Provided by: Dr Sayyed Imran Husnain

Author: Sayyed Suleman Husnain

What do you believe?

This is an article written by my brother, Sayed Suleman Husnain, from his research and reading. He is 14 years old. I hope that this encourages more of the youth to contribute to the website. The article aims to achieve greater understanding between Shia and Sunni Muslims. I hope that it is beneficial:

 Many people have varied opinions on the Sunni – Shia relationship, but why is this, shouldn’t we live in harmony with each other.

 Many Muslims and non – Muslims alike seem to think that all the Muslims are Sunni, and others think only Sunnis represent the true Islam and every other sect do not follow Islam. I have also witnessed people who disregard Shia as a minority every time you tell them what your sect of Islam stands for and why there is a difference, I then say “just because a certain belief has a few followers shouldn’t you still respect them and their beliefs”.

 My Experience

 There have been almost unending stories of what Shias do. There also has been an unlimited bombardment of questions from fellow Sunni brothers. Almost every question they asked was intellectual and when I told them the answers that they craved I hoped that they would continue to treat me the same as before. I was shocked when they told me stories that they had heard. I actually felt outraged at what people were teaching the future generation. I felt this way because I had the true knowledge of what a Shia stands for and the Sunni brothers had been taught lies. One of these stories I heard was that one of the brothers had a servant in Pakistan who was a Shia. She cleaned, cooked and washed, and when she used to pray namaz she used to pray facing towards the holy kabah, but when she used to pray namaz she put a crystal in front of her before she started to pray and it remained there until she finished namaz. When I heard this I told the fellow brother that no Shia does that because that is not a belief that Shias follow and it was the first time I had ever heard of someone praying to a crystal. This may sound strange but I have stories like this many times. I have also been asked by Sunni brothers if Shia believes in god and the last prophet. I explained that we believe in all the prophets including the last prophet and if we did not believe in Allah swt who is almighty, then how can we call ourselves Muslims and have non – Shias also call us Muslims. There have been many Sunnis say hurtful phrases towards Shia behind my back these include Shia, Shia do you hit yourself.

 Islam teaches us tolerance of other beliefs. I do not think that God would be very happy with us if we insult people because of their beliefs.

 Myths and misconceptions

 There are a number of misconceptions that I have heard, below are just a few main misconceptions:

 • Misconception 1: Shias have a different Holy Qur'an. They add another 10 chapters to the original Holy Qur'an.

 Not true: I have looked many times at the Holy Qur'an kept in Shia homes and mosques. I still find it the same as the Holy Qur'an in Sunni mosques and online versions. Shia buy their Qur’an from any Islamic bookstore which are mostly run and owned by Sunnis. It is a sin to even say that the Holy Qur'an can be changed or added to by Shia when Almighty God protects it.

 • Misconception 2: Some Shia consider Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) as God.

 Definitely not true. It is disbelief to even think of such a thing. During the time of Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), some pagan groups called Gholat did consider Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) as Lord. When he found out, he taught the truth of what he was and who they really should be praying to.

 • Misconception 3: Shias have different declarations of faith (the kalmaa) and they add to the call to prescribed prayer.

 Not true: The declaration to become a Muslim, as administered to non-Muslims, is the same. Shia include, "Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) is a authority from God or Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) is a spiritual leader from God," in the kalmaa and in the call to prescribed prayer.

 • Misconception 4: Shias do not perform Sunnah prayers. Sunnah prayers are non-obligatory prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

 Not true: Shias do perform non-obligatory prayers, but sometimes call it Nawafil (sunnah prayers).

 • Misconception 5: Some Shia believes the Angel Gabriel made a mistake and prophet hood was meant for Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) and not Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

 Not true: This is real rubbish. The misconceptions are getting more imaginative every year. If you ask a Shia this he will reply “Only demented minds think of such questions”.

 • Misconception 6: Shias slander and ridicule the first three caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman) and Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) wife, Ayesha.

 Who makes these lies up: Shia consider the first three caliphs, but not as spiritual leaders (Imams). Imam Jafar as Sadiq’s (peace be upon him) mother and grandmother came from the line of Abu Bakr. Ayesha is respected by Shias as the ‘Mother of Believers’, just as Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) respected her when he sent her back with an escort from Basra to Medina after the Battle of the Camel. We have witnessed how Imam Khomeini, a Shia, bravely spoke against Salman Rushdie - The author of Satanic Verses who abused Ayesha. All the western countries became against Iran, while the governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc were silent.

 • Misconception 7: Shia combine all five prayers into one prayer in the evening.

 Wouldn’t that be one long prayer? : In Shia mosques, whether in Iran or elsewhere, all five daily prayers are performed. Shia can combine noon and afternoon, and evening and night prayers, but Shia scholars recommend performing them separately.

 • Misconception 8: Shia don’t pay zakat.

 If we did this we would have a lot of money by now: They not only pay zakat, but also an additional 20% of savings as Khums or general charity.

 • Misconception 9: Shias practice temporary marriages (Mutah).

 Temporary marriages (Mutah) were allowed during the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Later on Caliph Umar prohibited it due to social reasons as the Islamic world was rapidly expanding. Shia discourage Mutah but do not consider it prohibited. For example, as a temporary privilege during travel, it is better than adultery.

 • Misconception 10: They consider Imams infallible and above the Prophets.

 Wow you know more of my beliefs than I do (Obviously not true). All prophets are born Prophets (Excluding Adam who was created a prophet rather than being born). Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the Prophet (Nabi), Messenger (Rasul) and leader (Imam). Imams are carriers of the message of Islam. Shia consider Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) only as an Imam and not a Prophet.

 Myths

 Myth 1: Shi’a are deviants/heretics because they have a different Shahadah.

 Not true: Belief in the Shahadah – the Arabic phrase La ilaha il Allah Muhammadur-Rasul Allah (”There is no god but Allah and Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah”) – is the first and most important pillar of Islam, and is common to both Shi’a and Sunnis. The misconception that Shi’a have a different Shahadah stems from a phrase that Shi’a add: ‘Ali un wali-ullah (“Ali is the authority from Allah”). The claim of some that this Shahadah constitutes heresy stems from an apparent belief that the literal text of the Shahadah is sacred and unchangeable, a view that is unsupported by Sunnis. Sunnis have variants of the Shahadah, such as Ash-shadu un-la ilaha il Allah wa ash-shadu anna Muhammadur-Rasul Allah (”I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah”) and Ash-shadu an-la ilaha il Allahu wahdahu la shareeka la wa ash-shadu anna sayyidina nabiyyana maulana Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (”I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One without associates to Him, and I bear witness that our master, our prophet, our patron Muhammad (SAW) is his slave and messenger”). Neither the standard Shahadah nor any of its variants appear anywhere in the Qur’an, nor are there any hadith describing a sacred status to the literal text of La ilaha il Allah Muhammadur-Rasul Allah. The Shi’a base the reference to ‘Ali as the authority (wali) of Allah on verse 5:55 of the Qur’an, “Only Allah is your wali and His messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow,” which, according to Sunni and Shi’a sources, was revealed in honour of ‘Ali after he gave his ring to a beggar while he was in prostration. Furthermore, the Shi’a base their recitation of ‘Ali wali-ullah as part of the adhaan on what they believe to be a tradition of the Prophet; in a hadith found in several Shi’a sources, the Prophet is said to have approved of the practice after it was practiced by the companions Salman al-Farsi and Abu Dharr al-Ghafari. The hadith has been reported by Sunni scholars.

 Myth 2: Shi’a are abnormal/deviants because they pray with their hands to the side, as opposed to the “proper” way of folding the hands across the midsection of the body.

Not True: Followers of the Maliki school, who comprise the majority of Sunni Muslims in West Africa and a minority of Sunni Muslims in North Africa, also pray with their hands to their sides. This centuries-old position of the Maliki school is well-documented and supported with evidence from the practice of the people of Medina and various companions of the Prophet (SAW). Anyone who thinks Shi’a are abnormal because of the manner in which they pray must also think that their Sunni brothers in West and North Africa are deviants as well.

Myth 3: Shi’a are not “proper” Muslims because they believe that Allah intended for Ali (as) to be given Prophethood, but the Angel Jibril made a mistake and gave Muhammad (SAW) the revelation instead.

 Partially true: The Ithna-Ashari Shi’a–the mainstream branch of Shi’ism followed by over 95% of all Shi’a–believe no such thing. The ‘Alawi sect, a set of miniscule followers who are concentrated in Syria and number no more than two million, give Imam Ali (as) divine status. The overwhelming majority of Shi’a and Sunni scholars consider the beliefs of the ‘Alawi sect as misbelievers.

 Myth 4: The Shi’a pray 3 times a day.

 Reality: The five daily prayers–Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha are common to both Shi’a and Sunnis. The misconception that Shi’a have only 3 prayers stems from the common Shi’a practice of combining Dhuhr with ‘Asr and Maghrib with ‘Isha. Sunnis also combine these prayers in the case of travel, harsh weather, war, or other exceptional circumstances. Shi’a law takes a broader view toward the permissibility of combining prayers, holding that prayers may be combined for any reason. Thus, the Shi’a practice of performing the 5 prayers in 3 sittings has been twisted into the misconceived fiction that the Shi’a believe in only 3 prayers. The Hanafi school of law takes the most restrictive position on the issue of combining prayers; this misconception is particularly common in Hanafi-dominated South Asia.

 Myth 6: The Shi’a believe in mut’a (temporary marriage), which is a form of prostitution.

 How is marriage a form of prostitution? : Shi’a and Sunnis both agree that mut’a was permissible in the early days of Islam. Some say Prophet Muhammad (SAW) declared the practice forbidden following the campaign at Khaybar. Shi’a do not accept the hadith in support of this view and trace the ban on mut’a to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, and this is clearly mentioned in numerous Sunni books. Accordingly, Umar outlawed mut’a on his own initiative during the third year of his reign as Khalifa. In any event, mut’a is not a form of prostitution. Ayatollah ‘Ali al-Sistani, one of the world’s highest-ranking Shia authorities, views permission of the woman’s guardian (for a woman who has never married) as a requirement for mut’a, which would be difficult to obtain if he proposes a term of only a few hours. Shi’a put forth a number of social policy justifications for why the permissibility of mut’a is just and proper, such as the minimization of messy and emotionally painful divorces through the institution of a marriage “trial period”. Furthermore, the practice of mut’a is often little different from misyar (travellers marriage), a similar concept that many Sunni authorities hold to be permissible. In a misyar marriage, a man marries a woman without assuming any of the responsibilities of a regular marriage (e.g. financial support) or taking up residence with his wife. In practice, many men enter into misyar marriages without any intention of transitioning the union into a regular marriage, and end the arrangement with a divorce.

 An Extract from a learned Sunni lecturer:

 Although I was born into a Sayed Sunni family, I did not know of many differences while growing up as a child. Our families always respected Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his parents and participated in ceremonies marking the anniversary of his martyrdom by reciting the first chapter of the Holy Qur'an and other chapters and verses of the Holy Quran and fasting on the ninth and tenth days of that month.

 Now when I give lectures on Islam to non-Muslims, one of the questions they always ask me is if I am Shia or Sunni. I ask them if they know the difference. They have no knowledge, other than what has been given to them by the media. So they say Shias are the ones who are the bad guys, the militant version of Islam, and cause all the trouble in the Middle East these days.

 This is what I say to them about Shia. "If Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) was a Shia, then I am a Shia. If he was a Sunni, then I am a Sunni

 I feel that not many people know the true differences between the beliefs Sunnis and Shias therefore I will state them below. Our job as missionaries should be to invite both groups to the true Islam and not chase them out. There is a movement in the Sunni world to have Shias labelled as disbelievers. I have been told that Sheikh Bin Baz of Saudi Arabia has declared an edict that the meat of the People of Book (Jews and Christians) is permissible for Sunni Muslims to eat but not the meat slaughtered by Shias.

 With the little knowledge I have, I tried to do my best as a Sunni in defending my Shia brothers in Islam with the hope and prayer to God Almighty that He will “instil love in the heart of the believers and bring us closer to each other so that we jointly can fight our common enemy, Satan and his followers”.

 “Knowledge is better than wealth because it protects you while you have to guard wealth. It decreases if you keep on spending it but the more you make use of knowledge, the more it increases. What you get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears but what you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you”. (Saying of Imam Ali (as))

 Why is there Division?

 The division between the Sunnis and the Shia is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. The division was created when the Prophet died in the early 7th Century he not only left the religion of Islam but also an Islamic State in the Arabian Peninsula with around one hundred thousand Muslim inhabitants. It was the question of who should succeed the Prophet as the next Caliph and lead the Muslims everlasting unity. Before the Prophet died he stated on many occasions in front of many hundreds of Muslims that who ever believes in him should believe in Ali (as). The Sunnis say that the Prophet chose Abu Bakr to lead the congregational prayers as he lay on his deathbed; therefore he was hinting that he was appointing Abu Bakr as the next Caliph. I believe that hinting to people that Abu Bakr should become the next Caliph and asking Abu Bakr to lead prayers are two different things, and wouldn’t the prophet tell Muslims openly that he wants Abu Bakr to be the next Caliph.

 Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should be the Prophet's successor have come to be known as Sunni. Muslims who believe Ali (as) should have been the Prophet's successor are now known as Shia.

 Many Sunni scholars say the main reason Ali (as) was not chosen to be the Caliph was because he was to young, but there is a flaw in this argument, because there have been many leaders which were younger than Ali (as) an example of this is King Tutankhamen who lived in 1300 bc, he became pharaoh at the age of nine and he commanded all of Egypt. He brought order to the chaos that the previous pharaoh had caused in a very small amount of time.

 Even if Ali (as) was too young then how come he did not become Caliph after Abu Bakr, or even after Umar ibn al-Khattab and why, when he became the fourth Caliph, why did Ali (as) have to face non - stop chaos that no other Caliph had to face?

 What did Ali do for Islam?

 With the exception of the Battle of Tabouk, Ali (as) took part in all the battles and expeditions fought for Islam. He was the standard-bearer in every battle that he partook in. He also led parties of warriors on raids into enemy lands.

 Ali (as) first distinguished himself as a warrior in 624, at the Battle of Badr. He defeated the Umayyad champion Walid ibn Utba as well as many other Meccan soldiers. Al Seerah of Ibn Hisham narrates how he killed 20 of the pagans and Al Maghazi put the number at 22.

 Missions for Islam

 Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also designated him as one of the scribes who would write down the text of the Qur'an, which had been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during the previous two decades. As Islam began to spread throughout Arabia, Ali (as) helped to establish the new Islamic order. He was instructed to write down the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the peace treaty between Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Quraysh in 628. Ali (as) was so reliable and trustworthy that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked him to carry the messages and declare the orders. In 630 he recited to a large gathering of pilgrims in Mecca a portion of the Qur'an that declared that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Islamic community were no longer bound by agreements made earlier with Arab polytheists. During the Conquest of Mecca in 630, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked Ali (as) to guarantee that the conquest would be bloodless. He ordered Ali (as) to break all the idols worshiped by the Banu Aus, Banu Khazraj, Tayy, and those in the Ka'bah to purify it after its defilement by the polytheism of the pre-Islamic era. One year later Ali (as) was sent to Yemen to spread the teachings of Islam. Ali (as) also was charged with settling several disputes and putting down the uprisings of various tribes.

 The Umayyads

 According to tradition, the Umayyad family (also known as the Banu Abd-Shams) and the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAW) both descended from a common ancestor, Abd Munaf. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) descended from Abd Munaf via his son Hashim, while the Umayyads descended from Abd Munaf via a different son, Abd-Shams, whose son was Umayya. The two families are therefore considered to be different clans (those of Hashim and of Umayya, respectively) of the same tribe (that of the Quraish). However Shias believe that Umayya was the adopted son of Abd Munaf and so because of no direct blood relation he cannot be linked with Banu Hashim.

 The Umayyads and the Hashimites were bitter rivals. The rivalry stemmed from the initial opposition of Abu Sufyan, the grandson of Umayya, to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and to Islam. Abu Sufyan sought to exterminate the adherents of the new religion by waging a series of battles. However, he eventually was seen to accept Islam, as did his son (the future caliph Muawiyah I).

 Most historians consider Muawiyah I (661-80) to have been the second ruler of the Umayyad dynasty, as he was the first to assert the Umayyads' right to rule on a dynastic principle. Uthman (644-56) was also descended from Umayya, and during his time had been criticized for placing members of his family within political positions. However, since Uthman never named an heir, he cannot be considered the founder of a dynasty.

 The origins of Umayyad rule date back to the assassination of Uthman in 656. At this time Ali (as), a member of the Hashim clan and a cousin of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), became the caliph. He soon met with resistance from several factions, and moved his capital from Medina to Kufa. The resulting conflict, which lasted from 656 until 709, is known as the First Fitna ("time of trial").

 Ali (as) was first opposed by an alliance led by Aisha, the widow of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and Talhah and Al-Zubayr, two of the Companions of the Prophet. The two sides clashed at the Battle of the Camel in 656, where Ali (as) won a decisive victory.

 Following the Battle of the Camel, Muawiyah, who had become ruler of Syria, accused Ali (as) of harboring the assassins of Uthman and demanded that they be handed over. The armies of Muawiyah and Ali (as) met at the Battle of Siffin in 657. The battle was stopped before either side had achieved victory, and the two parties agreed to arbitrate their dispute.

 Following the battle, a large group of Ali's (as) soldiers, who resented his decision to submit the dispute to arbitration, broke away from Ali's (as) force, rallying under the slogan, "arbitration belongs to God alone." This group came to be known as the Kharijites ("those who leave").

 In 659 Ali's (as) forces and the Kharijites met in the Battle of Nahrawan. Although Ali (as) won the battle, the constant conflict had begun to affect his standing, and in the following years some Syrians seem to have acclaimed Muawiyah as a rival caliph.

 Ali (as) was assassinated in 661. Muawiyah marched to Kufa, where he persuaded a number of Ali's (as) supporters to acclaim him as caliph instead of Ali's (as) son, Hasan. Following his elevation, Muawiyah moved the capital of the caliphate to Damascus. Syria would remain the base of Umayyad power until the end of the dynasty.

 Muharram

 The month of Muharram is an important period of mourning in the Shi'a branch of Islam, taking place in Muharram which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is also called the Remembrance of Muharram The event marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Imam Hussain ibn Ali (as), a grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the founder of Islam, and a Shia Imam, was killed by the forces of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I. The event is marked by arranging 'majalis' to review Islamic teachings and to commemorate Husain’s sacrifice. The mourning reaches its climax on the tenth day, known as Ashura, on which the forces of Yazid killed Imam Hussain and his family and 72 companions. The women and children left living were enslaved and transported to Yazid's court in Kufa.

 This day is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali (as) the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the third Shia Imam, along with members of his family and close friends at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (AD 680). Yazid I was in power then and wanted the Bay'ah (allegiance) of Husnain ibn Ali (as). Yazid was openly going against the teachings of Islam in public and changing the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

 Hussain in his path toward Kufa encountered with the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa. On October 10 680(Muharram 10, 61 AH), he and his small group of companions and family members, who were between 108 and 136 men of Hussain ibn Ali (as), fought with a large army of perhaps 4,000 men under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufah. Hussain and all of his men were killed. The bodies of the dead, including that of Hussain, were then mutilated.

 Commemoration for Hussain ibn Ali (as) began after Battle of Karbala. According to Tabari

 Zaynab bint Ali (sa) quoted as she passed the prostrate body of her brother, Husayn. “O Muhammad! O Muhammad! May the angels of heaven bless you. Here is Husayn in the open, stained with blood and with limbs torn off. O Muhammad! Your daughters are prisoners, your progeny are killed, and the east wind blows dust over them.” By God! She made every enemy and friend weep.

 After the massacre, the Umayyad army looted Hussain’s camp and set off with his women and children for the court of Ibn Ziyad. A moving oration delivered by Zaynab in Kufah is recorded in some sources. The prisoners were next sent to the court of Yazid, the Umayyad caliph, in Damascus, where one of his Syrian followers asked for Hussain’s daughter Fatimah al-Kubra, and once again it was Zaynab who came to the rescue and protected her honor. The family remained in Yazid's prison for a time. The first assembly (majlis) of Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali (as) is said to have been held by Zaynab in prison. In Damascus, too, she is reported to have delivered a poignant oration.

 Just few years after Hussain’s death his grave became a pilgrimage site among Shia. A tradition of pilgrimage to the Imam Husain Shrine and the other Karbala martyrs quickly developed, which is renown as Ziarat Ashura. The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs tried to prevent construction of the shrines and discouraged pilgrimage to the sites. The tomb and its annexes were destroyed by Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 850-851 and Shi'a pilgrimage was prohibited, but shrines in Karbala and Najaf were built by the Buwayhid emir 'Adud al-Daula in 979-80.

 It did not take long for public rites of remembrance for Husain’s martyrdom to develop from the early pilgrimages. Under the Buyid dynasty, Mu'izz ad-Dawla officiated at public mournings of Ashura in Baghdad. These commemorations were also encouraged in Egypt by the Fatimid caliph al-'Aziz. From Seljuq times, Ashura rituals began to attract many participants from a variety of backgrounds, including Sunnis. With the recognition of as the official religion by the Safavids, Mourning of Muharram extended throughout the first ten days of Muharram.