Everywhere I look in the Western Media the explanation of why the Shi’a sect and why the Sunni sect came about just puzzled me to no end. According to Western sources, the split between Shi’a and Sunni began right after the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) and said split is POLITICAL in NATURE!!!

They would say something like that because they are so much in the dark about the Islamic religion that it is just astounding! Anyway they, the so-called experts, did not get it right due to their lack of understanding. From a religious sense it is the devilish soul that is hell-bent on mischief that caused the disharmony that would follow.

After the death of Muhammad (pbh) there was a CONSENSES amongst the top and most trustworthy and knowledgeable of Muhammad’s Companions that Abu Bakr would be the first Caliph. Then, after his death, the COMMON CONSENSES was agreed upon to elect ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab as the second Caliph to be leader of the faithful.

‘Ali ibn Abu Talib showed agreement to these proceedings and did nothing to undermine or question the LEGALITY OR WISDOM concerning these matters. He could have done so by being a ‘voice’ against these proceedings but the ‘democratic forum had made an Islamic choice and according to Islamic Law, which ‘Ali would be foolish to ignore, things turned out the way they were supposed to!

‘Ali even provided logistical support to both Abu Bakr and ‘Umar with the wisdom given to him and was considered a ‘dear and close’ friend to both Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Yet many Shi’a consider the first two Caliphs as usurpers and the ‘two idols (evils) of the Quraysh. This thought that history should have been changed was developed a certain time after the death of ‘Ali and that definitely shows a disrespect for even ‘Ali’s intelligence and worth!

This peculiar and divergent thought will have consequences and shows an abhorrent and an illogical basis for the formation and formatting of the Shi’a philosophy but more about this later, Insha ALLAH!

The third Caliph after the hugely successful run of the second Caliph was ‘Uthman bin Affan who was a worthy though elderly representative of the ‘believers’. However, the advance of Islam was so great and swift due mostly during the rule of ‘Umar that it encompassed three major kinds of people:

  1. 1. The sincere people who wanted to follow Islam as best as they could. This was the majority of people.
  2. 2. Those who yearned for ‘perfection’ and a heaven on Earth and who were eager to believe that they could return to the ‘best era of men’ on earth in faith or even be better than them. In other words, one can call these people the stiff necked ‘perfectionists’. However, Prophet Muhammad (pbh) warned against this type of people in no uncertain terms!!!
  3. 3. The Hypocrites who missed the ‘old days’ before Islam where they could use any philosophy to advance themselves basically through chicanery and create havoc while doing so. The reason for havoc was so that people would little notice what they were up to so that their plots would go mostly unnoticed. They accomplished this by making a ‘legend’ and twisted thinking a mainstay of their doctrines.

Groups 2 and 3 are the groups that created the discord and planted the seeds that would eventually create a small group of people who had ‘hardcore’ anti-Islamic sentiment but ‘hid’ themselves amongst the believers as believers. Unfortunately, group number 2 became the chief harassers of the then ‘dutifully elected’ Caliph – ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib. ‘Ali ruled as Chief of the Believers for almost 6 years but was constantly occupied by group number 2 and, slowly but surely, he was undermined also by the hypocrites (group number 3) wishing to ‘reformulate’ Islam (destroy Islam) in their own image and likeness.

The Shi’a sect was born from this chaos and developed its own peculiar brand of logic and religion that ‘mimics’ the Sunni schools of thought to some extent.

An example of the above behavior is that in the Sunni school of thought a person, if he feels distracted by the leader of the prayer in congregation, can opt to go to another masjid and offer his daily congregational prayers. The Shi’a have taken this ‘doctrine’ and turned it on its head.

They claim that one should NOT pray behind any leader of prayer UNLES he is of the SAME SECT and most of their prayers, contrary to real Islam, are NOT done in congregation. This is most contrary to what the Prophet (pbh) desired!

Most Shi’a sects of today show variations in their beliefs such that at certain times one can hardly believe that they and the Sunnis claim the same religion. In fact, the Shi’a sect was not overly large until ‘forced conversions’ happened in Persia where the vast majority of the Sunni population was FORCED to convert to Shi’ism. However, this forcing of people to believe in a religion or a type of a religion is TOTALLY FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM:

Let there be NO COMPULSION in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: Whoever rejects Tagut {anything worshiped besides ALLAH including so-called go-betweens and this takes in to consideration such things as SHRINES} and believes in ALLAH has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that NEVER breaks and ALLAH HEARS and KNOWS All THINGS.                                              Q (2: 56)

The trick of the Shi’a is to follow in the footpaths of those who are called Sunni Muslims (the rightful heirs to the religion of Truth) by shadowing their precepts and then veering away on certain invented principles. And because modern day Shi’aism is based, in part, on ‘forged Sufi-type practices’ their illogical theories on Islam are nonsensical to the rational mind.

Hence, their main strong point for their continued INVENTED DOCTRINES comes from attacking most of Prophet Muhammad’s Companions. In doing this, they can feel free to create myths and legends that are pure hogwash and truly anti-Islamic. To put it simply, if one takes the brakes away from the race car, how is one going to stop it when needed? Towards the end of this article, we will be able to see the vagaries of the many starts and stops of the Shi’a sects as they vie with each other in making ‘new definitions’ on the religious scene!

How does this go down? Well, to the unwary mind looking for the ‘cheap thrills’ provided by some of the doctrines that the Jews and the Catholics came up with, things sound perfectly logical the way they put it together. Remember that the Quran and the sayings of the Companions and the practice, life, moral behavior and excellent intelligence of the Prophet himself is NOW being put into question!!!

Get rid of the vast majority of the Companions and their sayings and practices and BINGO! You can RE-CREATE your own idea of the religion of Islam! For example, one can even honor a person who wrote two books in proclaiming that the Quran is NOT PURE! Of course ONE DOESN’T GO AROUND OPENING UP THE ‘DRAFTS OF SATAN’ TO THE COMMON PEOPLE JUST LIKE VARIOUS SECTS OF CHRISTIANITY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MORMONS DON’T GIVE ITS ‘NEW MEMBERS’ THE FULBLOWN SECRETS BEHIND THEIR RELIGIOUS VAGARIES.

A Shi’a scholar HONORED in a prominent Shrine by the Shi’a in the so-called holy city of Najaf by the name of Mirza Husain bin Muhammad Taqi An-Nawari At-Tabarsi wrote two books claiming that the Quran is NOT completely accurate due to corruption and missing information.

One of his books is called The Decisive Say on the Proof of Alteration of the Book of the Lord of the Worlds. Both of his criminal books discuss the ‘proof of the corruptions’ found in the Quran. However, Scriptural-wise, even the Jewish Book, called Zephaniah in Chapter 3 verses 9-10, claims that the Quran is pure and this Jewish Book was written down a couple of hundred of years before the birth of Jesus (pbh).

Besides this, there is the Arabic proof for the Quran being protected found in the Quran as well as historical evidence of various kinds. After carefully contemplating this knowledge, even an average intelligent person can see that At-Tabarsi was nothing more than a ‘pious fraud’ and a devil besides! But a celebrated devil who STILL has a Shrine dedicated in his honor!

The second big thing amongst the Shi’a is another devil called ‘Abdullah ibn Saba who many Shi’a claim did NOT exist and is an INVENTED Sunni plot to blacken the name of Shi’ism. Wrong again!!!This ‘Abdullah ibn Saba is the one who magnified the character of ‘Ali into ‘god-like’ proportions and opened the door for later crazy Sufi deliberations and for skewed and weird doctrines. In other words, this is the birth of ‘strange’ Islam as opposed to ‘mainstream Islam or the ‘correct Islam’!

Of course, Shi’a Islam proclaims that the so-called traitor to truth, ‘Abdullah ibn Saba never existed and is but a mere creation of Sunni Islam. However, Dr. Sa’di al-Hashimi’s book Ibn Saba: Haqiqh La Khayal (pp. 25-28) has even listed over 20 Shi’a sources testifying to the evil existence of ibn Saba. This is in sharp contrast to that so-called self-proclaimed Shi’a researcher, Ayatollah Murtadha al-‘Askari’s attempt to try and convince his audience through his so-called thoroughly researched book that NO Shi’a scholar declared Saba’s existence and that ‘Abdullah ibn Saba, the liar, is only a fairytale of the Sunni Muslims.

Furthermore, in all strangeness, many Shi’a scholars today actually consider Mufaddal al-Ju’fi quite a praiseworthy person and a wonderful reporter of special IMAM-type hadiths. Yet the great and beloved by Shi’as and Sunnis alike, Ja’far as-Sadiq, addressed this al-Ju’fi character in the strongest of terms by calling him a KAFIR (unbeliever) and a MUSHRIK (one who associates other beings besides the ONE GOD with GODLY-like powers or one who shares with ALLAH HIS ATTRIBUTES).

So what are we looking at here in brief? In brief we are looking at several major Shi’a NON-ISLAMIC practices like:

  1. 1. Worshiping at ‘illegal shrines’ and asking for blessings and other things to be granted to them. This is similar to the practice of praying to a statue hoping for some benefit. Only three shrines are legalized in Islam: Bayt al-Maqdis, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina and the Kaaba in Makkah!
  2. 2. Attacking the blessed Companions by holding them to be ‘evil’ or untrustworthy except for a few. If the Companions’ sayings are proving that the Shi’a ‘doctrines’ are nothing more than invented fallacies, then the way to overcome that is to ‘vilify’ the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbh).
  3. 3. Defacing the Prophet by making the Prophet (pbh) to look like a ‘simpleton’ by ignoring his dictates and cancelling out his legitimate sayings. And implying that he was easily duped by twisted and insincere people who pretended to be his closest associates.
  4. Entrusting false scholars by following non-Islamic practices invented by their scholars.
  5. 5. Ignoring or twisting many sayings of the Prophet (pbh) to suit their own agendas like their type of combining of prayers.
  6. 6. Attributing one or more of GOD’s EMINENT POWERS to a few mortal men (the divine and holy Imams) whom they consider as ‘INFALLIBLE’ in religious matters as well as knowers of the UNSEEN – the so-called Infallible Imams.

So the bottom line is NOT what the many ‘secular’ Westerners say about how the Shi’a/Sunni split came about. What should happen is that Religious reformers of any age must go back to the original doers, performers and architects of any faith to be as near to the original pathway of TRUTH as possible. A rule of thumb on this issue would be to take the first 40 years of the religion starting with the time of that prophet’s commission to the end of that 40 year period to judge the ‘accuracy’ of that said religion.

CREATING MYTHS AND LEGENDS JUST LIKE THE CRUCIFIXION THEORY DID AND WHAT THAT MAY MEAN TO MANY CHRISTIANS OF TODAY CAN ONLY MUDDY THE WATERS ABOUT WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT IS JUST PURE FANTASY.

So when a STORY is re-written and new elements are introduced as a ‘must be believed doctrine’, we now have the original reason why the Shi’a/Sunni split came about. This is just like the revolt that happened between Roman Catholics and Protestants in the days of Martin Luther. It may latter form a ‘political slant’, which it did, but originally the Catholic Martin Luther detested the ‘criminal activities’ of the then ONE TRUE CHURCH in selling ‘dispensations’ and so he split away from Roman Catholicism into a new form of practice – the Lutheran Church.

The bottom line, however, is that if it didn’t attract certain types of people, then they wouldn’t desire to follow it but those who follow what they follow by their own choosing means that they prefer to follow that doctrine by their own willful choice! And here is the contention for all religions!

The contention is that the majority of people find their loyalties to ideas and doctrines that they don’t investigate and don’t understand. For whatever reason, many people take for granted ‘ideas, thoughts and notions’ pronounced by their ‘superiors’ as mere fact!

Furthermore, most people do not take a balanced approach to various religious viewpoints and therefore have what is called the classical ‘tunnel vision’. So it isn’t only the Shi’a who are guilty of this but it is the vast majority of human beings who suffer this defect from a minor point to a major point of view. The cure for these things is an honest and humble approach to the ONE GOD in seeking out proper guidance.

The following sentiments are taken and adapted for this article from some of my previous articles and put here as a showcase for Shi’a/Sunni divide. You be the judge!

(From the article Here and Back Again)

It is true that the Shi’a can point to sources such as Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim as well as some of their own sources in trying to explain their misconstrued praying practice of combining prayers. However, such things are based on slanted interpretations without due thought processes. This is especially true when some source might come from one of the Shi’a’s famous books called al-Kafi which also declares the Quran to be only one-third valid.

This topic leads us into the Islamic topic of various sects in Islam. There are many would be sects in Islam that try to pass themselves off as purely Islamic but who fail miserably in that attempt in front of a ‘knowledgeable person’.

Why have various sects appeared in Islam or in any religion? Because after the purity of the Millstone goes around, there are devious people who create divisions and deviations based on empty-minded philosophical wanderings. And because people are people, “you will certainly follow the practices of your predecessors” becomes the norm.

From the article Comparative Religion (Revised)

Take for example the shameful approach of the Shi’a intelligencia in attempting to vilify one of the great companions of the Prophet (pbh) known as Abu Huraira (may ALLAH be pleased with him). Why do they do this? They do this to throw doubt on Sunni practices and other acts of worship in order to legitimize some of their own ideas and practices. They even join with some orientalists who have denounced Abu Huraira and have no real understanding of what is going on because of the many accurate hadiths narrated by this excellent Companion.

However, a broad and very careful look at the respect generated towards this wonderful companion of the Prophet (pbh) during his long lifetime by the many Companions including ‘Ali himself as well as the second generation of believers leaves no doubt that Abu Huraira is well-loved by the believers and is maligned by either the ignorant or the hypocrites.

Not only did ‘Umar give very important jobs of trust to Abu Huraira, the grandsons of ‘Umar narrated many hadiths from him also. Not only that, he was trusted and highly honored enough to be asked to lead the funeral prayers for ‘Aisha and Hafsah. To be asked to lead the funeral prayers for the wives of the Prophet is indeed a great and noble honor and was quite justified. He also acted as a guardian for ‘Uthman along with ‘Ali’s precious sons. Moreover, after ‘Uthman’s death for over two decades, Abu Huraira made numerous Fatwahs (religious rulings) in Medina (the City of Light).

These things show by logic that Abu Huraira was indeed a most valuable and trustworthy companion. His awesome number of hadiths that he related from the Prophet (pbh) can be explained by the fact that for several years he attached himself solely to the Prophet as much as humanly and discretely possible.

(From the article Same Old, Same Old)

That is one of the tricks employed by this type of religious nonsense. WE HAVE SCHOLARS!!! Yes, you have nitwits who are passed off as scholars who use the famous line of circular reasoning which goes forth to prove the contention that is being made.

How can reasonable people fall for any of this stuff and nonsense? It boggles the imagination that so much lunacy and chicanery is taken as pure, unadulterated fact. However, the following verse from the Quran shows why it is done:

Say: “Everyone acts according to his own disposition but your LORD knows best who it is that is best guided on the WAY.”      Q (17: 84)

An example of this twisted circular reasoning used to confound the careless followers of any crooked and illogical belief system follows:

This idea is true because our scholars have stated it. And our scholars have stated it because it is true. Therefore, it is true! See how valid that becomes or how about this:

All of the moons in the universe are made of green cheese. The Earth, which is in the universe, has a Moon. Its Moon therefore is made of green cheese.

So to the dull-witted person or to the person who is highly attracted to that type of sick philosophy, like moths are attracted to the flames of a candle, the idea that they are being fed a lot of outright lies and a bunch of phooey is incomprehensible. Therefore, they tend to swallow such twisted nonsense whole hog or none!

Another flaw that is seemingly spreading its wings amongst certain people is that of a type of arrogance. Seeing actual problems in their minds concerning religion and actually not wanting to face realities by being patient enough to persevere, some people want to ‘ditch’ the whole concept of religion as just being manmade nonsense.

Maybe they were once ‘believers’ but the call of the world makes a lot more sense than the call to real religion. It is like their saying, “If I can’t deal with it, then I’m going to ditch it.” To these people, it is better to forego the struggle with trying to understand and to just get down and dirty with what is going on in this world. After all, it is seemingly a lot more fun to enjoy the world without being hampered or held back by so-called religious duties which they see as nonsense.

These people want to sample what delights the world has to offer them rather than dwell on REALITY. Hence, we find the anti-religious group suggesting that GOD HIMSELF, if HE exists, is not really ‘hip’ to what is really happening. Or we get the educated atheist and orientalist who tend to blame others for the world’s ills and not the daffy condition of world selfishness and boneheaded thinking.

The problem with mankind is in being ‘contentious’ as to his nature and duty owed to the ONE GOD. Therefore, he craftily wants to do things his own way or to follow his own pent up desires. Does not at times he believe in himself to be invincible? Seemingly invincible until there comes a time near death or desperation when he would call out to the ‘abandoned’ GOD to save him. But when he embarks on a more comfortable footing, he forgets his sworn allegiance and promises and goes back to a life of flippancy and devil-may-care.

HE it is WHO enables you to traverse through land and sea; so that you even board ships; they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice thereat; then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed: they cry unto ALLAH, sincerely offering (their) duty unto HIM saying, “If YOU deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude!”

But when HE delivers them, Behold! They transgress insolently through the earth in defiance of right. O mankind! Your insolence is against your own souls, an enjoyment of the life of the present: in the End you will be returned to US and WE shall show you the truth of ALL that you did.                            Q (10: 22-23)

***The Shi’a intelligencia (Ulema) has stated that the position concerning the idea of the INFALLIBLE IMAMS (IMAMAH) is higher and more exalted than the office of Prophethood and this makes them more superior to all of the Prophets except Muhammad (pbh). But even there, they trip themselves up with many claiming that their HOLY IMAMS know the UNSEEN whereas Prophet Muhammad (pbh) did not.

The similitude of the Shi’a HOLY IMAMS is likened to the Roman Catholic practice which is called VENERATION OF THE SAINTS.  One of their most beloved leaders Ayatollah Khomeini, a man revered by a huge number of Shi’a wrote; “And an essential tenet of our Shi’ite sect, i.e., the Twelver’s or Ithna ashara sect is that the Imams have a position which is reached neither by angels nor by any commissioned messenger (Prophet) of God.”                                                           (Hukumat-i-Islami, 52-53)

Much of the background for such nonsensical thoughts comes from a book called Al-Kafi which is considered one of the four great books which the Shi’a have depended on in forming their doctrines. Other offenses and ludicrous tales of fantasy against the rational mind can also be found in this book.

In viewing the controversy concerning the Sunni-Shi’a divide, one has to look at various entry points. For example, The Roman Catholic Church considers the office of Popedom to carry the ‘religious Infallibility’ issue whereas the Shi’a in general declare the office of Imams Infallible but that would be due to the genetic breeding carried forth from one generation to the next within a certain family until the end of time. That not only goes against science it also goes against the religion of Islam itself. Still, the end result is the same and the logic used to solidify these claims is the same:

“Our Pope/Imam declared such and such (as ‘supposedly’ recorded in history) and it is infallibly correct. It is infallibly correct because our Infallible Pope/Imam declared it and that must be true due to their Infallibility.” This is the same nonsense as the Moon is made of green cheese example given earlier.

A problem with the ‘doctrine of infallibility’ is that it is NOT SUPPORTED by either the New Testament or the Quran. These are the two latest holy Books and they have a greater authority than any scholar. Any support for these religious doctrines are based on sayings (hadiths) or Synods (meetings where things get discussed and agreed or disagreed upon). Thus, people can form their own opinions or logical/illogical beliefs by literally ignoring valuable data or ‘literally’ rewriting history by making things up.

One way to avoid such nonsense is to take what Prophet Muhammad (pbh) said about his various Companions and cross-reference these things. This would provide balance of thought and keep the bar of honesty open and clear. For example, what did he declare about Abu Bakr or ‘Umar or ‘Uthman? Well, quite frankly he (pbh) said some excellent and praiseworthy things about those individuals.

Certainly, the Prophet (pbh) was NOT blind, ignorant or mentally or spiritually deficient! If people ignore the names of the “10” promised ones concerning their place in Paradise or the various attributive sayings by the Prophet (pbh) in the section called ‘MERITS OF’ SO AND SO, then they are indirectly alluding to their damnable belief in the incompetence of Prophet Muhammad – THE SPECIALLY CHOSEN MESSENGER AND INHERITER OF THE HIGHEST HONOR AMONGST THE CREATION INSHA ALLAH!

So in order to be harmoniously balanced in spirit and mind, it would be well for the individual to take a long look at the ‘TRUE KNOWLEDGE’ featured in hadith literature under the title of ‘THE MERITS OF SO AND SO AND SUCH AND SUCH’. ALSO, ONE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE LOVE FOR THE PROPHET (pbh) EXCEEDS THE LOVE FOR ANY OF HIS FOLLOWERS NOT BY A LITTLE BUT BY A LOT. AND THIS IS DECLARED IN THE FIRST PILLAR OF ISLAM AND IN THE QURAN. AND THIS WILL BE NOTED BY ALLAH ON THE LAST DAY!

However, one way in which to sabotage these things is to take, for example, the excellent sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) about ‘Ali and to simply ignore what he (pbh) said about others. Therefore, one is free to ‘jury-rig’ the outcome by having misinterpretation and misrepresentation become the acceptable norm. This then can be used to collectively seek out various references about ‘Ali and twist and turn them as one pleases and ‘Ali becomes magically magnified along with his posterity simply due to the fact that so and such are related to ‘Ali.

Ibn Hanbal declared:

‘Abdullah bin Ahmad has related to us from Abu al-Harth Surayj bin Yunus from Abu Hafs Abbar from Hakam bin ‘Abd al-Malik from Harth bin Hasirah from Abi Sadiq from Rabi‘ah bin Najidh from  ‘Ali  who said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbh) told me: ‘You are like Jesus. The Jews hated him so much that they slandered his mother, and the Christians, because of their extreme devotion to him, placed him in a position which was NOT his. ‘Ali went on to declare, “Two types of persons or groups are doomed concerning me; the devoted extremist exalting me to what I am not, and the spiteful hater bearing malice towards me and slandering me”.

Another problem encountered by the ‘magic’ of the ‘Ali line is to make a proclamation which if applied to certain people would be pure racist. For example, the Jews are the chosen people of GOD. True it was at that time and it was based on conditional responses to the authorities (prophets) put before them of whom many they killed or tormented.

The same is true with the decedents of ‘Ali. No doubt that a few generations kept up that vim and vigor of being very highly blessed and loved by ALLAH but as all should know NOT even in the best of families will the genetic and spiritual excellence continue as a ‘pure race’ thing on and on until the end of time. This is so because according to ALLAH’s WORD each soul is responsible for itself and its actions and each soul forms a unique entity of and by itself.

The problem with the Shi’a is the continued dependence on materials that were literally ‘cooked up’ to make differences between peoples i.e., to distinguish one’s beliefs above another.  It is true and also unfortunate that after Muawiyah, things get very despondent with governments and leadership until the Great Grandson of ‘Umar Ibn Khattab becomes Caliph. And he (‘Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz) showed great excellence and knowledge and was not afraid to institute TRUTH and JUSTICE. However, the world being what it is, his reign lasted only a little bit more than two years and of course one can guess that he was assassinated.  Such is the way of the crookedness of the world.

The point being that IF there were truly a magical moment for the institution of Infallible Imams, we would have known it from the lips of ‘Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz. We didn’t hear it and it is yet another proof against those who manufacture fairytales in order to believe that they are a special people. So in effect those who do those kind of things are like unto those Jews who insist on believing that they are still the chosen of GOD instead of being cursed by the very tongues of David and Jesus (peace be upon them both).

Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses.    Q (5: 78)

(From the article The god of the North)

In continuing a topic from the last article concerning the Shi’a Imamate, it should be said that the Shi’a start off their magical Imamate with ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib. He is their first infallible Imam. The question is, ‘What do they think of the first three Caliphs – Abu Bakr, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab and ‘Uthman ibn Affan?

Well, I hate to even think of what they think of these excellent friends of the Prophet (pbh). These people are definitely NOT included in the Shi’a’s package of the ‘holy twelve’ so it is logical to believe that these upright and faithful men are NOT well thought of.

Truth be told, if a former religion talks about any of the first three Caliphs (in a good way or bad way) then that should be a credible standard of judgment because a Holy Book  will most definitely outrank ridiculous forgeries, stupid ideas and evil practices.

Well, guess what? In the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah (pbh) chapter 19 we do find some startling praise for ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Although his name is not mentioned directly, a well-balanced, impartial mind when presented with the facts could figure out that ‘Umar is being referred to as “a great one and a savior” by no less than the ONE GOD HIMSELF as a prophecy sent down and brought by the Archangel Gabriel to prophet Isaiah (pbh).

In figuring out the Truth by logic here is what we must work with:

  1. Egypt in its pagan state goes so far as to sacrifice a young virgin to one of their gods to increase the fertility of the Nile River.
  2. Christianity comes to Egypt and they learn about the GOD of the people of Israel and about the Messiah Jesus the son of Mary (pbh) so at least they are now numbered as ‘People of the Book’. They for the most part are Christians but differences between various factions do pose some problems.
  3. Rome comes along as to governing these Egyptian Christian Arabs but in a cruel, oppressive manner. A letter is written by the head Christian Patriarch (Maqauqus – ruler of Egypt) to his people informing them to ‘help’ the soon to arrive Islamic invaders against the oppressive Roman presence. In other words, go along with the Muslims, don’t interfere with them and even help them against the Roman oppressive occupation. This letter, I believe, is still supposed to exist Insha ALLAH.
  4. The people of Egypt see the huge difference between Real Islamic Rule and the harsh rule by the Romans. Most people now desire to change their religion from Christianity to Islam after a period of time of course.
  5. A great area of land has now come under Islamic dominion and the highway robbers working between certain lands have become just about a thing of the past. Pilgrimage (Hajj and ‘Umrah) can now be accomplished without much fear.
  6. The ‘great one and savior’ cannot be considered the Prophet (pbh) because he died before 100% of the Arabian Peninsula came under his control. So Islam was NOT ready to burst out and spread rapidly into ‘foreign lands’ to unify the various peoples.
  7. Abu Bakr becomes the first Caliph after the leadership of the Prophet ended but his reign lasted only two years and his great task was NOT to expand Islamic territories but to consolidate what areas were Islamic within most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is well known that he had to use somewhat of an iron hand at times due to some desert tribes desiring to go renegade and either wanting to dilute the Islamic teachings of the Prophet (pbh) or to even go so far as to renounce their religion. Then, after about 2 years of his reign, he died.
  8. After all things had settled down and a new Caliph (‘Umar) was elected to head the Islamic peoples, for the most part the Arabian Muslims became a strong, undefeatable force. It was now time to ‘MARCH FORWARD WITH LIGHT UNTO THE DARKNESS AND SPREAD ISLAM. This is the start of the ‘great expansion’ era of the second Caliph – ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. Under his leadership, the Islamic Empire spread into many areas including Assyria (the Levant) along with Egypt and Palestine the land of Israel. ‘Umar’s dramatic entrance into Jerusalem when Jerusalem surrendered to the Muslims in total peace is well-known and well documented!
  9. It is here that the Islamic peoples had ONE religion, ONE sect, ONE belief system as opposed to Christianity which showed at that time many different practices depending on the area found. It is here that the Muslims from Egypt, Syria, and Palestine (Israel) were ONE.
  10. Now, to the Victor goes the Spoils as they say and thanks to ALLAH the dynamic and great servant of ALLAH who is believed to be just a tad under the greatness of character shown by Abu Bakr, should be credited (for he is the ‘Commander of the Faithful’) with what the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah called ‘A GREAT ONE AND A SAVIOR’.

So those people abusing ‘Umar, who was a GREAT FRIEND of the Prophet (pbh), actually abuse the Prophet (pbh) also. And in abusing the Prophet (pbh) they attack ALLAH’s Qadr (Divine Plan, Divine Destiny) and in attacking ALLAH’s Qadr, they will be amongst the losers on the Last Day.

 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and HE shall send them a savior, and a great one, and he SHALL DELIVER THEM.

 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it.

 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: HE shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and HE shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them.

 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed be Egypt MY people, and Assyria the work of MY hands, and Israel MY inheritance.                                            Isaiah (19: 20-25)

Some {of the people} HE has guided: others {of their own free will} have deserved the loss of their way; in that they took the Satans in preference to ALLAH, for their friends and protectors and think that they receive guidance.     Q (7: 30)

Who is more unjust than one who forges a lie against ALLAH or rejects HIS SIGNS? For such their portion appointed must reach them from the (BOOK of DECREES): Until, when OUR messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls, they say: “Where are the things that you used to invoke besides ALLAH?” They will reply, “They have left us in the lurch,” and they will bear witness against themselves that they had rejected ALLAH.                                     Q (7: 37)

(From the article Baiting the Trap)

Basing one’s philosophy on the ‘Imamate’ is like what the Catholics did in basing a lot of their religion on Christ crucified. The crucifixion, which was a minor topic in the earliest part of Christianity, became a central force from which a lot of doctrines were made. Yes, there was a crucifixion, several of them in fact, going on at that time but by manufacturing an event and then weaving some yarn around, it a new story can be manufactured out of whole cloth and new inventions can be formulated thus altering the original truths.

The following information has been taken off the Internet and reviewed for clarity and correctness.

The Imams

The distinctive dogma and institution of Shi’a Islam is the Imamate, which includes the idea that the successor of Muhammad be more than merely a political leader. The Imam must also be a spiritual leader, which means that he must have the ability to interpret the inner mysteries of the Quran and the sharia. The Twelver Shi’as further believe that the Twelve Imams who succeeded the Prophet were sinless and free from error and had been chosen by God through Muhammad.

Personal Comment: Here we have a picture of Muhammad (pbh) as a leader who is ignorant about his friends that surround him but is a veritable genius when it comes time to choose who are going to share in a quasi-partnerhood with the ONE GOD!

The Imamate began with ‘Ali, who is also accepted by Sunni Muslims as the fourth of the “rightly guided caliphs” to succeed the Prophet. Shi’as revere ‘Ali as the First Imam, and his descendants, beginning with his sons Hasan and Hussain, continue the line of the Imams until the Twelfth individual, who is believed to have ascended into a supernatural state to return to earth on judgment day.

Personal Comment: Here we have an Islamic Christ-like thing going on. If Jesus (pbh) could do it, then our 12th Imam can pull it off also type of thinking!

The Twelfth Imam is believed to have been only five years old when the Imamate descended upon him in 874 CE at the death of his father. The Twelfth Imam is usually known by his titles of Imam-e Asr (the Imam of the Age) and Sahib az Zaman (the Lord of Time). Because his followers feared he might be assassinated, the Twelfth Imam was hidden from public view and was seen only by a few of his closest deputies. Sunnis, however, claim that he never existed or that he died while still a child.

Shi’as believe that the Twelfth Imam remained on earth, but hidden from the public, for about 70 years, a period they refer to as the “lesser occultation” (gheybat-e sughra). Shi’as also believe that the Twelfth Imam has never died, but disappeared from earth in about 939 CE. Since that time the “greater occultation” (gheybat-e kubra) of the Twelfth Imam has been in force and will last until God commands the Twelfth Imam to manifest himself on earth again as the Mahdi, or Messiah. Shi’as believe that during the greater occultation of the Twelfth Imam he is spiritually present–some even believe that he is materially present as well– and he is besought to reappear in various invocations and prayers. His name is mentioned in wedding invitations, and his birthday is one of the most jubilant of all Shi’a religious observances.

Personal Comment: All this sounds like another version of Santa Claus! Besides this, we in Islam have ONLY ONE MESSIAH and he is JESUS THE SON OF MARY!

Other Distinctive Shi’a Doctrines

The Shi’a doctrine of the Imamate was NOT fully elaborated until the tenth century.

Personal Comment: This sounds very much like a new ‘Nicaean Creed’ (4th century of the Christian era) Shi’a style!

Other dogmas were developed still later. One characteristic of Shi’a Islam is the continual exposition and reinterpretation of doctrine.

Personal Comment: This sounds like the practice of the Roman Catholic Church in their continual exposition and reinterpretation of doctrine.

The most recent example is Khomeini’s expounding of the doctrine of velayat-e faqih, or the political guardianship of the community of believers by scholars trained in religious law. The concept of velayat-e faqih thus provides the doctrinal basis for theocratic government, an experiment that Twelver Imam Shi’as had not attempted prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Personal Comment: Adding ‘new things’ to the religion has always been a Shi’a strongpoint!

Distinctive Shi’a Rituals and Practices

In addition to the seven principal tenets of faith, there are also traditional religious practices that are intimately associated with Shi’a Islam. These include the observance of the month of martyrdom, Muharram, and pilgrimages to the shrines of the Twelve Imams and their various descendants. The Muharram observances, which culminate on the otherwise minor holiday of Ashura, commemorate the death of the Third Imam, Hussain, the son of ‘Ali and Fatima and the grandson of Muhammad. He was killed near Karbala in modern Iraq in 680 CE during a battle with troops supporting the Umayyad caliph. Hussain’s death is commemorated by Shi’as with passion plays and is an intensely religious time.

Personal Comment: Some Shi’a use the pagan practice of self-mutilation by beating themselves with various implements causing blood to flow. This practice is strictly forbidden in Islam but is looked upon as some type of devotional act in Shi’a practices.

Pilgrimage to the shrines of Imams is a specific Shi’a custom. The most important shrines in Iran are those for the Eighth Imam in Mashhad and for his sister Fatima in Qom. There are also important secondary shrines for other relatives of the Eighth Iman in Rey, adjacent to south Tehran, and in Shiraz. In virtually all towns and in many villages there are numerous lesser shrines, known as imamzadehs, which commemorate descendants of the imams who are reputed to have led saintly lives. Shi’a pilgrims visit these sites because they believe that the imams and their relatives have power to intercede with God on behalf of petitioners. The shrines in Iraq at Karbala and An Najaf are also revered by Shi’a’s.

Personal Comment: Shrine worship like ‘lucky charm’ beliefs are forbidden in Islam. However, this practice is not just restricted to Shi’a Islam but can be found in some ignorant Sunni villages. The common denominator here is that it is illegal in Islam and that ignorant people follow these things with the ‘blessings’ of corrupt local officials or corrupt religious leaders.

Shi’a Clergy and Organization

From the time that Twelver Shi’a Islam emerged as a distinct religious denomination IN THE EARLY NINTH CENTURY, its clergy, or Ulema, have played a prominent role in the development of its scholarly and legal tradition; however, the development of a distinct hierarchy among the Shi’a clergy dates back only to the early nineteenth century. Since that time the highest religious authority has been vested in the mujtahids, scholars who by virtue of their erudition in the science of religion (the Quran, the traditions of Muhammad and the imams, jurisprudence, and theology) and their attested ability to decide points of religious conduct, act as leaders of their community in matters concerning the particulars of religious duties.

Shi’a and Sufism

Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, who established Twelver Shi’a Islam as the official religion of Iran at the beginning of the sixteenth century, was revered by his followers as a Sufi master.

Although Sufis were associated with the early spread of Shi’a ideas in the country, once the Shi’a clergy had consolidated their authority over religion by the early seventeenth century, they {then} tended to regard Sufis as deviant.

References

“Iran: Religious Life.” U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies, December 1987. This article consists primarily of public domain text from this source. www.rleligionfacts.com/islam/sects shia.htm

 

What does all this mean? It means we can now trace with clarity the flaws of any mistaken beliefs as the trail, no matter how light, has been laid down for those who desire to think.

We have seen in these writings certain ways the uncaring and the unwise are trapped by their own presumptions. Are we, as loyal subjects to ALLAH, following the system of worship sent down by ALLAH or do some expect that ALLAH will follow our desires? It is true that ALLAH could make or force every one of HIS creations to be obedient to HIM as Muslims bowing down to HIS WILL.

However, even though HE did not want that anyone commit spiritual suicide as the New Testament declares, the more complete knowledge of HIM found in Islam declares that HE created man in such a high station that man himself is the ‘driver’ (his desires) towards success or damnation. So, man is not a lowly creature of monkey origins but a creature that was made by HIS hand and a creature when passing certain phases and ONLY WITH ALLAH’S PERMISSION can literally raise the dead and do other miracles.

So literally THE ONE GOD made it easy to reach the two destinations: Paradise and Hell-Fire. That by interpretation means that it is easy for those who by definition have those Primary Beliefs, Knowledge, Desires, Actions of serving their LORD and MASTER as HE HIMSELF has declared. That is to worship HIM AND HIM ALONE WITHOUT ATTACHING PARTNERS OR SUB-PARTNERS TO HIM.

Therefore, HE presents the two ways for the journey of life: A chance to worship HIM as HE wants or a chance to worship HIM as the inner self, society, man-made beliefs have fashioned or created from their imaginations.

Philosophy and Sufism, for the most part, are quite similar and I venture to say that 95% of both of these associative institutions aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Furthermore, they have a tendency to lead men down pathways that would not be appreciated by the truthful, right-guided man. Finally, they can lead man into areas too dark and impractical to tackle but tantalizingly begging for answers that can only be generated from pure fiction.

Some Wild Fairytale-type Beliefs of the Fictitious Shi’a Thought:

Al-Jafr (book)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Al-Jafr is a mystical Shi’a holy book compiled, according to Shi’a belief, by ‘Ali and inherited by him from Muhammad. Al-Jafr is composed of two skin boxes in which were kept various books of the past Prophets and the books inherited from Muhammad, ‘Ali and Fatimah to the Ahl al-Bayt, with each new Imam receiving them from his dying predecessor Imam, as well as the armor and weapons of Muhammad.

Al-Jafr was one of the sources and origins of knowledge acquired by the 12 Imams and Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq took pride in having possession of al-Jafr that comprised the hidden knowledge of Muhammad. The later Imams were accustomed to refer at times to the sacred and secret book of al-Jafr, which was left in their keeping by ‘Ali and belief in the existence of al-Jafr with the Imams was firm, according to the Shi’a. The Imams also learned the science of Huruf (letters of the alphabet) from al-Jafr and used this science to derive facts and rulings from al-Jafr.

Al-Jafr was handed down among the Imams and the Shi’a believe it is currently in the possession of the “hidden” Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi.

Personal Comment: This of course makes it ideal because a book given to a ‘ghost’ is totally invisible and can’t be checked out! Fictional stories are stories whereby the ‘proof’ of one’s claim cannot be conveniently checked out or verified. This makes a wonderful piece of unrealistic trash that can say anything and one, especially weak in the mind or quite gullible, will believe in it!

Book of Fatimah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Book of Fatimah, Mushaf of Fatimah or Fatimah’s Mushaf is according to Shi’as tradition, a book written by Fatimah, the daughter of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

Shi’a view

There are Shi’a Muslim traditions that can be found in Usul al-Kafi about a book called “Mushaf of Fatimah”, which speaks of Fatimah upon the passing of her father, Muhammad. There are several versions of this tradition, but common to all are that the angel Gabriel appeared to her and consoled her by telling her things (including future events regarding her offspring) that she wrote in a book. During these revelations, ‘Ali acted as the scribe for Fatima. According to one tradition {these things} were prophecies. The book, if it was ever physical, did not survive, and was seen to be something that the Mahdi would reveal in the last days.

Personal Comment: Same as above!

Bahá’í view

Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith wrote Kalimát-i-Maknúnih or The Hidden Words around 1857. Bahá’u’lláh originally named the book The Book of Fatimah, though he later referred to it in its modern appellation and Bahá’ís believe that The Hidden Words is the symbolic fulfillment of the Islamic prophecy.

Sunni view

Sunni Muslims say that Fatimah never received divine revelations and deny the existence of the Book of Fatimah, as in their hadith collections it is not mentioned.

Personal Comment: In other words, ‘if you have it, then PRODUCE IT’!!!

The following is a list of extinct sects of Shi’a Islam. These branches of Shi’i thought no longer have any living followers or practitioners or so it is assumed.

Personal Comment: Let the reader be the judge concerning what tomfoolery has taken place and what wild thoughts of imagination have gone into fashioning a various ‘estranged’ sects of Islam!

Ghulat sects

Nuqtavites– who believed in a cyclical view of time, reminiscent of the

Isma’ili Shi’a.

Soldiers of Heaven– who believed that their former leader Dia Abdul
Zahra 

           Kadim (died 2007 CE) was the Mahdi and reincarnation of ‘Ali ibn Abi
Talib.

Zaydi Shi’a sects

Dukayniyya– who believed Muhammad’s followers fell into unbelief after his death because they did not uphold the Imamate of ‘Ali.

  • Jarudiyya– who believed the companions were sinful in failing to recognize ‘Ali as the legitimate Caliph. They became extinct in Iran and Iraq but still survive in Yemen under the Hadawi sub-sect.
  • Khalafiyya– who believed in a unique line of Imams after Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain Ibn ‘Ali Ibn abu Talib, starting with a man named Abd al-Samad and continuing with his descendants.
  • Khashabiyya– who believed that the Imamate must remain only among the descendents of Hasan and Hussain, even if that Imam is ignorant, immoral and tyrannical.
  • Tabiriyya/Butriyya/Salihiyya– who believed the companions, including Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, had been in error in failing to follow ‘Ali, but it did not amount to sin.
Holy cities
Scholarship
Related topics

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may ALLAH be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said: ALLAH Almighty has said: The son of Adam denied ME and he had no right to do so. And he reviled ME and he had no right to do so. As for his denying ME, it is his saying: HE will not remake me as HE made me at first and the initial creation [of him – man] is no easier for ME than remaking him. As for his reviling ME, it is his saying: ALLAH has taken to HIMSELF a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to ME.   (Bukhari and an-Nasa’i)

*From the Old Testament concerning the ‘downfall’ of Shi’a PHILOSOPHICAL VISION CONCERNING THIER INVISIBLE IMAM:

*And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people {the Persians} shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.      Daniel (11: 14)

(From the article You Can’t Stop the Beat)

‘Imraan bin Husayn declared that the Prophet (pbh) said: “Verily the best among you (to follow) is my generation (the Messenger Muhammad (pbh) and his Companions, then those who follow, and then those who follow them…”           (Muslim)

The best people, of course, that understand Islam and what it is about will come from the first generation in Islam – the Messenger Muhammad (pbh) and his Companions and these people are the people of the highest standing in Islam.
“And whosoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the ‘Believers’  way, WE shall keep him in the path he has chosen and land him in Hell – what an evil destination!”    Q (4: 115)

(From the article The March to Unity)

The Shi’a have had many centuries to build their bridges concerning the Imamate (their 12 perfect and infallible leaders) but the material for these bridges basically do not come from sound Islamic thinking but started with the people known as the ‘rejecters’ from a place called Kufah. And in following that route, things have been ‘bent’ to uphold those beliefs.

Let us take a look what the Messiah (pbh) said concerning building the soundness or lack of soundness of faith and the result of it:

Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell NOT for it was founded upon a rock {correct belief}.

And every one that hears these sayings of mine and doesn’t do them, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and IT FELL and great was the fall of it.                                                                Matthew (7: 24-27)

Truth is truth! After all it is the Messiah, Jesus the Christ (pbh) that is the one to return to inforce the truth upon a wounded world therefore, building one’s faith (house) must be placed on a firm foundation (Correct Faith/Belief/Rituals – Sunnah of the Prophet (pbh) and or the sincere intention of doing so), so that the rains or the vagaries of life will NOT wash away and destroy that house of faith. Hence, in building one’s faith upon correct belief, one lets those correct beliefs and actions stand as ‘shields’ for the Day of Judgment acting as a protection against the WRATH of ALLAH against those who ‘turned away’.

Yet another bug-a-boo placed on the table by many Shi’a are the supposed true and logical hadiths that declare that ‘some’ or sometimes declared (by them) ‘most’ members of the Islamic Community called The Prophet’s Companions turned renegades after The Prophet (pbh) died. This idea is extremely dangerous because one can now manipulate the religion as one pleases and then can provide an excuse for that.

Therefore, he (‘Ali) would never sully the name of Islam by working with people who day-in and day-out committed questionable acts or who were hypocrites especially since the Prophet (pbh) declared his contempt for them. What the Prophet (pbh) declared was a prophecy.

Who were these people (wolves in sheep’s clothing) about whom the hadiths speak? Most probably, but ALLAH ALONE KNOWS FOR SURE, they were pre-Kharijites who later adopted the Kharijite beliefs and those were the people who rebelled against the 3rd and 4th Caliphs – ‘Uthman and ‘Ali. We have some hadiths concerning them with a few being presented here:

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (pbh) at Ja’rana on his way back from Hunain, and there was in the clothes of Bilal some silver. The Messenger of Allah (pbh) took a handful out of that and bestowed it upon the people. He (the person who had met the Prophet at Ja’rana) said to him: Muhammad, do justice. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe be upon thee, who would do justice if I do not do justice, and you would be very unfortunate and a loser if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: “Permit me to kill this hypocrite.” Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: “May there be protection of Allah! People would say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions would recite the Qur’an but it would not go beyond their throat, and they swerve from it just as the arrow goes through the prey.”      (Muslim)
In another narration:

A person among the people then sought permission (from the Holy Prophet) for his murder. According to some, it was Khalid b. Walid who sought the permission to kill this person. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (pbh), said: From this very person’s posterity there would arise people who would recite the Qur’an, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would kill the followers of Islam and would spare the idol-worshippers. They would glance through the teachings of Islam so hurriedly just as the arrow passes through the pray. If I were to ever find them I would kill them like ‘Ad.       (Muslim)
A hadith explaining this event:

That man then returned. Khalid b. Walid then said: “Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck?” Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: “Perhaps he may be observing the prayer.” Khalid said: “How many observers of prayer are there who profess with their tongue what is not in their heart {that are hypocrites}?” Upon this the Messenger of Allah (pbh) said: I have NOT been commanded to pierce through the hearts of people, nor to split their bellies (insides).” He again looked at him and he was going back. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: There would arise a people from the progeny of this (man) who would recite the Qur’an glibly, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would (hurriedly) pass through (the teachings of their) Faith just as the arrow passes through the prey. I conceive that he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them as were killed the (people of) Thamud.   (Muslim)
‘Imraan bin Husayn declared that the Prophet (pbh) said: “Verily the best among you (to follow) is my generation (the Messenger Muhammad (pbh) and his Companions, then those who follow, and then those who follow them…”           (Muslim)

The best people, of course, that understand Islam and what it is about will come from the first generation in Islam – the Messenger Muhammad (pbh) and his Upright Companions and these people are the people of the highest standing in Islam who are NOT equaled by succeeding generations.
“And whosoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the ‘Believers’  way, WE shall keep him in the path he has chosen and land him in Hell – what an evil destination!”    Q (4: 115)

However, when all things are said and done, it must be kept in mind that many of the Shi’a are considered ‘people of the Qibla’, that is, for those who pray in the direction of Makkah to the ONE AND ONLY GOD! So in that respect it behooves Muslims to engage with the others in a way that is logical and fundamental to the truth and then let ALLAH decide between the various groups either in the present or on the LAST DAY.

Why can’t people just leave things alone and let everybody go his/her own way? It works some of the time but history is filled with devious people who try to derail those who stand forth for truth and justice.

Not all wolves that are let in the ‘backdoor’ will be peaceful. Some will enter into peace only to ‘swallow up’ the careless when they are asleep. Besides this, thinking that TRUTH is something that can be whitewashed, is very dangerous especially when the best treasures of them all are the signs of Guidance given to man by their LORD. Who in their right minds wants to trash that! So the battle continues and Satan doesn’t seem to get tired of it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported ALLAH’s Messenger (pbh) as saying, “When you see people who revile my companions say, “Allah’s curse be on your worst ones.”    (Tirmidhi)

by Ahmed Ismail on Feb 2, 2016