Sir if you are not a shia then you could have delete the matter . Is it
necessary to write that you are not a Shia. ? A Ph D and a journalist does
not act like a stupid person ! Who cares what you are? We Shias do not act like
a moran and stupid humanbeing. See your name it is clear that it looks like a
shia . The name Ali is clear the first Imam of the Shia and Mujtaba is the name
of second imam of also of Shias. If you hate Shias then why don't you change
your name ? I will suggest Abu Sufian or Muawiya looks good for a nonshia ?
----- Original Message -----
From: mujtaba syed
To: abidhusein hemraj
Cc: shiagroup@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 11:56 PM
Subject: I M NOT SHIA - PLEASE TAKE ME OFF THIS GROUP l
Syed Ali Mujtaba PhD
Senior Journalist
Ambedkar Road # 8-B,Flat # S-6
Kodambakkam,Chennai 600 024.India
Ph: 044-23727546 Mobile: 9840698069
Founder/Moderator: South Asia Contact Group
URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southasiacontact
Blog: http://mujtabas-musings.blogspot.com/
--- On Thu, 5/11/09, abidhusein hemraj <a...@rogers.com> wrote:
From: abidhusein hemraj <a...@rogers.com>
Subject: Fw: [Shia Group] SHIA-SUNNI UNITY/ Excellent Essay By A
Sunni Intellectual
To: "adil naveed" <adilnav...@yahoo.com>, "Adil"
<ahmad_a...@yahoo.com>, "shamim a siddiqi" <tsidd96...@aol.com>, "dr.abusayeed
rahman" <abusaye...@yahoo.com>, "Syed Rizvi" <baqarrizvi.l...@gmail.com>,
"Syed-Mohsin Naquvi" <mnaq...@yahoo.com>, "syed b soharwardy"
<cont...@islamicsupremecouncil.com>, "syedmuhammad rizvi"
<muhamma...@rogers.com>, "syed ali mujtaba" <syedalimujt...@yahoo.com>, "Ali
Ansar Hemraj" <a...@eff.ae>, "Anver Hemraj" <flip...@emirates.net.ae>, "Mahmood
Abdulla" <mahmood.abdu...@ntlworld.com>
Date: Thursday, 5 November, 2009, 10:40 PM
----- Original Message -----
From: yusuf jaffery
To: shiagroup@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:01 AM
Subject: [Shia Group] SHIA-SUNNI UNITY/ Excellent Essay By A Sunni
Intellectual
M
Friend/a.s.a.k.,
Atleast now can we be united and move forward and
face our common enemy.
SHIA-SUNNI UNITY
By Dr. Shahid Athar M.D.Clinical Associate Professor
of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana, and a writer on Islam.
The centuries-old Shia-Sunni differences are the
major obstacle to Muslim unity. The enemies of Islam to their benefit have
always fanned these differences. Unfortunately, some so-called Muslim scholars
on their payroll have also played a key role in keeping these differences alive.
Although I was born into a Sayyid 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 (the 10th day of the month
of Muharram which is called Ashura) by reciting the first chapter of the Quran
(al-Fatihah) and other chapters and verses of the Quran and fasted 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
knowthe 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.
These non-Muslim American audiences of mine are surprised to
learn that some of the known tyrants like Saddam Hussain and troublemakers like
the PLO and Hamas are all Sunnis, just as they are surprised to learn that
Tariq Aziz ( Iraq 's Foreign Minister) was Christian and not a Muslim.
This is what I say to them about Shi'ites."If Ali Ibn Talib
(cousin of Prophet Muhammad) was a Shia, then I am a Shia. If he was a Sunni,
then I am a Sunni [i.e., a follower of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)]. In Islam there
are five recognized schools of Divine Law: 1) Hanafi; 2) Shafi; 3) Maliki; 4)
Hambali and 5) Jafari.
The first four are called Sunni, and the fifth one, who in
addition to following sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), also
follows those of Ali and consider him as the rightful successor of the Prophet,
are called Shia. The first four have many major theological differences among
themselves and according to a Christian friend of mine, "The only time Sunnis
are united is when they are fighting Shias." Shi'ism started as a political
movement (Shia means follower or partisan) to help Ali become successor of
Muhammad (PBUH).
Around every successful popular figure, there are some
admirers whose own future interests rest with the rise of their leader. Thus in
Indiana , we have "Friends of Lugar Club", who are hoping that someday Senator
Richard Lugar will become a US President. Nationally, we now have a Hillary
Rodham Clinton Fan Club with 4,000 members! Thus, there were the Followers of
Ali Club, which later on became a political movement. During the initial
battles with unbelievers, Ali, the Sword of Islam, was in the forefront and
defeated and killed many of their leaders whose children and grandchildren,
even when they became Muslims, always remembered who killed their father
(animosity).
Ali was raised by Prophet Muhammad as a child so he knew
Islam very well. Thus, when he became a judge, his judgments were based on
strict Islamic principles, much to the disappointment of many who expected him
to be lenient to the rich and powerful. He was so well respected and trusted by
both Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar, that in difficult cases they asked his opinion.
Nevertheless, I tell my non-Muslim audience that both Shia
and Sunni have many things in common. They both believe in One God (Allah),
follow the same Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the last Prophet, offer five
daily-prescribed prayers, perform the prescribed fast in the month of Ramadan,
go to Mecca for the pilgrimage (hajj), read the same Quran, and pay the
poor-due.
However, my answers can only satisfy my uninformed non-Muslim
audience. The Sunni brothers, misguided by western propaganda, who are ready to
embrace non-Muslims (especially the white ones), in the pretext of invitation
to Islam, will not do so for Shia. They are ignorant Sunnis. Our job as a
missionary 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 labeled as
disbelievers. I have been told that Shaykh Bin Baz of Saudi Arabia has declared
an edict thatthe meat of the People of Book (Jews and Christians) is
permissible for Sunni Muslims to eat but not the meat slaughtered by Shias.
There are scholars on both sides, like Imam Khomeini and
Shaykh Shaltut of al-Azhar who have done their best to minimize these
differences and bring unity, but it is not working due to the misinformation
prevailing in the common masses of Sunnis about Shi'ism. Thus I am listing
their misconceptions of Shia belief and practices. For answers, I have
consulted two Shia scholars in America . Dr. A. S. Hashim of Washington and
Imam Muhammad Ali Elahi of Detroit.
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote to me "to ignore and not
waste time in responding to such wrong allegations. " He also mentioned that "a
great deal of money and effort is being spent in the last few years to fan the
fire of hatred between Shia and Sunni in the Persian Gulf region with obvious
political and economical fruits for powers to-be." However, in the interest of
Islamic unity, I must deal with the questions rather than shun them. Please
note that Imam Jafar (peace be upon him), founder of the Shia school of law,
was the teacher of Imam Abu-Hanifa (peace be upon him).
Misconception #1: Shias have a different Quran. They add
another 10 chapters to the original Quran. Response: Not true. I have checked
many times Quran kept in Shia homes and mosques. I still find it the same as
the original Quran. More recently, I took care of an Iranian lady patient
hospitalized here. I saw a copy of the Quran by her side. I borrowed it from
her and browsed through cover-to-cover. In Arabic it was the same as our Quran.
Of course, since I did not know the Persian language, I can't say much about
the translation. It is a sin to even say that the Quran can be changed or added
to by Shia when God protects it.
Misconception #2: Some Shia considers Ali as God. Response:
Not true. It is disbelief to even think of such a thing. During the time of
Ali, some pagan groups called Gholat did consider Ali as Lord. When he found
out, they were burned to death.
Misconception #3: Shias have different declarations of faith
and they add to the call to prescribed prayer. Response: The declaration to
become a Muslim, as administered to non Muslims, is the same. Some Shia add to
themselves, "Ali is a friend of God (PBUH) or Ali is a spiritual leader of
God," after the call to prescribed prayer, but not as part of the call to
prescribed prayer.
Misconception #4: Shias do not perform Sunnah prayers. Sunnah
prayers are non-obligatory prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad. Response:
Shias do perform non-obligatory prayers, 36 cycles per day in total, but call
it Nawafil (extra) and not Sunnah as all of the Prayers are Sunnah.
Misconception #5: Some Shia believes the Angel Gabriel made a
mistake and prophet hood was meant for Ali and not Muhammad (PBUH). Response:
Not true. No Shia thinks of such false claims. "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 wife,
Aisha.Response: Shia considers the first three caliphs as companions and
administrators, but not spiritual leaders (Imams). Imam Jafar Sadiq, whose
mother and grandmother came from the line of Abu Bakr, said of Abu Bakr, "He
gave me birth twice." Aisha is respected by Shias as the"Mother of Believers,"
as Ali respected her when he sent her back from Basra to Medina after the
Battle of the Camel. If some Shia do slander the three caliphs and Aisha, they
do it out of ignorance and should ask God's forgiveness. (As we have witnessed
how Imam Khomeini The Shia bravely declared death of Salman Rushdie -The author
of Satanic Verses who abused the wife of Prophet Aisha and Only The Shia Leader
declared it as blasphemy, just for his Fatwa the whole western countries became
against Iran . See how much price did Shia pay to defend Aisha - while Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc. etc. as the Sunni government were silent they did not
defend Aisha. Now who loves Aisha?)
Misconception #7: Shias combine all five prayers into one
prayer in the evening. Response: Not true. In Shia mosques, whether in Iran or
the USA , all five daily prayers are performed. Shia do combine noon and
afternoon and evening and night, but Shia scholars recommend performing them
separately. Such combinations may not be ideal, but better than not praying at
all. How can a Sunni who does not pray at all be better than a Shia who
combines prayers?
Misconception #8: Shias do not pay zakat (poor-due).
Response: Not true. They not only pay 2.5% left over from savings as zakat, but
also an additional 20% as Khums or general charity. However, they prefer to pay
directly to the needy, or their grass roots recognized scholars rather than
corrupt Sunni, or Shia (The Shah?) governments.
Misconception #9: Shias practice temporary marriages (Mutah).
Response: Mutah (temporary marriages) was allowed during the time of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and he himself practiced it. Ibn Zubayr was born out of the
temporary marriage. Later on Caliph Umar prohibited it due to social reasons as
the Islamic world was rapidly expanding. Shias discourage Mutah but do not
consider it prohibited. Some do abuse this. As a temporary privilege during
travel, it is better than adultery.
Misconception #10: They consider Imams infallible and above
the Prophets. Response: Not true. All prophets are born Prophet but as
mentioned in Quran about Abraham that after passing the test, a prophet becomes
a leader (Imam). Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet
(Nabi), Messenger (Rasul) and leader (Imam). Shias consider
The Imams as error free carriers of the message of Islam. Shias consider Ali
only as an Imam and not prophet. But his relevance in relation to The Muslim
Ummah in particular and the times in which we all live, his contribution as
"carrier" is more relevant than the Prophets before Muhammad whose books are
lost, and contributions are "legendary" at best. With the little knowledge I
have, I have 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 "instill 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.
May God forgive my mistakes in this article and this book
(Amin).
"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."
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