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Sunnis
and Shee'ahs
Question:
We are exposed to every kind of preaching and propagation
of religions and we suffer immensely from this. One thing
that we are suffering from at the moment is that the Shee'ah
sect of the twelve Imaams has begun to spread its beliefs
and teachings in many different ways. They deceive the Muslim
youth who are living amongst Muslim minorities and they have
reached regions which you would never think possible. Could
your Eminence summarise the most important differences between
the Sunni and Shee'ah?
Response:
There are many differences between the Sunni and Shee'ah.
However, some of the most important are as follows Ahlus-Sunnah
are compassionate and merciful towards the Companions of the
Prophet. They say:
{Our Lord! Forgive us and forgive
our brothers who preceded us in faith and do not put in our
hearts any malice towards those who believed. Our Lord! You
are Compassionate and Most Merciful}, [Soorah
al-Hashr, Aayah
10].
It is well known, however, that the group the questioner mentioned
slanders, defames and maligns the Companions. They consider
them to be sinful and impious and they believe that they left
Islaam after the death of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam). In fact, their slandering of the Companions
is not only slander and defamation of them, but rather it
is slander and defamation of the Companions, the Messenger
of Allaah (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) the religion of Islaam and it is also
slander and defamation of Allaah's Wisdom.
As for their slandering of the Companions, that is clear.
Their slandering of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) stems from the fact that to degrade
the Companions to such an extent is itself to slander the
Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam). A person is on the religion of his
closest friend and a person is judged according to who his
associates and Companions are. Therefore, if the associates
and Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) were so despicable, then he must be
like them. We seek Allaah's protection from believing such
things!
As for it being slander and defamation of the religion of
Islaam, this is because the religion of Islaam was not transmitted
to us except by way of the Companions of the Prophet, may
Allaah be pleased with them. If, therefore, they were so dishonourable
and disreputable, how can we have trust in and rely upon this
religion and how can we take it as our path to Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala)?
As for it being slander and defamation of Allaah's Wisdom,
Glorified and Exalted is He, this is because the clearest
contradiction to wisdom is that Allaah should choose for the
very best of His creation, such dishonourable and disgraceful
companions, as claimed by those misguided ones. This point
is one of the main differences between Ahlus-Sunnah and the
Shee'ah.
In fact, if we return to the actual meaning of the word Shee'ah,
we find that they mean by it that they are the followers and
party of Ahlul-Bayt (the Family of the Messenger). However,
the Family of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) and at the head of them 'Alee Ibn Abee
Taalib, one of the rightly guided khulafaa.,
did not condone the activities of this group. Rather, they
disowned them, so how can a person he the follower and supporter
of someone who has disowned him and renounced his actions?
The people who have the greatest right to be the friends and
supporters of the Family of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) are Ahlus-Sunnah. Their right to this
description lies in the fact that they believe that the Family
of the Prophet have two claims: the claim to faith and the
claim to kinship with the Messenger (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam). However, they do not go beyond the
bounds of what is correct and proper concerning them. This
is something that could lead to the claim that the Family
of the Prophet are divine or that they have more right to
the Message and to Prophethood than Muhammad, prayers and
peace be upon him, and similar such claims which are common
in their madhhab.
In
short, it is incumbent upon us to make known in the clearest
possible manner, the doctrine of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah
concerning the Family of the Prophet and the remainder of
the companions, in order that the falseness of what those
fanatics believe may be exposed.
Shaykh
Ibn 'Uthaymeen
al-Aqalliyaat al-Muslimah - Page 85, Fatwa No.24
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