45 replies to this topic

[lemonade]

Asalam o alikum,

If u had read la ilaha illallah muhammadara sullulah than no need to read it again
just read ailyan waliyullah(Ali is the wali of God on his all creatures) you can read this in your bedroom,dinning room any where no need to read it in front of people and there is no need to read shahadatain if you have faith in your heart however it is good to read it.And brother I want to tell you once you become shia research more about shia beliefs because many people will ask many questions from you which may cause to lead you astray because of the lack of knowledge.I am experienced with this I doubted too much about my beliefs for 3.5-4 years when I became baligh just because of my lack of knowledge.And for khums once you become shia do taqleed(To do practices according to verdicts of any jurist) of any maraja(jurist).You can know its verdicts by reading toziulmasail(code of practice) book.May God bless you post any question you have may Allah guide all of us.

Sorry for any grammatical mistake.

Edited by Ahlulbayt~lover, 26 May 2012 - 11:22 PM.

[Dar'ul_Islam]

I, too, become Imami Shi'a when I was 17 years old. It is tougher if you have Muslim parents, let alone an entire sunni family of many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

في امان الله

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Salams.

Here is the message I sent to the brother I mentioned earlier.  InshAllah he will accept my apology.

Quote

As-Salaamu Alaykum Ali,

I wanted to contact you to apologize for my past actions towards you.  I am sorry for the bad things I said against you and the Ahlul Bayt, as well as about Iraqi's in general.  It was a very bad and unislamic thing for me to say, and I want to make amends.

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Ahlulbayt~lover, on 26 May 2012 - 11:41 PM, said:

Asalam o alikum, No need to read again the 1st two shahadatain just read "Ali is Wali of Allah on his all creatures" u can read this in english no need to read in arabic.If u have faith in your heart about the leadership of Imam Ali(A.S) then no need to read shahadatain however it is good to read it.Once you become shia study/research more about our beliefs from authentic sources because you may face many people asking questions about your beliefs which may cause you to lead astray.As brother I am experienced with this thing when I became baligh about at the age of 13.I was interested too much in religion but I started doubting about my beliefs for 3.5-4 years just because of my lack of knowledge.Once you become shia do taqleed(to do practices according to the verdicts of any jurist) of any maraja(jurist).You may find his verdicts about khums or any other practices(salah,fast etc) in his toziul masail(code of practice) book.May Allah bless you and guide all of us.

Wa alaykum as salaam, okay, that's good.  I don't have a problem reading the shahada again, but I'm glad it doesn't have to be in front of witnesses, again.

Does it matter which jurist you follow, or are any of them valid?  Is this similar to following a madhab in Sunniism?  All 4 madhabs are considered correct, even though they pray differently and have different rulings about things.  If so, how is this reconciled with the fact that Muhammad only brought one islam, not different varieties?

---

Where on earth can I get a turbah (or make, if it's possible)?  Is it required?  My only options for now are praying on the carper in my house, unless I go outside which is less than ideal because the neighbor has a dog that always does his business all over, so all of the land is probably najis.

[Ali Musaaa :)]

Abdul Alim, on 26 May 2012 - 11:10 PM, said:

Wow.  It's great to know that another person understands what I am going through.  Are your parents Muslim?  Mine aren't . . . my mom is a Christian, and she doesn't really like Islam much, which might actually be a blessing from Allah as she doesn't know the difference between Sunni and Shi'a!


Thanks for the advice brother.  I will try my best.  I will see if I can make amends with the brother.  It was almost entirely my fault, and I feel bad about that.


I don't think it's really his fault.  I probably irritated him, and that's how he responded.  I will contact them InshAllah.


Haha yeah, I've actually heard that, but I figured it was just another baseless accusation, since y'know, there's only one Qur'an

No Brother they aren't. I never actually met a Muslim in person until a few weeks after I converted to Islam yeh my parents didn't take it too well. My mum cried quite a bit when I told her and that really hurt me a lot. Too see your own mother crying in front of you like that, all because you love Allah and His Messenger and want to follow their Guidance the most beautiful thing in the world and my decision to accept made my mum this upset, that moment shook me but I knew it was what I had to do... I had kept my decision to convert to Islam hidden for quite a long time and I knew I couldn't keep it a secret any longer. So I thought it would be best to tell her before I converted to Islam. Alhamdulillah she is fine with it now and quite accepting but my dad is a different story... Also my younger brothers make life difficult for me at times but it's all part of Allah's test and plan.

How did you tell your mum?

Yeh, very true. I am glad to hear you want to make amends with him inshAllah he accepts.

Yeah haha Bro I have heard and read some strange things about the Shia in my time. I thank my Lord so much for sending me a Brother who guided me to the right path. I met him by chance online and he offered to help me find the true Islam almost two years ago and whenever I read/saw something odd about the Shia online from anti-Shia BS I was able to see through the garbage because my friend refuted it all and explained to me the truth but somehow I still found myself following Sunni School out of ignorance becuase of what I saw and I didn't want to tell my friend but then after we discussed online I was able to clear my doubts and found the School of AhlulBayt superior to Sunni Islam by light years.

Abdul Alim, on 26 May 2012 - 11:52 PM, said:

Wa alaykum as salaam, okay, that's good.  I don't have a problem reading the shahada again, but I'm glad it doesn't have to be in front of witnesses, again.

Does it matter which jurist you follow, or are any of them valid?  Is this similar to following a madhab in Sunniism?  All 4 madhabs are considered correct, even though they pray differently and have different rulings about things.  If so, how is this reconciled with the fact that Muhammad only brought one islam, not different varieties?

---

Where on earth can I get a turbah (or make, if it's possible)?  Is it required?  My only options for now are praying on the carper in my house, unless I go outside which is less than ideal because the neighbor has a dog that always does his business all over, so all of the land is probably najis.

Brother I follow Sistani and apparently quite a few Shia also follow him as well but it all come downs to you I follow him because the Brother who I met online who showed me Shia Islam also followed Sistani and his website and rulings are easily accessible in the English language and also easy to contact his office via his site. I reccommend him but then again what ever you like. I would say one Marja is better or more correct than anther it comes down to the choice of the individual

Lol Bro haha I had rhe same issue with a turbah. Its permitted to prostrate on anything that is natural, so natural materials are what is permitted to prostrate on. I use a leaf When I first stated following Shia School, I was too scared to bring a leaf because I worried what others would think of me... Being a new Muslim I jus wanted to fit in as best I could and I didn't want to make myself different from the Brothers... I spent quite a few weeks lining up for Salah and putting my hand in my pocket only to pull out nothing but air lol. I was really scared to do it haha. But Alhamduilliah one day I built up enough courage and I decided I didn't care what they thought of me I only care about what Allah thinks of me. Ever since then I have been using a leaf in the Masjid and no issues have occurred

Last Friday one Brother moved my leaf away from me while I was in the middle of Salah hahahaha. He must of thought a leaf found its way in but he wouldn't know I use it as a turbah as they are all Sunni.

One a friend of mine is sending me a turbah shortly inshAllah but you could get one from any Shia Masjid or Shia Brothers/Sisters

[Qa'im]

Quote

Where on earth can I get a turbah (or make, if it's possible)? Is it required? My only options for now are praying on the carper in my house, unless I go outside which is less than ideal because the neighbor has a dog that always does his business all over, so all of the land is probably najis.

You can use a rock or natural objects as your turbah. The important thing is that you prostrate on "earth". Simply bring wherever you need to pray and do sujud by putting your forehead on it in prayer.

وَ رَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ السُّجُودُ عَلَى مَا أَنْبَتَتِ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا أُكِلَ أَوْ لُبِسَ

”He (عليه السلام) said: Sajdah is upon what grows (from) the earth except what (can be) eaten or worn”

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَسْجُدُ عَلَى الزِّفْتِ يَعْنِي الْقِيرَ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَا عَلَى الثَّوْبِ الْكُرْسُفِ وَ لَا عَلَى الصُّوفِ وَ لَا عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانِ وَ لَا عَلَى طَعَامٍ وَ لَا عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ ثِمَارِ الْأَرْضِ وَ لَا عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الرِّيَاشِ‏

“I (asked) Aboo Ja`far (عليه السلام), ‘Can I (do) sajdah on asphalt meaning tar (i.e. cement)?’ He (عليه السلام) said: ‘No, and not upon cotton clothing, and not upon wool, and not upon anything from animals and not upon food and not upon fruits from the earth, and not upon things from feathers’”

قَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَخْبِرْنِي عَمَّا يَجُوزُ السُّجُودُ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَمَّا لَا يَجُوزُ قَالَ السُّجُودُ لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ أَوْ عَلَى مَا أَنْبَتَتِ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا أُكِلَ أَوْ لُبِسَ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا الْعِلَّةُ فِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ لِأَنَّ السُّجُودَ خُضُوعٌ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى مَا يُؤْكَلُ أَوْ يُلْبَسُ لِأَنَّ أَبْنَاءَ الدُّنْيَا عَبِيدُ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ وَ يَلْبَسُونَ وَ السَّاجِدُ فِي سُجُودِهِ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَضَعَ جَبْهَتَهُ فِي سُجُودِهِ عَلَى مَعْبُودِ أَبْنَاءِ الدُّنْيَا الَّذِينَ اغْتَرُّوا بِغُرُورِهَا وَ السُّجُودُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ أَفْضَلُ لِأَنَّهُ أَبْلَغُ فِي التَّوَاضُعِ وَ الْخُضُوعِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ

Inform me of what it is permitted to do sujood upon and what is not permitted. He said: Sujood is not allowed except for upon the earth or what the earth grows except that which is eaten or worn. So he said to him: May I be your sacrifice, what is the reason for that? He (عليه السلام) said: It is because sujood is submission to Allah, (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ), so it is not appropriate that it be upon what it eaten and worn. For the sons of the dunyaa (world) are worshipers of what they wear and eat. And the prostrator in his sujood is in the worship of Allah, (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ), so it is not appropriate that he place his forehead in his sujood upon that which is worshiped by the sons of the dunyaa (world), having been deceived by its deception. And sujood upon the earth is better for it is more (conducive) to attaining humility and submission to Allah, (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ).

http://www.revivinga...ajdah-upon.html

[lemonade]

Asalam o alikum

We should follow A'lam the one who is more superior in knowledge of fiqh etc than other jurists.However in present age it is difficult to know who is A'lam because there are many jurists at current age and it is difficult to recognise A'lam.However I came to know from many trust worthy people that there are 7 jurists at current time you can follow any of them.Ayatullah sistani,Ayatullah khamenai and some others.But at current time all shia public mostly follow these two(ayatullah sistani,ayatullah khamenai).I recommend you to follow ayatullah sistani.I found following him easier than others.As your family members are cristian.Ayatullah sistani consider people of book(jews,cristian,zoroastrian) pak.You dont need to avoid your family members in the practice of taharat.
www.sistani.org
www.najaf.org
You can find his full code of practice at sistani.org and you can also ask questions at these two sites if you dont find it in his code of practice.
Jurists are those who study too much about quran,its interpratation,islamic history,arabic grammer(which is the world most tough language in which one word may have 70000 meanings other languages are not tough to that extent) and some other subjects. We should follow jurist just because we dont know how to offer salah, how to fast and many other things.Quran dont tell us in detail how to do these practices.Following jurist does not mean Prophet brought varieties.He brought 1 islam.However later many hyprocites started spoiling religion.It is too much difficult for jurist to obtain those exact commands of Allah revealed 1400 years ago thats why you may found 3-5% difference in their verdicts However they are 95% same.Present Qur'an is the same qur'an revealed 1400 years ago however its interpratation is not the same it is changed but not fully.

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Ali, on 27 May 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

No Brother they aren't. I never actually met a Muslim in person until a few weeks after I converted to Islam yeh my parents didn't take it too well. My mum cried quite a bit when I told her and that really hurt me a lot. Too see your own mother crying in front of you like that, all because you love Allah and His Messenger and want to follow their Guidance the most beautiful thing in the world and my decision to accept made my mum this upset, that moment shook me but I knew it was what I had to do... I had kept my decision to convert to Islam hidden for quite a long time and I knew I couldn't keep it a secret any longer. So I thought it would be best to tell her before I converted to Islam. Alhamdulillah she is fine with it now and quite accepting but my dad is a different story... Also my younger brothers make life difficult for me at times but it's all part of Allah's test and plan.

How did you tell your mum?

Alhamdulilah it's good that she's okay with it now.  I am an only child, so I don't have siblings to bother me (well, I had a sister, but she died like 7 months before I was born )  I still haven't told my mum, to be honest, even though it's been 3 years (almost).  I've told her how much I like Islam, and am interested in it, and she knows I've been to the mosque a few times, but she doesn't know I've actually converted.  It makes it difficult to pray and fast, but I get along.  Fasting, so far, has only been during the Summer when there's no school (which also makes it piss hard because you're not distracted and this year at least, it's 18 hours each day of fasting), so I don't have to worry about eating breakfast with her (I stay up to Imsak time, eat right before, pray fajr, and then go to bed).  She has also seen me reading a lot of Shi'a related books lately.  I hope I can eventually tell her Insh'Allah.

Ali, on 27 May 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

Yeh, very true. I am glad to hear you want to make amends with him inshAllah he accepts.

He tweeted "STFUSTFU" right after I sent him the apology message   I hope he wasn't referring to me, and I hope he replies at least Insh'Allah.

Ali, on 27 May 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

Yeah haha Bro I have heard and read some strange things about the Shia in my time. I thank my Lord so much for sending me a Brother who guided me to the right path. I met him by chance online and he offered to help me find the true Islam almost two years ago and whenever I read/saw something odd about the Shia online from anti-Shia BS I was able to see through the garbage because my friend refuted it all and explained to me the truth but somehow I still found myself following Sunni School out of ignorance becuase of what I saw and I didn't want to tell my friend but then after we discussed online I was able to clear my doubts and found the School of AhlulBayt superior to Sunni Islam by light years.

Ah, I understand.  I like to think I'm open minded, and tried to throw off all of the lies I was told about the Shi'a, but there were three things that were videos/pictures that were attributed to "the Shi'a" that were hard to overcome my prejudices about.  One was a bunch of guys prostrating to a small locked box on top of a well where they thought Imam Madhi was hiding in.  They were throwing papers with Du'a requests down it.  The reason the box was there on top was so people wouldn't jump in.  The second was seeing Shi'a prostrate to the shrines of the Imams.  The third was seeing all of the blood on Ashura celebrations.  Alhamdulilah, I know the truth of all this, that it's not Islamic but cultural, and InshAllah I will not have anymore prejudices without doing proper research first.

Ali, on 27 May 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

Brother I follow Sistani and apparently quite a few Shia also follow him as well but it all come downs to you I follow him because the Brother who I met online who showed me Shia Islam also followed Sistani and his website and rulings are easily accessible in the English language and also easy to contact his office via his site. I reccommend him but then again what ever you like. I would say one Marja is better or more correct than anther it comes down to the choice of the individual

That makes sense, thank you.  I have read through a lot of Sistani's rulings, and I agree with them for the most part.  I even sent in my own question!  I hope I get a response Insh'Allah.

Ali, on 27 May 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

Lol Bro haha I had rhe same issue with a turbah. Its permitted to prostrate on anything that is natural, so natural materials are what is permitted to prostrate on. I use a leaf When I first stated following Shia School, I was too scared to bring a leaf because I worried what others would think of me... Being a new Muslim I jus wanted to fit in as best I could and I didn't want to make myself different from the Brothers... I spent quite a few weeks lining up for Salah and putting my hand in my pocket only to pull out nothing but air lol. I was really scared to do it haha. But Alhamduilliah one day I built up enough courage and I decided I didn't care what they thought of me I only care about what Allah thinks of me. Ever since then I have been using a leaf in the Masjid and no issues have occurred

That is great!  Thank you for explaining properly.  I might to pluck a leaf from the bush right outside my house and use that until I get a proper turbah.  I was worried that my prayers would be invalid because I didn't have a turbah, or if I pray outside it would be najis.  lol

Dar, on 26 May 2012 - 11:19 PM, said:

I, too, become Imami Shi'a when I was 17 years old. It is tougher if you have Muslim parents, let alone an entire sunni family of many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

في امان الله

Alhamdulillah!!

Qa, on 27 May 2012 - 01:54 AM, said:

You can use a rock or natural objects as your turbah. The important thing is that you prostrate on "earth". Simply bring wherever you need to pray and do sujud by putting your forehead on it in prayer.

Okay, thank you.  Do I only put my forehead on the "earth" or does it have to be my nose as well?  What about my knees, hands, and feet?  I'm not quite clear on that.

Ahlulbayt~lover, on 27 May 2012 - 06:47 AM, said:

Asalam o alikum

Oh okay, I think I understand now.  Thank you a ton for taking the time to explain this.

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I can't wait until I have 27 more approved posts so this post limit isn't in effect anymore.  It's kind of annoying to have to wait until you have another post available to use.  I won't be able to post again until 9:40 (it's 9:01 right now, here), which isn't that long of a time, but what about after that one?  lol . . . I must learn patience.

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Ali, sorry I deleted all of your emoticons in the quotes and your username.  I got this message when I tried to post "
You have posted a message with more emoticons than this community allows. Please reduce the number of emoticons you've added to the message" so I had to delete some

Edited by Abdul Alim, 27 May 2012 - 11:23 AM.

[Hasan0404]

Abdul Alim, on 24 May 2012 - 11:08 PM, said:

As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu my dear brothers and sisters.

I would like to tell you a little about me, how I came to Islaam, some things I have learned recently, and some questions that I hope some of you can answer for me.

Around the year 2009 (1430) I had a friend that I had met online (never in person) named Asma.  I was vaguely aware that she was a Muslim, but she didn't . . . ah, abide by the principles of Islaam.  I began to learn about her religion, that I may get to know her better.  After a lot of researching, I joined an Islamic forum (Sunni) and eventually went to the local (Sunni) masjid and did my Shahadah on Eidul Adha 1430 (November 27, 2009).  Before, I say anything else, I would like to point out that the people at the masjid are some of the most genuine people I have ever met.  They do what they do out of Imaan, and not out of hatred.

At the masjid as well as online, I began to hear about this other group of "Muslims" named the Shi'a.  A lot of what I was told was a very negative look at the Shi'a.  I was told that they perverted history, worshipped Ali (r.a.) and his children, created vast shrines to worship them at, participated in self-mortification, as well as forcing bloody injuries onto their young children for Ashura.  The Shi'a were misguided, and were on the same level of filth as Jews, Dogs, Apes, and Swine.  They cursed and hated the Sahaba (r.a.), Aisha (r.a.) and basically any Muslim that wasn't a direct decendent of Muhammad (saw) and Khadija (r.a.).  I accepted most of these things without a second thought.  The Shi'a were abominable, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

However, as I have been learning more and more about Islamic history, I have had to reevaluate my judgment of Shi'a Muslims.  I read a book entitled After the After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam by Lesley Hazleton.  It took a look at the history of when Muhammad (saw) died, the fight over succession, how Ali (r.a.) eventually became Caliph/Imam and how his sons Hasan and Hussein reacted and also became leaders, albeit religious instead of political.  From the perspective of that book, Ali was always entitled to become Caliph/Imam, and it was stolen from him!  Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman were unworthy of the Caliphate.  

I also talked, today, to this Shi'a girl in my English class (I'm a Junior in high school) about Islaam, and she told me that a lot of what I had in my mind about the Shi'a were not true.  She said that Shi'a only worship Allah (swt) and not the Imams, they bow to Allah (swt) and not the shrines of the Imams, and that Aisha (r.a.) was, in her words, a [Edited Out].  Personally, I agree with the last one.  I can see how she used her status as favourite wife to her advantage, and often twisted things to get her way.  I am still confused on the first two, as well as some additional issues.  I hope it is okay if I leave a bunch of questions that I have about the Shi'a branch.

1) Ali should have been the first Caliph/Imam.  What evidence is there that there would be a total of 12 Imams and that it should pass successively in the order that Shi'as claim it did?

2) Is there any evidence of Khumms in the Qur'an or Hadith.

3) What sets of Hadith do Shi'a accept as Sahih (authentic)?

4) Is self-flaggelation an accpeted practice?  Why?  Do you beat/cut your young children in mourning of Hussein?

5) Why do Shi'a constantly curse the Sahabah that aren't ahlul bayt?  If a person is a close companion of the prophet, they should be recognized as such.

6) Aisha's purity was narrated in Suratul Azhab, after the affair of the necklace.  Why, then, do the Shi'a call her a [Edited Out]?

7) Do the Shi'a worship ahlul bayt or anyone besides Allah سبحانه وتعالى?

8) What resources do you recommend I use for further study?

There will probably be more questions to come, but this is all I can think of right now.

I hope my post finds you all in good health and strong imaan.  Forgive me if anything I have said has offended you or is innacurate.  Please point out any mistakes I have made.  I look forward to any responses I receive.  BarakAllah Feek.

Wa alaykum as-salaam.

Wa alaykum as-salam,

Good to know you bother to confirm whatever you heard about shias.

My brother there is an author "Mohammad Tejani Samouvi", a converted shia. You may find many references to the Books of ahadith in this book addressing many misconceptions and facts. You should read Ayatollah Shaheed Dast e Ghaib and Ayatollah Murtadha Mutahhari to learn what Shi'ism is.
More over ther is a scholar from Pakistan named "Jan Ali Shah Kazmi" if you can find his lectures in English, he has specifically answered the misconceptions about Shi'ism quoting from Quran and Sahih Hdith(commonly accepted ahadiths). You relly pleadsed my heart that you care to confirm whatever good or bad you hear.

Good Luck

Wa alykun as- Salam

[Khadim uz Zahra]

Abdul Alim, on 27 May 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

Okay, thank you. Do I only put my forehead on the "earth" or does it have to be my nose as well? What about my knees, hands, and feet? I'm not quite clear on that.

The obligatory part is only to put your forehead on the Turbah - or, as someone has explained, something that grows out of the earth but is not used for clothing or eating. It is also recommended to put your nose on the earth but it is not obligatory and if you don't, your Salah is still valid. As for your knees, hands and feet, all of these must touch the ground (by this, I don't mean that the skin should touch the ground, as is the case with the forehead) and if any of these are not on the ground, your Sajdah (prostration) is not valid and you can't recite the Dhikr until they are all on the ground. About your feet, your big toe must touch the ground but you don't have to make the other touch the ground. I would suggest you watch some videos about Salah in Shi'ism. Here, this video may help you learn a bit about how Shias pray:



Insha'Allah, I have been helpful!

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Insh'Allah I am about to watch the video.  I will have more replies to what people have posted in a little while, but for now, I just want to say this:

You guys are the friendliest Muslims I have ever met.  I hate to generalize, but Sunni's are more of straight to the point and if you don't understand they won't help you at all beyond a simple explanation that might be hard to understand.  They don't really understand what it's like to not know, and they really try to push you beyond your comfort zone when it comes to learning new things.  Thank you all for your kind replies and for answering all of my questions

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Hasan0404: Thank you for your kind post.  I originally created an account here simply so I could learn the truth about Shi'a.  That was also my niyyat (intention) for reading the books that I have mentioned.  At this point in time, I am so absolutely convinced of the correctness of Shi'ism, that Mash'Allah I'm accepting the haqq as it was given by Muhammad and Ahlulbayt (pbut).  Thank you for your suggestions on things to read and lectures to watch.  From posting here, and a couple other topics, I have gathered a HUGE collection of materials to look into InshAllah.


Khadim uz Zahra: Thank you for linking to that video.  Using that in conjunction with another source that had the transliteration actually written down, I have created a sort of prayer "cheat sheet" to use for the first few times until I get the hang of doing it the Shi'a way, as they say different things.  One thing that interests me is when you're rising from ruku' you only say semiallahu mi dan hamidya, where as in the Sunni school you also say rabana wa lakal hamd in addition to that (the imam says the first part and the congregation replies with the second, if praying in jamaat.  You say both if praying privately).  I'm not quite sure on the meanings of these two phrases, but I will learn Insh'Allah.

I have done Ghusl today, in the way according to the Shi's scholars (just to make sure, since the only time I've done Ghusl before was in the Sunni school) and Insh'Allah I will do Salah the Shi'a way at Maghrib tonight (around an hour from now).

Thank you (pl.) to everyone that has posted in here, for your support and kind words.  May Allah reward you (pl.)

---

One more question about Salah.  The local masjid (Shi'a) that publishes prayer times gives the following times: Imsak, Fajr, Shuruq, Zuhr, Sunset, & Maghrib.  What about Asr and Isha?  When do you pray those?

Edited by Abdul Alim, 27 May 2012 - 10:51 PM.

[Ali Musaaa :)]

^Brother, you always put the biggest smile on my face every time I read your posts... A bit like this: but sometimes like

It's so beautiful to see another brother who lives on the other side of the earth take the same path to Islam as I did. I truly find it amazing that you looked beyond the BS that is pumped into so many innocent Muslims minds about the Shia. Alhamdulliah I never had this problem. The Brothers at my Masjid don't care if I am Shia. Probs because I havnt really told them lol but I am pretty sure the Imam knows becuase I am really good friends with his son and his son has prayed next to me many times and never has spoken about why I use a leaf or Shia or anything like that. They aren't stupid, I am pretty sure some know but they don't even mention it or anything.

It's really funny how it's only the young Brothers who come and approach me about the leaf. Whenever they come I just tell them that in our Prophets (pbuh&hf) time, they didn't have carpet and carpet was put into his Masjid centuries after him. Its a Sunnah to pray on natural material and we have traditions that state sometimes he made a mat made of leaves just to prostrate on. One Brother said to me afterwards when I told him why: "Ah that's so cool" or something along those lines haha.

May Allah reward you for your effort in seeking the truth. Thank Allah everyday that He has guided you the right path.

If you need anything just PM, I'm certain i can help you out if you ever need it as it was only months ago, that I was literally in your shoes.

Wassalaam

Ja, on 27 May 2012 - 10:42 PM, said:

One more question about Salah.  The local masjid (Shi'a) that publishes prayer times gives the following times: Imsak, Fajr, Shuruq, Zuhr, Sunset, & Maghrib.  What about Asr and Isha?  When do you pray those?

Brother in Jaffari Fiqh (Jurisprudence) we are permitted to combine our Salah. This is based on the fact that it's a Sunnah of the Prophet and he would combine his Salah on many occasions and sometimes for no reason at all. The reason why it doesn't mention Asr and Isha is because from the time of Zuhr we can pray Asr straight after but separately. So like, you can do some Dhikr, read Quran ect after Zuhr and then straight away do Asr and you don't need to pray until Mahgreb for Maghreb it's rhe same, after the time of Maghreb, once you have done Maghreb Salah you can then do Isha afterwards at anytime that is convient to you.

Our religion came to bring ease, not hardship. Imagine being a doctor and in the middle of a surgical opporation having to Pray Maghreb at 6:00 pm and then around an hour later perfor Isha? Our Prophet (pbuh&hf) gave us the option to combine our Salah when we needed to. But it is better to separate if possible.

InshAllah a more knowldebable Brother/Sister will read my post and correct me if I am incorrect on any matter because this area is no joke and no room for mistakes, so inshAallah I have given correct information and if not some one will correct me

Hope that helps

[lemonade]

Ja, on 27 May 2012 - 10:42 PM, said:

One more question about Salah.  The local masjid (Shi'a) that publishes prayer times gives the following times: Imsak, Fajr, Shuruq, Zuhr, Sunset, & Maghrib.  What about Asr and Isha?  When do you pray those?

Asalam o alikum brother we can read asr right after zuhr without any gap of time and same case in maghrib and isha.
There are many sunni and shia traditions which states that prophet combined [zuhr,asr and maghrib,isha] without any reason(rain,travel or any other thing) and the reason behind it was just for the ease of ummah.All our jurist agree that we can perform combine prayers.However it is better according to our some/all jurists to pray seperately.



you can find salah translation at
http://sistani.org/i...&id=48&pid=2232
and you can find methods of many of your practices you do in daily life(wudu,ghusl,salah,fast etc) at
http://sistani.org/i...?p=251364&id=48
if you want to do taqleed of ayatullah sayyed ali sistani.

Please tell me what is the degree of my english brokeness.Is it sufficient for your understanding or do you face little difficulty in understanding or too much difficulty.

Edited by Ahlulbayt~lover, 28 May 2012 - 06:54 AM.

[AlwaysChangingHisUserName]

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

^Brother, you always put the biggest smile on my face every time I read your posts... A bit like this: but sometimes like

Alhumdililah.  I thought I was boring and annoying everyone to death.  I feel dumber than when I first became a Muslim, because at least then I could absorb something.  Now I'm gonna have to re-learn everything, and then not get confused between the Sunni way and the correct way.  LOL.

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

It's so beautiful to see another brother who lives on the other side of the earth take the same path to Islam as I did. I truly find it amazing that you looked beyond the BS that is pumped into so many innocent Muslims minds about the Shia. Alhamdulliah I never had this problem. The Brothers at my Masjid don't care if I am Shia. Probs because I havnt really told them lol but I am pretty sure the Imam knows becuase I am really good friends with his son and his son has prayed next to me many times and never has spoken about why I use a leaf or Shia or anything like that. They aren't stupid, I am pretty sure some know but they don't even mention it or anything.

Oh, trust me, I believed all that [Edited Out].  Three main things made me question if the Shi'a were really that bad.

First, there was a brother named Ali that I used to work out with (in school, we both went before school to weight lift -- and dammit I'm still fat) and now I have him in my animation design class, where I sat next to him until I moved to be closer to other people I am friends with.  He was a really nice brother, and seemed more sincere than most Sunnis (well, or Shi'as as most Muslims in my school are Shi'a but they're not that good of Muslims tbh), and that really impressed me.  He told me about his life in Iraq before he moved here, and how Ramadhan is always harder here (in the US) because (this year, at least) it's 18 hours, where in Iraq it's like 10 every year, no matter what.  The times don't change as much as they do up here (Washington state).

The second reason was the book I mentioned earlier called "After the Prophet".  I actually picked up that book in order to confirm that the Shi'a were backwards, racist, Iranians, but Alhamdulilah it led me otherwise.  It showed the history from a very objective point of view, without any Sunni or Shi'a bias.  It focused on Muhammad, Ali, and Hussein (as well as others, but these were the three sections of the book).  I remember hearing great things about Muawiyah and Yazid (well, hearing that they were great people.  I never actually learned what they did that was so great) and I literally became sick after reading what really happened.

The third was a girl named Saleel in my English class.  I was on the computer with my Atheist friend Chris and we were looking at news articles to use in our essays and Saleel along with another girl was there and the three of them were talking about movies and whatnot.  The subject turned to gay marriage and I made the statement that homosexuality is wrong, and, according to my religion, they should be put to death (I dunno if I truly agree with that, as I think homosexuality is a choice and you can change . . . but idk.  I'm not gay so I really wouldn't know if it's a choice or not) and Saleel asked me for my religion.  I told her I was a Muslim and she (obviously) is because she wears hijab.  So we got into discussing the deen, and I found out she was Shi'a.  My first reaction was "but you seem like such a good person, do you beat yourself?!" and she was like "uh, no, ew" haha.  So we talked a lot more for like 2 days (the whole class hours) and yeah.  It turns out that Shi'ites aren't that bad . . . =P

So then I came here, and posted this thread under the nickname Abdul Alim, but I had it changed to Ja'far to reflect my inner change.  =O

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

It's really funny how it's only the young Brothers who come and approach me about the leaf. Whenever they come I just tell them that in our Prophets (pbuh&hf) time, they didn't have carpet and carpet was put into his Masjid centuries after him. Its a Sunnah to pray on natural material and we have traditions that state sometimes he made a mat made of leaves just to prostrate on. One Brother said to me afterwards when I told him why: "Ah that's so cool" or something along those lines haha.

I find that interesting too.  It seems the younger ones are always the more judgmental, or if not, they voice their opinions a lot more.  I had to be corrected a couple of times in the Sunni mosques and the younger brothers would just be like "you're doing it wrong" while the older ones would actually explain and show me how to do it properly (like not wearing shirts with an image into the masjid).

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

May Allah reward you for your effort in seeking the truth. Thank Allah everyday that He has guided you the right path.

If you need anything just PM, I'm certain i can help you out if you ever need it as it was only months ago, that I was literally in your shoes.

BarakAllah Feek.

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

Brother in Jaffari Fiqh (Jurisprudence) we are permitted to combine our Salah. This is based on the fact that it's a Sunnah of the Prophet and he would combine his Salah on many occasions and sometimes for no reason at all. The reason why it doesn't mention Asr and Isha is because from the time of Zuhr we can pray Asr straight after but separately. So like, you can do some Dhikr, read Quran ect after Zuhr and then straight away do Asr and you don't need to pray until Mahgreb for Maghreb it's rhe same, after the time of Maghreb, once you have done Maghreb Salah you can then do Isha afterwards at anytime that is convient to you.

Oh, okay, thanks!!

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

Our religion came to bring ease, not hardship. Imagine being a doctor and in the middle of a surgical opporation having to Pray Maghreb at 6:00 pm and then around an hour later perfor Isha? Our Prophet (pbuh&hf) gave us the option to combine our Salah when we needed to. But it is better to separate if possible.

I find that the Shi'a school really is a lot easier.  Wudhu only took me like 30 seconds, where doing it the Sunni way took me several minutes.  I dunno about Salah, but it seemed to go by faster.  Maybe that's just because I was doing it out of want instead of "ugh I have to pray now" =P

Ali , on 28 May 2012 - 12:51 AM, said:

Hope that helps

It has, Mash'Allah, thank you bro!

Ahlulbayt~lover, on 28 May 2012 - 06:57 AM, said:

Asalam o alikum brother we can read asr right after zuhr without any gap of time and same case in maghrib and isha.
There are many sunni and shia traditions which states that prophet combined [zuhr,asr and maghrib,isha] without any reason(rain,travel or any other thing) and the reason behind it was just for the ease of ummah.All our jurist agree that we can perform combine prayers.However it is better according to our some/all jurists to pray seperately.

Oh, okay, thank you for explaining.  The Sunnis say that you can only combined prayers if you are traveling, but that is not the case here.  Thank you so much!

[ThE-Samz]

masha'Allah nice story bro, if you need any questions answered feel free to pm me or any other brother and we'll try to answer to the best of our abilities.

I remember a few months back when Ali : ) posted his story, masha'Allah you both have similar stories.

God bless you both, was-salaam

[Ali Musaaa :)]

Ja, on 28 May 2012 - 06:11 PM, said:

Alhumdililah.  I thought I was boring and annoying everyone to death.  I feel dumber than when I first became a Muslim, because at least then I could absorb something.  Now I'm gonna have to re-learn everything, and then not get confused between the Sunni way and the correct way.  LOL.


Oh, trust me, I believed all that [Edited Out].  Three main things made me question if the Shi'a were really that bad.

First, there was a brother named Ali that I used to work out with (in school, we both went before school to weight lift -- and dammit I'm still fat) and now I have him in my animation design class, where I sat next to him until I moved to be closer to other people I am friends with.  He was a really nice brother, and seemed more sincere than most Sunnis (well, or Shi'as as most Muslims in my school are Shi'a but they're not that good of Muslims tbh), and that really impressed me.  He told me about his life in Iraq before he moved here, and how Ramadhan is always harder here (in the US) because (this year, at least) it's 18 hours, where in Iraq it's like 10 every year, no matter what.  The times don't change as much as they do up here (Washington state).

The second reason was the book I mentioned earlier called "After the Prophet".  I actually picked up that book in order to confirm that the Shi'a were backwards, racist, Iranians, but Alhamdulilah it led me otherwise.  It showed the history from a very objective point of view, without any Sunni or Shi'a bias.  It focused on Muhammad, Ali, and Hussein (as well as others, but these were the three sections of the book).  I remember hearing great things about Muawiyah and Yazid (well, hearing that they were great people.  I never actually learned what they did that was so great) and I literally became sick after reading what really happened.

The third was a girl named Saleel in my English class.  I was on the computer with my Atheist friend Chris and we were looking at news articles to use in our essays and Saleel along with another girl was there and the three of them were talking about movies and whatnot.  The subject turned to gay marriage and I made the statement that homosexuality is wrong, and, according to my religion, they should be put to death (I dunno if I truly agree with that, as I think homosexuality is a choice and you can change . . . but idk.  I'm not gay so I really wouldn't know if it's a choice or not) and Saleel asked me for my religion.  I told her I was a Muslim and she (obviously) is because she wears hijab.  So we got into discussing the deen, and I found out she was Shi'a.  My first reaction was "but you seem like such a good person, do you beat yourself?!" and she was like "uh, no, ew" haha.  So we talked a lot more for like 2 days (the whole class hours) and yeah.  It turns out that Shi'ites aren't that bad . . . =P

So then I came here, and posted this thread under the nickname Abdul Alim, but I had it changed to Ja'far to reflect my inner change.  =O


I find that interesting too.  It seems the younger ones are always the more judgmental, or if not, they voice their opinions a lot more.  I had to be corrected a couple of times in the Sunni mosques and the younger brothers would just be like "you're doing it wrong" while the older ones would actually explain and show me how to do it properly (like not wearing shirts with an image into the masjid).


BarakAllah Feek.


Oh, okay, thanks!!


I find that the Shi'a school really is a lot easier.  Wudhu only took me like 30 seconds, where doing it the Sunni way took me several minutes.  I dunno about Salah, but it seemed to go by faster.  Maybe that's just because I was doing it out of want instead of "ugh I have to pray now" =P


It has, Mash'Allah, thank you bro!



Oh, okay, thank you for explaining.  The Sunnis say that you can only combined prayers if you are traveling, but that is not the case here.  Thank you so much!

haha, no brother it's seriously a pleasure to hear what you have to say. Brother there is not that much to re-learn... Hmm perhaps a little lol but just Jaffari Fiqh and Islamic History according to the Shia perspective. Because as you know Sunnis have some interesting opinions about certain individuals... No need to mention names

Wow, that's really fascinating Brother I wish I went to school with Muslims before I converted to I had never even met a Muslim :/ haha. But Alhamdulillah my friend also became a Muslim only a few months ago and we pray at school together before I even became a Muslim I made Dua to Allah to guide him to Islam because I would be alone by myself as the okay Muslim at the School and I really wanted to have a friend to support me and one I can pray with. Alhamdulillah, Allah answered my dua and that Brother shortly joined Islam after he found out I was a Muslim. Thinking back on it, I feel like Musa when he called to Allah for some assistance and to give him his brother (Harun a share in his mission for support. 

MashAllah, it's amazing how Allah guides his servants in creative ways. Alhamduilliah for allowing you to come across that book. I saw that book online before but I didn't buy it. If someone could provide a PDF for that book, it would be great! Haha yeh, Muawiyah and Yazid are quite the characters Allah knows best and He will give them their appropriate reward for their deeds. I have never heard any Brother praising Yazid or Muawiya. One Brother who is quite knowldebable but I strongly disagree with him on many issues regarding certain companions who later became Caliphs but that's another discussion and I didn't want to interrupt his presentation... I can't remember exactly what he said but it was along the lines of: "All Scholars agree that Ali was right. Against Aisha, Muawiyah whoever fought him (Ali) was wrong and that Ali was right..." he also called Yazid a "Tyrant" and spoke about Karbala. He also said we have to love the Ahlulbayt more than our own families, and he is a Sunni i have a lot of respect for this brother because of his love and respect of the AhlulBayt and Imams Muhammad al-Baqir & Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq .

Brother the more I read your story the more I am amazed. Such a beautiful way to discover islam and accept the School of AhlulBayt

Yes I agree Wudhu is a lot easier and faster. Jaffari Jurispence is much more flexible than the Hanafi Schools Jurispudence or any of the Sunni Schools for that matter.

It's interesting you say Salah is faster. It's odd that when we pray Sunnah or Nawafil Salah separately all my Sunni Brothers pray so fast... They are finished and it's awkward because it feels like they are all watching me because I pray different and stuff and I get scared to do Qunoot because (a lot are finished by that time ) and I just feel like they are all watching me lol

Can I ask you why you chose the School of AhlulBayt over the Sunni School?

[Al-MuHammadee]

Ja, on 28 May 2012 - 06:11 PM, said:

The Sunnis say that you can only combined prayers if you are traveling, but that is not the case here.  Thank you so much!

While their books are NOT hujjah (proof) for us, I still would like to point out that even their ahaadeeth agree with our madhhab on this matter.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed the noon and afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and Isha' prayers together without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey.
Sahih Muslim, Book 8, Number 1515

Ibn 'Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed the noon and afternoon prayers together in Medina without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey. (Abu Zubair said: I asked Sa'id [one of the narrators] why he did that. He said: I asked Ibn 'Abbas as you have asked me, and he replied that he [the Holy Prophet] wanted that no one among his Ummah should be put to [unnecessary] hardship.)
Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1516

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) combined the noon prayer with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the 'Isha' prayer in Medina without being in a state of danger or rainfall. And in the hadith transmitted by Waki' (the words are): "I said to Ibn 'Abbas: What prompted him to do that? He said: So that his (Prophet's) Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship." And in the hadith transmitted by Mu'awiya (the words are): "It was said to Ibn 'Abbas: What did he intend thereby? He said he wanted that his Ummah should not be put to unnecessary hardship."
Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1520

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed in Medina seven (rak'ahs) and eight (rak'ahs), i.e. (be combined) the noon and afternoon prayers (eight rak'ahs) and the sunset and 'Isha' prayers (seven rak'ahs).
Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1522

Edited by Al-MuHammadee, 29 May 2012 - 06:10 AM.

[Jaysro]

Salaam Ja'far,
congrats on finding true islam, like Ali said it made me smile when I see your progress, may Allah keep his guidance and blessings with you and make your stance firm and certain in the face of difficult questions by fellow muslims or non-muslims. That's why I would recommend you to follow the advice of Ahlulbayt-lover and keep pursuing the truth because there will be a lot of difficult questions posted to you in the future. Besides you'd agree wtith me that its great to be able to answer awkward questions on the spot

Anyway I only realized now that the book you mentioned is the same book I found last year. The book that gave me (an ignorant muslim) the drive and insight in islamic history that motivated me to write documents and make groups and do dawah to my brothers in islam. The book is written in such a gripping way and with such insight that I'd recommend it to anyone (with little knowledge) who wants to start his journey in pursuit of the truth of islam.
Its funny giving credit to this agnostic jewish born woman, but I'm really thankful she wrote that book may Allah guide her. I have a PDF if anyone wants, I'll send it by mail



Here she is talking about the quran at TED


http://www.ted.com/t..._the_koran.html



Salaam:)

[joynal]

Ja, on 24 May 2012 - 11:08 PM, said:

As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu my dear brothers and sisters.

I would like to tell you a little about me, how I came to Islaam, some things I have learned recently, and some questions that I hope some of you can answer for me.

Around the year 2009 (1430) I had a friend that I had met online (never in person) named Asma.  I was vaguely aware that she was a Muslim, but she didn't . . . ah, abide by the principles of Islaam.  I began to learn about her religion, that I may get to know her better.  After a lot of researching, I joined an Islamic forum (Sunni) and eventually went to the local (Sunni) masjid and did my Shahadah on Eidul Adha 1430 (November 27, 2009).  Before, I say anything else, I would like to point out that the people at the masjid are some of the most genuine people I have ever met.  They do what they do out of Imaan, and not out of hatred.

At the masjid as well as online, I began to hear about this other group of "Muslims" named the Shi'a.  A lot of what I was told was a very negative look at the Shi'a.  I was told that they perverted history, worshipped Ali (r.a.) and his children, created vast shrines to worship them at, participated in self-mortification, as well as forcing bloody injuries onto their young children for Ashura.  The Shi'a were misguided, and were on the same level of filth as Jews, Dogs, Apes, and Swine.  They cursed and hated the Sahaba (r.a.), Aisha (r.a.) and basically any Muslim that wasn't a direct decendent of Muhammad (saw) and Khadija (r.a.).  I accepted most of these things without a second thought.  The Shi'a were abominable, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

However, as I have been learning more and more about Islamic history, I have had to reevaluate my judgment of Shi'a Muslims.  I read a book entitled After the After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam by Lesley Hazleton.  It took a look at the history of when Muhammad (saw) died, the fight over succession, how Ali (r.a.) eventually became Caliph/Imam and how his sons Hasan and Hussein reacted and also became leaders, albeit religious instead of political.  From the perspective of that book, Ali was always entitled to become Caliph/Imam, and it was stolen from him!  Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman were unworthy of the Caliphate.  

I also talked, today, to this Shi'a girl in my English class (I'm a Junior in high school) about Islaam, and she told me that a lot of what I had in my mind about the Shi'a were not true.  She said that Shi'a only worship Allah (swt) and not the Imams, they bow to Allah (swt) and not the shrines of the Imams, and that Aisha (r.a.) was, in her words, a [Edited Out].  Personally, I agree with the last one.  I can see how she used her status as favourite wife to her advantage, and often twisted things to get her way.  I am still confused on the first two, as well as some additional issues.  I hope it is okay if I leave a bunch of questions that I have about the Shi'a branch.

1) Ali should have been the first Caliph/Imam.  What evidence is there that there would be a total of 12 Imams and that it should pass successively in the order that Shi'as claim it did?

2) Is there any evidence of Khumms in the Qur'an or Hadith.

3) What sets of Hadith do Shi'a accept as Sahih (authentic)?

4) Is self-flaggelation an accpeted practice?  Why?  Do you beat/cut your young children in mourning of Hussein?

5) Why do Shi'a constantly curse the Sahabah that aren't ahlul bayt?  If a person is a close companion of the prophet, they should be recognized as such.

6) Aisha's purity was narrated in Suratul Azhab, after the affair of the necklace.  Why, then, do the Shi'a call her a [Edited Out]?

7) Do the Shi'a worship ahlul bayt or anyone besides Allah سبحانه وتعالى?

8) What resources do you recommend I use for further study?

There will probably be more questions to come, but this is all I can think of right now.

I hope my post finds you all in good health and strong imaan.  Forgive me if anything I have said has offended you or is innacurate.  Please point out any mistakes I have made.  I look forward to any responses I receive.  BarakAllah Feek.

Wa alaykum as-salaam.

Salam my brother it is good that you have decided to ask questions about the various versions of Islam, but it would be foolish of me to think that you do not understand the concept of Shirk, unfortunately in spite of calling themselves Muslims our Shia brothers either intentionally or out ignorance have resorted to ritualising Shirk. They have made demigods out of the descendants of the Holy Prophet PBUH. The Shia say that the Prophet had knowledge of the unseen, therefore, if we assume that the Shia are correct, than we must agree in the fact that the Holy Prophet must  have known that his true Umah would be relegated to the point where they would have to hide the true nature of their faith. Is this what was to become of the Umah of the fine Prophet? Was this Prophet so misguided that he made friends and companions with a bunch of rascals who would usurper the rights of the righteous? As the saying goes judge a man by the company he keeps. Therefore, I ask the Shia what they really think about the character of Mohammad Ibn Abdul. If we agree with the Shia than we must conclude that the Prophet of Islam failed in his mission, he could not even bring his close companions in to the folds of Islam.
Shiaism has only served the purpose of orientalist and the critics of Islam. Throughout its history Shiaism has been extremely receptive towards innovations. An example of this would the wide acceptance of the Waliat-e-Faqi i.e. the Farsi Ayatollah, he is the Shia Pope, if you will.
Most Muslims don’t understand the true nature of Shiaism and regard the Shia as fellow Muslims but Shiaism is only Islamic outwardly internally it couldn't be further apart from Islam.

Edited by joynal, 06 June 2012 - 04:05 PM.

[Pedram]

if there are any specific websites where reverts go to choose between Shias and Sunnis, i would like to know please. if anyone knows, please do let me know