good-hearted Muslims may have a
second thought before cherishing the idea that the Shiîtes of today are
different from those of the past.
4.
THE CALL TO RECONCILIATION
Bringing Muslims closer to each other in their thoughts, convictions and aims is one of the greatest objectives of Islam, and a most vital means of achieving Muslim unity. When the call to such a purpose is free from ulterior motives and is likely to yield more benefit than harm, then it becomes incumbent on all Muslims to respond to it and to cooperate with each other to make it a success. But if an increase in cooperation between scholars belonging to different schools of Sunni fiqh, or between Shaykhs of different turuq of Taßauwuf is a noble goal, someone misunderstands it, and openly sponsors a cooperation between Sunnis and non-Sunnis, and this is obviously haram, and against the consensus of our forerunners in Islam. By no means Sunni scholars can cooperate with Shiîtes, Wahhabis and other
heretics. A mixture between Ahlu-s-Sunnah and ahlu-l-bidâh is simply
impossible, since there can be no mediation between truth and false.We have a
clear duty toward our brothers who - out of ignorance - are involved in heresy:
we must make da'wah to them, explain them the âqidah sahihah and make
supplication for them. May Allah
Unfortunately, the wrong idea of cooperation between Ahlu-s-Sunnah and
ahlu-l-bidâh has also spread to some sectors of the noble Al- Azhar University,
and the former Shaykh al-Azhar Mahmoud Shaltout even wrote a fatwa according to
which - subhan-Allah
With all respect we have for al-Azhar, we must clearly say that what Shaykh
Shaltut says about this argument is contradicted by the consensus of Sunni
scholars, and also very dangerous for the faith of Sunni Muslims.
Notwithstanding his high position, when a scholars writes a wrong fatwa and
opposes the consensus, he is not to be followed, and other scholars must refute
him. While scholars of old, like Imam Shahristani and Imam Ghazali, involved
themselves in detailed refutation of Shiîsm, within al-Azhar there is a certain
group who has created a so-called "Daaru-t-Taqrib", that is to say, a
center for cooperation of followers of Sunnah and followers of innovation. May
Allah
It should also be noticed that, while in Egypt this center for claimed "dialogue between Sunnis and Shiîtes is financed by the government of a Shiîte country, nothing similar exists in Tehran, Qum, Najaf, Jabal `Aamil, or any other centre known for its propagation of the Shiîte school of thought.' In Iran - on the contrary - Sunnis underwent and are yet undergoing hard persecutions. These Shiîte propaganda centres published during the past years books that make one's skin crawl and one's body tremble from the shock of what is written therein. Reading them utterly destroys any idea we may have entertained of developing mutual understanding and closeness with their Shiîte authors and the like of them. Among these publications is a book entitled Az-Zahraa, by Shiîte scholars of Najaf, in which they alleged that Amirul Mu'mineen `Umar ibnu Khattaab, the second caliph, was plagued with a disease curable only by the water of men (i.e., semen)! This filthy slander was noted by the scholar Al-Basheer Al-lbrahimi, a Sheikh from Algeria, during his first visit to Iraq. A filthy soul which produces such wickedness is in a greater need of the call to understanding and reconciliation than we are. The fundamental difference between them and us is rooted in their claim that they are more loyal to Ahlu-l-Bayt, and in the fact that they hide from us their malice towards and grudge against the Companions of the Prophet, on whose shoulders Islam was established. Their hatred reached such a point that they can utter the filthy words against `Umar ibnul-Khattaab that were noted above. Is it not fair to say that they should have restrained their malice and
hatred against the first Imams of Islam. and that they should have appreciated
the noble stand of Ahlu-s-Sunnah toward Ahlu-l-Bayt, that stand which never fell
short in offering due homage and reverence to the family of the Prophet? Or do
they consider us to be remiss in not taking the family of the Prophet as gods to
be worshipped along with Allah
Without a doubt, responsiveness to each other is essential if two parties are to achieve a mutual "coming together", reconciliation and understanding. This mutual responsiveness can only come about if there are sincere efforts on both sides to achieve it. As stated above, there is a "reconciliation" centre in Egypt, a Sunni country; there are also propaganda offices which wage hostile campaigns against those who do not favour such centres. One might well question the absence of similar centres or their like in any Shiîte country. One also may question why Al-Azhar University has included instruction in the Shiîte school of thought, while the Sunni schools of thought are still locked out of the Shiîte educational institutions. If the call to reconciliation is restricted to one of the concerned parties alone, then the efforts spent on such a call will be futile. Finally, one may question the value of beginning the process of
reconciliation by attending to differences of a minor or secondary nature, while
fundamental differences have not yet been addressed.(7)
5. IslamIC JURISPRUDENCE
The jurisprudence of the Sunnis differs from that of the Shiîtes even in the fundamentals upon which the law is based. Yet unless and until the fundamentals are understood and endorsed by both parties, and until there is a favorable response to this from the religious institutions of both sides, it would be useless to waste time dealing with issues of a minor or secondary nature. In fact, it is not merely in the fundamentals of jurisprudence that there are
differences, but also, and more importantly, in the fundamental articles of
faith of each party, even in their deepest roots and origins.
6. THE QUESTION OF TAQIYYAH
One of the main obstacle to their receiving a positive response from us is
their tenet of taqiyyah (deception), by the application of which, they reveal to
us other than what they have in their hearts. The simple-minded Sunni is
deceived by their pretentious display of the desire to overcome our
differences and reach a common understanding between us and them. In fact, they
neither want such a thing nor approve of it. They do not strive for it, but
rather leave it to the other party to come the full distance to their position,
without exerting an effort to make any move from their side. Even if those
Shiîtes who practice taqiyyah were to convince us that they have moved a few
steps in our direction, then the multitude of Shiîtes, be they ordinary people
or the scholarly elite, would stand apart from those who adopted the ruse of
objectivity towards us, and they would not recognize them as their
representatives; this because their actual belief does not permit them to
reconcile themselves with us.
7. SHI'ITE ATTACK ON THE NOBLE QURÂN
The Qurân should be the comprehensive reference for both Sunnis and Shiîtes, and a means of bringing about unity and mutual understanding, but it has been misinterpreted by the Shiîtes and given a meaning other than that which was understood by the noble Companions who received it directly from the Prophet, and other than that which was understood by the Imams of Islam who received it from the very generation amongst whom the Qurân descended by way of Divine Revelation. One of the most famous and respected Shiîte scholars, from Najaf, Mirza Husain bin Muhhammad Taqi An-Nawari At-Tabarsi, wrote in 1292 A.H. the book Faslul-Khitaab fee Ithbatti Tahreefi Kitaab Rabbil-Arbaab (The Decisive Say on the Proof of Alteration of the Book of the Lord of Lords). In this book he compiled hundreds of texts written by Shiîte scholars in different eras alleging that the Qurân has been tampered with, that there have been both additions to it and omissions from it. At-Tabarsi's book was printed in Iran, in 1298 A.H., and its appearance attracted much attention, frustrating the intention of certain Shiîtes that their doubts about the authenticity of the Qurân should be restricted to the elite of religious scholars and personalities. They preferred that these allegations not be brought together in a single volume, and widely disseminated, as it could be used as a proof against them by their opponents. When the scholars made public their criticism, At-Tabarsi responded with another book entitled Raddu ba'dush-Shubahaati `an Faslil-Khitaabi fee Ithbatti Tahreefi Kitaabi Rabbil-Arbaab (Refutation of Some Specious Arguments Regarding the Decisive Say on the Proof of Alteration of the Book of the Lord of the Lords). He wrote this defense of his original book two years before his death. In order to show their appreciation of his contribution to the attempt to prove that the Qurân had been altered, the Shiîtes buried him in one of their most prominent religious shrines, at Najaf. Among the proofs offered by At-Tabarsi in his attempt to show that the Qurân had been altered, was a quotation from what the Shiîtes consider to be a missing part of the Qurân, called by them Suratul-Wilaayah (see below). It mentions the granting of wilaayah (sovereignty) to `Ali(8) as follows: "O believers, believe in the Prophet and the wali, the two whom We sent to guide you to the straight path..."[suratul-Wilayyah]
Photocopy of the so-called Suratul-wilaayah which the Shiîtes accuse the Sunni Muslims of deleting along with other suras from the original text of the Holy Qurân. It reads: O' you who believe, believe in the Prophet and the wali, the two whom we sent
to guide you to the straight path. A Prophet and wali who are of each other. and
celebrate the praise of your Lord, and Ali is among the witnesses.
[fatwa against companions]
Photocopy of the original fatwa (religious verdict) encouraging the Shiîte
masses to curse the two Caliphs Abu Bakr and `Umar. signed by six of the
contemporary Shiîte scholars and clergy among them Khomeini and Shariat Madari.
Muhhammad `Ali Sa'oodi, chief consultant to the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, and
one of Muhhammad Abduh's special students, managed to examine an Iranian
manuscript copy of the Qurân owned by the orientalist Brown. He was able to
make a photocopy of Surat-ul-Wilaayah with its Persian translation. Its
existence was affirmed by At-Tabarsi in his book Faslul-Khitaab, and by Muhsin
Faani Al-ashmeeri in his book Dabisan Madhaahib. This book, written in Persian,
was printed several times in Iran. The chapter (Surat-ul-Wilaayah) which is
falsely attributed to Allah
At-Tabarsi also quoted a tradition from Al-Kaafi, which is to the Shiîtes what Sahih-ul-Bukhari is to the Sunni Muslims. It reads: A number of our associates narrated by way of Sahl bin Ziyaad through Muhhammad bin Sulaiman that some of his friends reported Abul-Hasan Ath-Thaani `Ali bin Mioosa Ar-Rida as saying `May I be your ransom! We hear verses of the Qurân different from those we have with us and we are not capable of reading them according to your reading which has reached us. Do we commit a sin thereby He replied, "No, read the Qurân as you have learned it; someone will come to you to teach you. Without a doubt, this conversation is fabricated by the Shiîtes and is falsely attributed to the Imam `Ali bin Moosa Ar-Rida; however, the statement is taken by the Shiîtes as a legal ruling in this matter. Its implication is that while one of them commits no sin by reciting the Qurân the way Muslims have learned according to `Uthman's unanimously accepted text, the privileged class of Shiîte clergy and scholars will teach each other a version other than the accepted one, a version which they claim came to their Imams from Ahlu-l-Bayt. It was the urge to strike a comparison between the Shiîte "Qurân" (which they secretly confide to one another, while hiding it from the general public as an act of taqiyyah) and the known and officially accepted `Uthmani Edition of the Qurân, which motivated At-Tabarsi to write his book Faslul-Khitaab. Although the Shiîtes pretended to disown At-Tabarsi's book, as an act of taqiyyah, the glaring fact that it includes hundreds of quotations from the recognized works of their scholars clearly confirms their adherence to the tenet of alteration of the Qurân. Of course, they do not want a clamor to be raised over this perverse article of faith of theirs The intended result of their claim is to leave us with the impression that
there are two Qurâns: one, the `Uthmani version accepted by the Sunni Muslims;
the other, the allegedly hidden version of the Shiîtes, part of which is
Surat-ul-Wilaayah. They are well aware that they fabricated the statement they
attributed to the Imam `Ali bin Moosa Ar-Rida: "... read [the Qurân] as
you have learned it; someone will come to you to teach you." The Shiîtes
also claim that a verse was deleted from the Qurân from Suratu-l-Inshiraah. The
alleged deletion is "and we made `Ali your son-in-law." Have they no
shame in making such an allegation, when it is a well-known fact that this
particular surah was revealed in Mecca at a time when `Ali was not yet the
son-in-law of the Prophet, Allah
Another of the Shiîte scholars, Abu Mansoor Ahmad bin `Ali At- Tabarsi, in
his book Al-lhtijaaj `ala Ahlil-Lajaaj (Argumentation with the Contentious Folk)
claimed that `Ali said to one of the zanaadiqah,(10)whose
name At-Tabarsi neglected to mention, "As for your belligerent disagreement
with me(11), it shows your feigned ignorance of
Allah
Now doing justice to orphans does not resemble the marrying of women, and not
all women are orphans; thus, this verse is an example of what I have presented
earlier in the book Al-Ihtijaaj; regarding the deletion of parts of the Qurân
by the hypocrites',(12) that deletion being
between the statement about justice to orphans, and that which follows it, about
the marrying of women. This deletion consists of addresses and stories, and
amounts to more than a third of the Qurân,
8. SHI'ITE LIES, EVEN AGAINST `ALI
The foregoing is an example of the Shiîte lies which were attributed to `Ali
(may Allah
9. REJOICING OF THE MISSIONARIES AND ORIENTALISTS
Upon the publication of the book Faslul-Khitaab over eighty years ago, there
was great rejoicing amongst the enemies of Islam, in particular, the
missionaries and deviated orientalists. They liked the book so much that they
decided to translate it into their own languages. It is no wonder, since it
contained hundreds of lies such as those mentioned above, along with slanderous
fabrications against Allah
There are two clear texts from Al-Kaafi of Al-Kulaini, which elucidate the Shiîtes' perverse position regarding the Qurân. The first reads: I heard Abu Jafar (upon whom be peace) say: "None of the people has
claimed that he collected the Qur'aan Every Shiîte is required to believe in this text from Al-Kaafi as an article
of their faith. As for us, Ahlus-Sunnah, we say that in fact the Shiîtes have
falsely attributed the above text to a Sunni scholar and wali, Al-Baaqir Abu
Ja'far. The proof of our position is that `Ali, during the period of his
caliphate in Kufah, never resorted to or applied any version of the Qurân other
than that with which Allah
Furthermore, if indeed `Ali had a different version of the Qurân and
concealed it from the Muslims, then he would have betrayed Allah
The second of the two texts from Al-Kaafi mentioned above, is attributed to another wali, Ja'far As-Saadiq, the son of Al-Baaqir. It reads: It is related that Abu Baser said: "I entered upon Abu `Abdullah [Ja'far
As-Sadiq]... [Who] said `Verily we have with us the Qurân of Fatimah (upon whom
be peace).' I said: `What is the Qurân of Fatimah?' He replied: `It contains
three times as much as this Qurân of yours. By Allah
These fabricated Shiîte texts which are falsely attributed to the Imams of
Ahlu-l-Bayt are of fairly early date. They were recorded by Muhammed bin Ya'qoob
Al-Kulaini Ar-Razi in the book Al-Kaafi over a thousand years ago, and they are
from before his time, because they were narrated on the authority of his
ancestors, the master engineers of the false foundations of Shiîsm. During the
time when Spain was under the reign of Muslims, the Imam Abu Muhhammad bin Hazam
used to debate with Spain's priests regarding the texts of their sacred books.
He used to bring forth proofs which established their having been tampered with,
and altered so much that their authentic origins had been lost. Those priests
used to argue with Ibn Hazam that the Shiîtes had asserted that the Qurân also
had been altered. Ibn Hazam refuted their argument by replying that the
allegation of the Shiîtes is not a proof against the Qurân, nor against the
Muslims, because Shiîtes are not Muslims.(17)
10. SHI'ITE VIEWS ON THE MUSLIM RULERS
The attention of the governments of all Muslim nations must be drawn to the
dangerous and distorted views of the (So-called) Shiîte Twelve Imams, or
Ja'fari sect. It is their view that all governments from the death of the
Prophet until now are illegitimate, except for that of `Ali bin Abi Taalib. It
is therefore not permissible for any Shiîte to be loyal to those governments or
sincere in dealing with them. Indeed, they must engage in flattery and
hypocrisy, in accordance with their tenet of taqiyyah. They consider all past,
present, and future governments in the Muslim world to be established by
forcible seizure, and therefore illegal. According to them, the only legitimate
rulers are the Twelve Imams, whether they ruled directly or indirectly, and all
other rulers, from the time of Abu Bakr and `Umar until the present time, are
con- sidered usurpers, and oppressors of the people. The Shiîtes tenaciously
hold this perverse view of the Muslim rulers regardless of the great services
they have rendered to the noble cause of Islam, and to humanity in general.
11, MALICE AGAINST ABU BAKR AND `UMAR
The Shiîtes curse Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman (may Allah
Al-Mamqaani referred to Muhhammad bin Idrees Al-Hilli's book As-Saraaîr, in which Al-Hilli cited the work Massaaîlur-aijaal wa Mukaatabaatihim ila Mowlaana Abil-Hasan `Ali bin Muhhammad bin `Ali bin Moosa, the subject of which is questions and letters directed to Abil Hasan `Ali bin Muhhammad. Among them is a question from Muhhammad bin `Ali, who is quoted as saying: I wrote to him asking about ar-naasib [one who is hostile to Ahlu-l-Bayt]. I asked him whether I needed proof of his hostility towards Ahlu-l-Bayt other than his recognition of Al-jibt wa-t-taaghoot i.e. Abu Bakr and `Umar] as the rightful holders of the office of imam [leader of the Muslim community]. His reply was that anyone whose condition was like that just described, was adequately shown to be a naasib. Thus, any person would be counted as an enemy of the Prophet's family merely
by his giving precedence of rank to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq and `Umar Al-Farooq, and
by his acknowledging their positions as imams. The expression "Al-jibt
wa-t-taaghoot" is used by the Shiîtes in the prayer of imprecation which
they call "Duâa Sanamay Quraish" (imprecation against the two idols
of the Quraish). They mean by these expressions, the two caliphs Abu Bakr and `Umar
(may Allah
12. SHI'ITES EXALT THE ASSASSIN OF THE CALIPH `UMAR
The hatred the Shiîtes have for the Caliph `Umar reached such a pitch that they gave his murderer Abu Lu'luâh Al-Majoosi the title "Baba Shujaaûd-Din" (the one who is brave in the cause of Religion). `Ali bin Mathahir, a Shiîte narrator of traditions, reported that Ahmad bin Ishaq Al-Qummi Al-Ahwas, a leader of the Shiîtes, said: "Verily the day ` Umar was murdered is the greatest day of celebration, the day of pride and honour, the day of the great purification and the day of blessing and consolation." In the history of Islam there have been many great personalities, men like
the two Caliphs Abu Bakr and `Umar and the great warrior ßalaahuddin Al-Ayyoobi,
who ruled for the sake of Islam, and who liberated various lands and peoples and
brought them into the fold of Islam. Yet these great men, and indeed all of the
great rulers of Islam, past and present, are believed by the Shiîtes to be
overpowering tyrants and illegal rulers and consequently, are considered to be
in habitants of Hell-Fire. Among the Shiîtes' most important tenets is the
belief that when their Twelfth Imam, the awaited Mahdi, rises and comes forth
after his long absence of over eleven hundred years, and brings his revolution,
then Allah
After the trial of those "tyrannous usurpers", this awaited Mahdi will awaken himself by ordering their execution. Five hundred of them at a time will be killed until their number reaches three thousand. this being the total of all who ruled during the various eras of the history of Islam! All of this is supposed to occur just before the final revival of mankind on the Day of Resurrection! It is a prelude, as it were, to that final great gathering and resurrection, the result of which is either Paradise or Hell-Fire; Paradise for Ahlu-l-Bayt and the Shiîtes, and the Fire for everyone who is not a Shiîte! The Shiîtes call this resurrection of the Muslim rulers, and the subsequent trial and execution, "Ar-Rajâh" (the return). This belief is one of the fundamental tenets of their faith, which no common Shiîte doubts at all. I have met a number of naive and simple-minded people who claim that the Shiîtes have departed from such tenets as these in recent times; however, this is a gross error on their part as is evident from the actual state of affairs. Sunni Muslims, of course, do believe in the advent of the awaited Imam al-Mahdi,
announced in authoritative aHadiith, but they neither accept the Shiîte
understanding of his role, nor identify him with the son of Imam Hasan al-Âskari.
13. DESIRE FOR REVENGE AND DESTRUCTION
In Al-lrshaad fee Taarikhi Hujajillahi `alal-'lbaad (Instruction in the
History of God's Proofs Against His Slaves), Abu `Abdullah Muhhammad An-Nu'man,
known to the Shiîtes by the title `Âsh-Sheikhul-Mufeed'', quoted several of
their "traditions" about "Ar-Rajâh'': Al Fadl bin Sha'thaan
reported that Muhhammad bin `Ali Al-Koofi related that Wahab bin Hafs narrated
through Abi Baseer that Abu `Abdullah [Ja'far As-Saadiq] said: "The Mahdi
will be called upon on the Twenty-third night by the name `The Risen One' . He
will arise, and that rising up will be on the day of `ashooraa.(20)
It is as if I am there with him on that tenth day of the month of Muharram. He
is standing between the comer of the Ka'bah containing the black stone, and the
maqaam [place of prayer] of the Prophet Abraham. The Angle Gabriel is standing
to his right calling out,"The pledge of allegiance to the Mahdi is for the
sake d Allah
It was also reported, by Al-Hajjaal from Thlaha via Abu Bakr Al- Hadrami that Abu Ja'far [Muhhammad Al-Baaqir] said: "It is as if I am with the Risen One at the city of Najaf, in Al-Koofa, which he had marched to from Mecca, in the company of five thousand angels, with Gabriel on his right side, and Michael on his left, and the believers in front of him, while he dispatches armies to the various countries." So too, it is narrated that `Abdul-Kareem Al-Ju'fi reported: "I said to
Abu `Abdullah [Ja'far As-Saadiq]: 'How long will the Risen One's reign last?'
;Seven years,' he replied. He elaborated: 'The days will grow longer, till a
year of his reign equals ten of your years. His reign will last for seventy
years of your reckoning.' Upon this, Abu Baseer said to him [i.e., to Ja'far As-Saadiq]:
'May I be your ransom! How will Allah
`Abdullah bin Al-Mugheera narrated that Abu `Abdullah [Ja'far As- Saadiq] said: "If the awaited Mahdi from the family of Muhhammad rises, he will cause to be raised up five hundred members of Quraish, and their necks would be struck by the sword. They would be followed by another set of five hundred, and yet another, until that recurred six times." "Would they reach that great number?" I asked. [His astonishment upon hearing that great number was due to the fact that the rightly-guided Caliphs, the Umayyad rulers and those of the Abbasi era, along with all the Muslim rulers up until the time of Ja'far As- Saadiq do not amount to a hundredth of that number.] Ja'far As- Saadiq replied: "Yes; it includes the rulers and their supporters." And in another narration: "Verily, our state is the last of the states. There would be no dynasty but that which has had its turn before us, so that there may be none to witness our reign and say: If we were to rule we would follow their path." Jaabir Al-Ju'fi reported that Abu `Abdullah [Ja'far As-Saadiq] said: "When the risen Mahdi from the family of Muhhammad comes forth he will pitch pavilions to teach therein the Qurân just as it was revealed.(21) It will be most difficult then for the one who has memorized [that which is memorized] today." [i.e., it would be difficult for the one who memorized the official `Uthmani edition which was extant at the time of Ja'far As-Saadiq, because it would differ from the version which the Mahdi supposedly will bring.] Al-Mufaddal bin `Umar narrated that Abu `Abdullah said: "Along with the Risen One shall come twenty-seven men from the people of the Prophet Moses, seven from the people of the cave, and Joshua, Solomon Abu Dujaanal Al-Ansaari, Al-Miqdaad and Maalik Al-Ashtar. These will be in the company of the Mahdi as helpers and judges in his service." These fabricated "traditions" from the book of "Ash-Sheikhul- Mufeed", have been quoted meticulously, complete with their concocted chains of transmission. They have been falsely attributed to the family of the Prophet, whose greatest misfortune is to have such liars pretending to be their only partisans. Of course, since the belief in Ar-Rajâh and the trial of the Muslim rulers
is an important part of Shiîte doctrine, it is commonly mentioned in the works
of Shiîte scholars and clergy. One example is AI-Masail An-Naasiriya, by As-Sawid
Al-Murtadaa, in which is to be found the following: "Verily Abu Bakr and `Umar
shall be crucified upon a tree in the time of Al-Mahdi... That tree would be
green and tender before the crucifixion and would turn parched after the
crucifixion."
14. SHI'ITES' WAY OF THINKING UNCHANGED
The Shiîte scholars and clergy throughout the span of Islamic history have
taken a disgraceful stand against the two Companions and appointed ministers of
Allah
To further clarify this we mention as an example one person amongst them who never ceases announcing day and night that he is a proponent of unity and reconciliation, Muhhammad bin Muhhammad Mahdi Al-Khaalisi. He is known to have many friends in Egypt and elsewhere who broadcast the same call for taqreeb, and who work for it among the Ahlus-Sunnah. This supposed advocate of "unity and understanding" goes so far as to deny that Abu Bakr and `Umar possessed the grace of Iman (faith). In his book Ihyaaûsh-Sharia fee Madhhabish-Shiâh (Revival of the Law in the Shiîte School of Thought), he says: Even if they [Sunnis] argue that Abu Bakr and `Umar were among the people of
Baiâtur- Ridwan(22) with whom Allah
Al-Khaalisi is maliciously insinuating by this that Abu Bakr and `Umar were
of those who had not acquired iman, and were excluded from the pleasure of
Allah
15. DISTORTION OF HISTORICAL FACTS
Al-Murtadaa and Al-Khaalisi are modern Shiîte scholars who boldly claim to belong to the echelon of those who are zealous in struggling for the sake of Islam and Muslims, and who have the keenest interest in upholding the rights of Muslims and maintaining their well-being. Having seen, however, what they have written about Abu Bakr and `Umar, who are among the best of Muslims next to the Prophet, ordinary people like ourselves must wonder what hope there can be of our reaching a common understanding and reconciliation with people such as them. While on the one hand the Shiîtes shamelessly defame the Companions of the
Messenger of Allah
Al-Kulaini recorded in his book Al-Kaafi attributes and descriptions of the Twelve Imams such as would imply their elevation from the human level to that of the gods of the ancient Greek pagans. To quote all such fables from Al-Kaafi and other books would require a large volume. By way of illustration, it will suffice to list some of the chapter headings from Al-Kaafi: * "The Imams possess all the knowledge granted to angels, Prophets and messengers"(25) * "The Imams know when they will die, and they do not die except by their own choice"(26) * "The Imams have knowledge of whatever occurred in the past and whatever will happen in the future, and nothing is concealed from them"(27) * The Imams have knowledge of all the revealed books, regardless of the languages in which they were revealed"(28) * "No one compiled the Qurân completely except the Imams, and they encompass all of its knowledge'(29) * "Signs of the Prophets are possessed by the Imams"(30) * "When the Imams' time comes, they will rule in accordance with the ruling of the Prophet David and his dynasty. These Imams will not need to ask for presentation of evidence before passing their judgments"(31) * "There is not a single truth possessed by a people save that which
originated with the Imams, and everything which did not proceed from them is
false. All of the earth belongs to the Imams"(32)
16. THE SHI'ITES PLACE THEIR IMAMS ABOVE THE MESSENGER
While the Shiîtes claim for the Twelve Imams the superhuman power of
knowledge that encompasses the realm of the unseen, they deny the Prophet's
knowledge of unseen things granted him by Allah
This blasphemy was stated in the magazine Risalatul-lslam (The Message of. Islam), published by Daarut-Taqreeb. In an article entitled Min Ijtihaadati Shiâ Al-lmamia (Some Independent Shiîte Opinions), the head of the Shiîte supreme court in Lebanon quoted the Mujtahid scholar Muhhammad Hasan Al-lshtiyani: "If the Prophet made a stipulation regarding the divine legal rulings on what invalidates ablution, or the rulings pertaining to menstruation and post-natal bleeding, it is imperative to believe him, and the application of these rulings is binding upon us. But if the Prophet made a statement regarding the unseen, for example on the creation of the heavens and earth, or the virgins of Paradise and its palaces, then it is not incumbent or binding upon one, even when it is known of a surety that the statement has proceeded from the Prophet." How strange, that they should falsely attribute to their Imams knowledge of the unseen, and that they should adhere to that falsehood although they have not a single proof to establish its verity. Meanwhile they consider that they are not bound to accept the revelations of the unseen mentioned in verses of the Qurân and authentic traditions, and thereby conclusively proven. He who makes a comparison between what the Shiîtes ascribe to their Imams and what is authentically attributed to the Prophet regar-ding matters of the unseen comes to the conclusion that what can be verified to issue from the Prophet regarding the unseen, as mentioned in the Qurân and the authentic, authoritative traditions does not even constitute a fraction of the multitude of fabricated reports of knowledge of the unseen which are attributed to the Twelve Imams; and this in spite of the indisputable fact that divine revelation had ceased upon the death of the Prophet. As for those who attributed this knowledge of the unseen to the Twelve Imams,
it suffices to say that they are well known to the Sunni scholars of Hadiith
(Prophetic traditions) as liars, and forgers of hadeth literature. The Shiîte
partisans of those narrators are indifferent to this, however, and blindly
accept the accounts of the unseen which are imputed to their Imams. They also
gladly accept the claim that acceptance of what had been authentically
attributed to the Prophet with regard to the unseen is not binding upon them. In
fact, it pleases them to limit the scope of the mission of the Messenger of
Allah
Since they elevate the status of their Imams, in regard to knowledge of the
unseen, above that of the Messenger of Allah
17. SHI'ITE TREACHERY TOWARDS IslamIC GOVERNMENTS
The stance of most Shiîtes, scholars and laymen alike, towards the Islamic
governments throughout history has been, if the government was powerful and
well-established, to honour its leaders in consonance with their tenet of
taqiyyah, for the purpose of material gain. If, however, the government is weak,
or is under attack by enemies, they side with its enemies against it. This is
precisely what they did during the last days of the Umayyad dynasty when the
Abbasids revolted, under the instigation of the Shiîtes of that era. In a later
time, they took the same criminal stand against the Abbasids who were threatened
by the raids of Hulago and his pagan Mongol followers against the Caliphate of
Islam and its glorious capital of science and civilization . An example of this
is seen in the behavior of the Shiîte philosopher and scholar An-Naseer At-Toosi.
He composed poetry in praise of Al-Musta'sim, the Abbasid Caliph, then in 65
A.H. executed a complete turn about, instigating revolution against his patron,
thereby hastening the catastrophe which befell Islam in Baghdad, where he headed
the butcher Hulago's blood-letting procession. In fact he personally supervised
the slaughter of Muslims, sparing none, not even women, children, or the aged.
This same At-Toosi also approved of wholesale dumping of valuable texts of
Islamic literature in the Tigris River; its waters ran black for days from the
ink of the innumerable manuscripts. Thus vanished a great treasure of the
Islamic heritage consisting of works in history, literature, language and
poetry, not to mention those in the Islamic religious sciences, which had been
passed down from the pious of the first generation of Muslims, and which could
be found in abundance until that time when they were destroyed in a cultural
holocaust the like of which had never been seen before.
18. THE TREACHERY OF AL-ÂLQAMI AND IBN ABIL-HADEED
This sheikh of the Shiîtes, An-Naseer At-Toosi, was assisted in this great
treachery by two of his cohorts, Muhhammad bin Ahmad Al-Âlqami, a Shiîte
minister of state, and `Abdul-Hameed bin Abil-Hadeed, a Mu'tazilite author and
extremist Shiîte.(33) He was Al-Âlqami's
right- hand man and proved to be a bitter enemy of the Companions of he
Messenger of Allah
Unfortunately, a number of our distinguished figures and authors continue to
be deceived by such lies due to their ignorance of the essential facts of
Islamic history. Al-Âlqami responded to Caliph Al-Musta'sim's kindness and
generosity in making him his minister, with deception and treachery. Shiîtes to
this day maliciously rejoice at Hulago's vicious campaign of slaughter and
destruction, out of sheer animosity towards Islam. Anyone who wishes can read
about the life of An-Naseer At-Toosi in any Shiîte book of biographies, the
latest of which is Rowdaatul- Jannaat by Al-Khuwansari. It is full of praise for
the treacherous murderers, and reflects the Shiîtes' malicious rejoicing al
that disastrous massacre of Muslim men, women and children. It was a monstrous
act which even the worst of enemies and the most hard- hearted beasts would be
ashamed to show pleasure in.
19. AN IMPEDIMENT TO RECONCILIATION
The exposition has become somewhat lengthy although great care has been taken to restrict the subject matter wholly to quotations selected from the Shiîtes' most authentic and dependable publications. We would like to conclude with a quotation pertaining to the subject of at-taqreeb (reconciliation of the followers of the various schools and sects), in order to clarify for every Muslim what the actual possibilities for success are regarding such an endeavor, especially in regard to the Shiîtes who have expressed their own frank acknowledgment of the impossibility of such an attempt at reconciliation. In his book Rowdaat Jannaat, the Shiîte historian Al- Khuwansari wrote of the "elegant and truthful utterances" of An- Naseer At-Toosi, "this source of truth and verification", and quoted his statement identifying the one and only sect of the seventy-three Muslim sects(34) that, according to prophecy, would achieve salvation: "I have considered all the sects and scrutinized them closely, only to
find that all, save the Imamers, subscribe to the same general conditions of
iman, while they differ only on some related issues. I discovered that the
Imamer sect differs from and is opposed to all the others. If any sect other
than the Imamers is considered "saved" then they all must be so
considered. This indicates to me that the one sect which is to achieve salvation
is none other than the Imamers."
20. SALVATION CANNOT BE ATTAINED WITHOUT PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE AND GRANTING SOVEREIGNTY TO AHLU-L-BAYT
Al-Khuwansari also related that As-Sayyid Ni'matullah Al- Moosawi said: "All of the sects unanimously agree that bearing witness to one's faith
by recitation of the two articles of faith is the only way to salvation, as
proved by the statement of Allah
21.
SHI'ITES DIFFER WITH MUSLIMS IN FUNDAMENTALS,
At-Toosi, Al-Moosa and Al-Khuwansari have both told the truth, and lied. They have told the truth in saying that all the Muslim sects are close to each other in fundamentals while they differ on secondary issues. Thus mutual understanding and a "coming together" are possible among those sects which are fundamentally akin to each other. On the other hand it is impossible to achieve such a mutual understanding with the Shiîte Imamers, with the Ismailis of with the Wahhabis, because these sect are in opposition to the fundamentals of all other Muslims. Shiîtes, for instance, will never be pleased with the Muslims unless they curse "Al-jibt wa-t-taaghoot'' (Abu Bakr and `Umar), and those who came after them up until the present time. Another condition they would impose on Muslims is that they disown all non-Shiîtes, and even those members of the family of the Prophet who were given in marriage to them, such as the two daughters of the Prophet who married the Caliph `Uthman bin `Affaan. They further stipulate that Muslims must also disown the Imam Zaid, son of `Ali Zain-ul `Abideen (the son of Al-Husain, son of `Ali bin Abi Taalib) along with the rest of the family of the Prophet who did not enter the ranks under the banner of the Rafidites(35) , and who did not accept their deviated tenets. Amongst these perverse tenets is their claim that the Qurân has been tampered with, a doctrine fanatically adhered to by all classes of the Shiîte society throughout the ages, as their own astute scholar At-Tabirsi has so boldly recorded in his book Faslul-Khitaabi fee Ithbatti Tahreefi Kitaab Rabbil-Arbaab. The Shiîtes would like to force upon us as a precondition to reaching a
mutual understanding with them, and to please them, for the purpose of
"coming closer" to them, that we curse along with them the Companions
of Allah
The above is the truthful part of what the Shiîte spokesmen said, and no Shiîte would deny it, whether he openly practiced taqiyyah, or concealed it. As for the false part of what they say, it is that non-Shiîte Muslims agree that upon simple utterance of the two Shahaadas(36)' rests the issue of salvation in the Hereafter. If the Shiîtes had the slightest sense or knowledge they would have known that the two Shahaadas are to Sunni Muslims the mere sign of entry into Islam. If one uttered these two Shahaadas, even if he were in the ranks of the enemy battling against Muslims, his life and wealth would become inviolable. As for salvation in the Hereafter, it is attained only by coupling the utterance of testification with iman, and iman, according to the great and pious caliph `Umar bin Abdul-Âzeez, includes believing in obligatory duties, religious rites, ordinances and practices. He who fulfills these completes the prerequisites of iman, and whosoever does not fulfill them does not complete his iman. As for the Shiîte belief in the existence of their Twelfth Imam, it is not in any way a prerequisite of iman. In fact, this Twelfth Imam is an imaginary character falsely identified as the son of Al-Hasan Al-Âskari (who died without offspring). His brother Ja'far settled and distributed the inheritance left by Al-Hasan Al-Âskari on the basis that he left no children to inherit. The truth of the matter is that when the Shiîtes came to know that Al-Hasan
Al-Âskari died leaving no male successor, and saw that this meant the end of
the chain of Imamer succession, they realized that their sectarian school would
cease to exist with the death of Al-Hasan Al-Âskari. They would no longer be
Imamers because there was no Imam to succeed al-Âskari to the Imamate.
22. THE TALE OF THE DOOR AND THE TUNNEL
Upon this, one of them, Muhhammad bin Nusair, a protege of the tribe of Numair, invented the idea that Al-Hasan had a son who was hidden in the tunnels of his father's residence. The impetus for such a fabrication came from his desire, and that of his accomplices, to deceive the Shiîte public, especially the affluent among them, to collect zakaah(37) from them in the name of an existing Imam. They also wished to continue claiming that they were sincere Imamers. This Muhhammad bin Nusair wanted himself to be the "door" to the imaginary tunnel between the invented Imam and his followers, in order to take charge of all zakaah funds. His accomplices disagreed with him in this plot and insisted on appointing as the "door" a grocer whose shop was adschacent to the entrance of Hasan Al-Âskari's house. Hasan's father and family used to purchase from this grocer their household needs. After this, Muhhammad Nusair broke away from his former comrades and established the Nusairiyyah sect, which takes its name and impetus from him(38). In the meantime, his former accomplices were devising a stratagem whereby they could bring forth their supposed Imam; they wanted him to marry and have sons who would succeed him to the office of the Imamate. This in turn would ensure that their Imamer sect would live on. It became evident, however, that his appearance would be denied by the heads
of the Alawi clans as well as their followers and their cousins, the Abbasid
rulers and royalty. They therefore alleged that the Twelfth Imam remained in the
tunnel; that his minor absence was followed by a major one; and so carried on
with such fables as were never heard before, even among the ancient pagans. They
expect all Muslims, whom Allah
23.
THE CONCEPT OF PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE
Muslims entrust the position of leadership and the government to any Mu'min (believer) with correct iman. Thus they would pledge allegiance to all pious members of Ahlu-l-Bayt, without any restriction as to their number or persons. Amongst the foremost of the believers to whom they would entrust the reins of leadership were the ten Companions who were given the glad tidings of their abode in Paradise. If there were no other factor by reason of which the Shiîtes acquired the designation of Kaafirs (disbelievers), then their contradiction and denial of the Prophet's designation of those ten Companions as inhabitants of Paradise would have sufficed.(39) The Muslims also would entrust the rest of the Companions with leadership,
and would grant them full support and allegiance, for it was these noble
personages upon whose shoulders was erected Islam and the Islamic world, and
truth and goodness sprang forth from the soil of the Islamic Community which had
been nourished by their precious blood. These are the Companions whom the
Shiîtes claimed were enemies of `Ali and his sons, while actually they lived
with `Ali as loving, cooperative brothers and died as such. What could be
greater proof of this than the description Allah
Allah
And does Allah
24.
FRIENDSHIP AND AFFECTION
Due to the love and respect which the commander of the Faithful Ali bin Abi
Taalib held for his three brethren caliphs, he named three of his sons after
them. He also gave his eldest daughter Umm Kulthoom in marriage to `Umar Ibnul
Khattaab. In addition, we se that `Abdullah bin Ja'far bin Abi Taalib , (`Ali's
nephew) named one of his sons Abu Bakr, and the other one Muâawiyah. Muâawiyah
bin `Abdullah named his son after Yazeed bin Muâawiyah bin Abu Sufyaan, who was
considered to be of good repute, according to the testimony of Muhhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah
bin `Ali bin Abu Taalib.
25.
WHY WE MUST RID OURSELVES
If the repudiation and denunciation which Shiîtes are now asking of us, as
the price for reconciliation between us and them, includes those whom they have
demanded it include (Abu Bakr, `Umar, etc.) then he whom they consider to be
their first Imam, `Ali bin Abi Taalib, should be considered blameworthy by them,
by virtue of his naming his sons after Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman, and by his
giving his daughters in marriage to `Umar and `Uthman. Furthermore, they must
consider Muhhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah a liar when he testified to the good
character of Yazeed, if they accept the claim of `Abdullah bin Mutee, a
supporter of Ibnuz-Zubair, that Yazeed drank liquor and neglected prayer, and
exceeded the bounds established by Allah
Muhhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah defended Yazeed, saying have not witnessed what
you mention. I visited him and stayed with him. He was regular in observing
prayers and in performing good deeds, seeking religious knowledge and adhering
to the Sunnah." Ibn Mutee and those accompanying him replied that Yazeed's
behavior was out of pretense in his presence. Muhhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah
rejoined: "What was it that he feared or hoped from me that he should
appear before me in such a state of piety and humility?" He continued,
"Did he confide in you that which you mention regarding his drinking of
wine? If he did so then you are his accomplices. And if he did not, then it is
unlawful for you to bear witness to that of which you have no knowledge."
They replied that although they did not see him drinking, yet "we believe
that to be the truth." Muhhammad's reply to them was that Allah
Since the foregoing is what the son of `Ali bin Abi Taalib has testified to
in favor of Yazeed bin Muâawiyah, then where does his fit in relation to the
position the Shiîtes want us to adopt with them against Yazeed's father,
Muâawiyah, and against those who are better than him and better than the whole
creation(42), that is, Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthman,
Talha, Az-Zubair, Amr ubn ul-Âws, along with the rest of the great Companions
who memorized and preserved for us Allah
The price demanded of us by the Shiîtes for a reconciliation with them is exorbitant. We loose everything by agreeing to it, while we gain nothing in return. It is only a fool who would deal with someone whom he knows would expect him to accept a losing bargain! The two concepts of walaayah (granting of allegiance) and baraa (repudiation and denunciation) upon which the Shiîte Religion is based, according to what has been affirmed by An-Naseer At-Toosi and confirmed by Ni'matullah Al-Moosawi and Al-Khuwansari, mean nothing except a complete alteration of the Religion of Islam. This complete change would require of us enmity towards those upon whose shoulders was erected the very structure of Islam. The Shiîtes have lied when they said that their sect is the only one to be granted salvation, the one whose condition and state differs from all of the rest, by virtue of which they alone would be saved. The fact is that the impossibility of reconciliation between the Sunni sects
on one side and Shiîtes on the other is due to the latter's disagreement with
and contradiction of the rest of the Muslims in the very fundamentals of faith,
as we have seen from the declarations of the Shiîte scholars, and as can be
seen from the beliefs and practices of every Shiîte. This was the state of
affairs in the past, and it is the state of affairs at the present time.
26
SHI'ITES PREFER PROPAGATION
Without any doubt the Shiîte Imamers themselves do not want taqreeb, which is why they have made many sacrifices and suffered great pains in propagating the call for reconciliation and elimination of differences in our Sunni countries, while forbidding that such a call be raised, or allowed to proceed at all, in the Shiîte countries. Nor do we see a hint of the influence of such a call on their educational institutions. In other words, the call to reconciliation has been restricted to one side, and as a result, every effort towards this cause will be futile, and a mere frivolous mockery, unless and until the Shiîtes categorically refrain from cursing and abusing Abu Bakr and `Umar; unless they cease repudiation and denunciation of anyone who was not, or is no presently, a Shiîte partisan; and unless they rid themselves totally of their perverse concept of raising the pious Imams of the Prophet's family from the level of human beings to that of the gods of the pagan Greeks. All of this is no less than an outrageous injustice against Islam and a
diversion of it from the path and the goal to which it was directed by the
Prophet to whom was entrusted the Islamic Schariiâh (divinely revealed law), and
by his noble Companions amongst whom were `Ali bin Abi Taalib and his offspring.
If the Shiîtes do not totally abandon such an outrage against Islam and its
articles of faith, and its history, then they are doomed to remain isolated from
and rejected by all of the Muslims(43)
27.
THE INTRIGUE OF BAABISM AND BAHAISM
The upheaval of Baabism and its offshoot, Bahaism, struck Iran over a hundred
years ago.Muhhammad `Ali Ash-Shiraazi had begun by claiming that he was the Baab
(precursor) to the awaited Mahdi. He later claimed that he himself was the Mahdi,
and in time he gained a sizable group of followers. The Iranian government chose
to exile him to Azerbaijan, the home of Sunnis of the Hanafi school of
jurisprudence. Being strict Sunnis, they were considered immune to the influence
of such fabulous nonsense. It was, however, only logical to fear that Shiîtes
would respond to Ash-Shiraazi's call, since his invention was derived from
Shiîsm. For that reason, he was not exiled to a Shiîte area, whose inhabitants
would be only too willing to accept such fables. In spite of such precautions, a
large number of shiîtes became Ash-Shiraazi's followers, and thus there
developed and ever-widening circle of commotion and disorder.
28. FROM SHI'ISM TO COMMUNISM
Just as the Shiîte fables and myths were a factor in the appearance and spread of Babism and Bahaism in the past century, so now they can be seen to be a cause of the rejection of Shiîsm by some of the educated Shiîte youth, in favour of communism. They have awakened to the realization that many Shiîte beliefs are too ridiculous to he credible, and as a result they have utterly rejected them. Many were drawn to various communist organizations, with their energetic propagandists, books in various languages, and efficiently run centres. These young people were an easy prey, and fell readily into the trap. Had they known the Religion of Islam in its original pure state, and acquired a proper knowledge of it, they would have been protected from such a fate. Instead, we find that communism has thrived, especially in lran and in the Shiîte areas of Iraq. More communists are to be found in those communities than can be found in any other Muslim community. This concludes what circumstances have allowed me to present by way of
fulfilling the covenant which Allah
Allah
Footnotes
1. Related by Abu Dawood and others with an authentic chain of narrators. 2. The invocation is called Duâa Sanamay Quraish, meaning "the
invocation against the two idols of Quraish", by which the Shiîtes mean
the two caliphs of Allah
3. Khomeini, Al-Hukoomat ul-lslamiyyah, pp. 52-53. 4. What Khomeini means here, is that he not only affirms and believes all that is in the Shiîte book Al-Kaafi, but he also sees it as obligatory to adhere to it and put its rulings and directives into effect in the Shiîte state. 5. The two terms "Ahlu-s-Sunnah" (Sunnis) and "Shiâh'' (Shiîtes)
need to be defined at this point. Ahlu-s-Sunnah means literally "people of
the established way or path". It refers to the majority of Muslims, who
follow the Sunnah (way) of Muhhammad, the Messenger of Allah
6. Al-Azhar has incorporated the study of the Shiîte "Twelve Imamers"
school as a required pan of its curriculum in Islamic Studies. This, along with
its call for reconciliation of the various sects and schools of thought, might
create the impression of acceptance of the misguided sects such as the Shiîte
Twelve Imamers, the Wahhabis or the Ismailis. In fact, the only legitimate
reason for studying such sects and movements should be the hope that such a
study will bring to light their real natures, and that consequently, their false
doctrines and perverse ideology may be refuted by reference to the authentic
sources of Islam, the Holy Qurân, the authentic Sunnah, and the example of the
Companions of the Prophet (Allah
7. This kind of "favoritism" has been repeated throughout different eras. It was due to the sending of propagandists claiming such lofty goals of reconciliation that Iraq was converted from a Sunni country containing a Shiîte minority to a state which is predominantly Shiîte. 8. "Wali" has several meanings, the relevant ones in this context
being "the closest friend and associate" and "the one upon whom
has been conferred legal authority to rule; vicegerent". The person
intended by this term in the quoted passage is obviously `Ali (may Allah
9. Noeldeke, History of Copies of the Qurân, Vol. 2, p. 102. 10. Zanaadiq is the plural of zindeeq. a word meaning one who speaks heresy, or who has deviated from the truth. It is also applied to disbelievers or atheists or free-thinkers. (cf., Lisanul-Arab Vol. 10. p. 147). 11. The meaning of this statement, allegedly made by Âli in the course of an
argument with an unnamed zindeeq. is obscure, to say the least. We may surmise
from the context that a discussion or dispute had been taking place between
them, Âli having been attacked in repudiation of his supposed insistence that
he possessed that missing one third of the Qurân, which according to Shiîte
belief was deleted by the Companions of the Prophet. This is a concoction of the
Shiîtes, falsely attributed to Âli (may Allah
12. By the 'hypocrites", Abu Mansoor At-Tabarsi means the Companions of
Allah
13. Muhhammad Mahdi Al-Asfahani Al-Kaathini, Ahsanul-Wadeeâh, Vol 2, p. 90. 14. Al-Kulaini, Al-Kaafi, 1278 A.H., p. 54 15. Al Azhar Magazine, 1372 A.H., p. 307. 16. Al-Kulaini, Al-Kaafi, 1278 A.H., p. 75 17. Al-Hazarn, Al Fisal fil Millal wan-Niha1, Vol. 2, p. 78 and Vol. 4, p. 182. 18. Jibt means an idol or a sorcerer, or one who claims to tell the future.
Taaghoot is a name applied to any object or person worshipped apart from the one
God, Allah
19. Al-Mamqaani, lanqeehul-Maqaal fee Ahwaalir-Rijaal, 1352 A.H.,Vo. 1,p207. 20. The day of Âshooraa is the tenth day of Muharram of the Muslim lunar
calendar. For the Shiîtes is the culmination of long days of bitter grieving
and vicious self-inflicted pain which they observe annually in commemoration of
he death of Hadhrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet (Sall-Allah
21. One naturally questions here why his grandfather Hadhrat Âli bin Abi Taalib did not do just that during the period of his rule. Is his twelfth generation descendant more sincere than Hadhrat Âli in his service of the Qurân and Islam? 22. Baiât ur-Ridwaan is the pledge of allegiance and support by the
Companions to the Prophet, with which Allah
24. Al-Khaalisi has somehow reasoned that by using the word
"believers" in this verse, Allah
33. The Mu'tazilaite sect introduced speculative dogmatics into Islam. 34. The concept of the Muslim Community separating into seventy-three sects,
is taken from authentic traditions such as the following related by Abu Huraira
(may Allah
35. The name "Rawaafid" (Rafidites) is applied generally, to all
the various sects of the Shiîtes, the first of which appeared during Âli's
time. Among them are the Asaba'eeah who told Âli that he was God, as a result
of which he ordered them to be burned to death. Others followed, amongst them
the Zaidiah, the Imamiah, and the Keesaaniah. They differ from each other
greatly and often we find one denying the iman of the other. The term rawaafid
means literally rejectors, and was first used when the followers of Zaid son of
Âli Zain-ul-Âbideen, the son of Al-Husain son of Âli bin Abi Taalib, demanded
that he disown the two caliphs Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Upon hearing their demand
Zaid said: "They were both ministers of my grandfather [the Prophet
Muhhammad], therefore I will not disown them." Hearing this, the followers
of Zaid rejected him and parted from him, hence the name Rawaafid (rejectors).
It later came todenote all the Shiâh, who claimed to be partisans of the family
of the Prophet Muhhammad (Allah
36. The two shahaadas are the two testifications of faith which are as
follows: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah
37. Zakaah is the obligatory alms-tax assessed on accumulated wealth, and distributed among the poor. 38. The Nusairis (also known as Âlawis) are a Shiîte sect that has a
particularly fanatic devotion to Âli (may Allah
39. Abdul Qaahir Al-Baghdaadi states the Sunni position in Al-Farqu
bainal-Firaq: "They unanimously agreed that the ruling of disbelief must be
made regarding a person who has called a Kaafir any of the ten Companions whom
the Prophet (may Allah
41. Ibn Katheer. Al-Bidâhayah wan-Nihaayah Vol. 8. p. 233. 42. The Companions of Muhhammad are considered the best of creation after the
Prophets and Messengers of Allah
43. It is a Shiîte tradition that "Taqiyyah is my faith and the faith
of my forefathers." They also say that "Whosoever does not practice
taqiyyah. he has no faith." Further. it is mentioned in Al-lslamu
Sabeelus-saâadah was-ßalaahm that "If a person expected harm to befall him
or his wealth in the general public order. it is incumbent upon him to abandon
the order of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. This ruling is one of
the peculiarities specific to the Shiîtes, and is called at-taqiyyah."
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1. PUBLISHER'S NOTE
