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Is it true Iran' foreign policy favor Blacks and Women in US? Do they consider them both as oppressed groups? Didn't Khomeini free all the black and women hostages first?

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم ورَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ when this site was founded , i was not even born yet . growing up , the religion was not that big of a deal for me and i knew nothing about islam . later on i started seeing things and you know ٱللَّهُ يَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُ my country , iran has seen many challenges in the past decade . makes me sad to see that we are losing our identity . when i signed up for this site , i saw that people here are mostly from iraq and pakistan and ... {btw you are all my brothers and sisters in deen . love yall} but it makes me sad to see that iranians are getting more secular day by day . if there is any iranian here reading this , i am asking you for a favor hamvatan GET BACK ON TRACK what are you doing? wallah there is no comfort in this world . most of you guys are getting fooled by western influence . i know the situation is not good but DO NOT LET GO OF THE DEEN praying for yall . may i see each and everyone of you back on the track and may allah guide us all . ameen هموطن عزیزم این چند خطم فارسی مینویسم بهتر پیامم برسه دین ما خیلی بزرگتر از اینه که بخاطر خرابکاری سردمدار ها ولش کنیم به یادت بیار مجالس روضه و ختم قران هایی که تو بچگی رفتیم . به یاد بیار اون روزای خوب رو شاید دیگه تکرار نشن چون هویت خودمونو ول کردیم و بهش اهمیت نمیدیم ما شیعه علی ابن ابی طالب {ع} هستیم و این بخش مهمی از هویت ما هست امیدوارم این پیام اندکی امید و انگیزه بهت بده داداش/خواهر

Salamun 'alaykum, we hear a lot about Islamic unity, so I ask: What should unity be based upon and with whom is it possible? Allah ta'ala says: 5:2 وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلْبرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَانِ ٢ And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. ___ And: 3:104 وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ١٠٤ And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. ___ So Islamic unity should be based upon enjoying all that is good and cooperation in righteousness / piety and opposing all froms of evil, corruption and oppression. As such unity is not possible with people, who do not see any need for a change and who think that oppression and oppressors should not be opposed. What is the point of unity with a people, who argue for the oppressors or at least accept the status quo and this in clear opposition to the Book of Allah ta'ala by following the footsteps of the wrongdoers of those from the nations before us?!: 5:79 كَانُواْ لاَ يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ ٧٩ They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing. ___ Their state is similar to that of those who lack true faith and are in fact in doubt. So depending on them leads only to increase in confusion and chaos: 9:47 لَوْ خَرَجُواْ فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلاَّ خَبَالاً ولأَوْضَعُواْ خِلاَلَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِٱلظَّالِمِينَ ٤٧ Had they gone forth with you, they would not have increased you except in confusion, and they would have been active among you, seeking [to cause] you fitnah [i.e., chaos and dissension]. And among you are avid listeners to them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers. ___

@realDonaldTrump The World as a Whole Entity, will never tolerate Western Zionist Barbarism on Humanity. Israel is a crime syndicate with an army created by @UN out of Terrorism, sustained by Rape, Pillage and Genocide. Zionism is a Curse on Humanity. https://x.com/kanduvai/status/1854716985189581147

DW BREAKING — Israel's military says it is carrying out strikes against military targets in Iran The Iranian assault followed Israel's launching widespread attacks in Lebanon, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. This is a developing story. More to follow. Explosions heard in Iranian capital Iranian state TV reported that several loud explosions were heard in capital Tehran and nearby city Karaj city early on Saturday morning. There was no official comment about the source of the explosions. Israel has been planning its response to a ballistic missile barrage carried out by Iran on October 1, which was Tehran's second direct attack on Israel in six months "Some people report hearing the sound of several explosions in the west of Tehran," Tasnim news agency reported. Iranian authorities had previously warned Israel against launching an attack, saying any strike on Iran would be met with a stronger retaliation.

"Israel vs Iran Military Power Comparison 2023 covers all major defense parameters to compare Iran vs Israel Power Comparison 2023 here you can find how powerful is Israel Military Power 2023 and How powerful is Iran Military Power 2023 one can also find who is the most powerful country between Israel and Iran In this Israel vs Iran Military Comparison you can find Israeli airforce vs irani airforce irani navy vs Israeli navy israeli army vs irani land forces comparison." The above may be seen as a preliminary information. Final conclusion can not be drawn as many of the defense capabilities of Iran have been kept hidden, i assume. Any remarks from SC members will be appreciated. wasalam

New York Post Kamala Harris brands Iran — not China — America’s No. 1 adversary Story by Caitlin Doornbos • 6h • 2 min read Vice President Kamala Harris has named Iran — not China — as the top US adversary, countering the Pentagon’s long-held stance. Asked during a “60 Minutes” interview which country she considered the nation’s “greatest adversary,” the Democratic presidential nominee declared that “there’s an obvious one in mind, which is Iran.” “Iran has American blood on their hands,” she said. “This attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles — What we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power that is one of my highest priorities.” However, the vice president declined to answer when asked whether she would support deploying US troops if given evidence that Iran had developed nuclear weapons, saying she would not “talk about hypotheticals at this moment.” Bill Whitaker of “60 Minutes” asked Vice President Kamala Harris her thoughts on national security. 60 Minutes / CBS Iranian demonstrators burn a representation of the US flag in an anti-Israel gathering at Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran on Oct. 8. AP While Iran has been top of mind after launching roughly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel last week, the US for six consecutive years has held that China represents the biggest threat. That ranking is established in the annual US National Security Strategy due to Beijing’s rapidly advancing military, unfair business tactics and pressure campaigns in its strategic competition with the United States. Harris greets China’s President Xi Jinping before the APEC Leaders’ Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 19, 2022. VIA REUTERS The Trump administration was first to list China as the top threat facing the nation in its 2018 National Security Strategy. The Biden-Harris administration maintained the assessment in its own version of the document updated in 2022. The same document also lists Iran, Russia and North Korea as other US nemeses. But Harris only mentioned China when asked directly by CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker. “First of all, we must win the competition for the 21st century with China, we must be able to compete and win,” she said. “We should not seek conflict, but we have to understand that there are parameters in which we must operate that include ensuring, for example, that we protect American business interests.” Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, on Oct. 1, 2024. REUTERS Whitaker asks Vice President Kamala Harris which country is the US’ foremost adversary. 60 Minutes / CBS Whitaker then interrupted, asking whether she would support using American military force to defend Taiwan should China invade the democratically governed island. “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals, but listen, we need to make sure that we maintain a ‘One China’ policy and — but that includes supporting Taiwan’s ability to defend itself, including what we need to do to ensure the freedom of the Taiwan Strait,” she said. “We need to make sure we have open lines of communication with China, in particular, military to military, whether the issue is foreign policy, the economy, immigration, or any of the other critical decisions that will come from the Oval Office.”

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

Netanyahu addressing Iran Public. Netanyahu speaks to the Iranian people - in English and with English subtitles. He has a habit of pretending to reach out to the people of the countries he intends to bomb next. https://x.com/netanyahu/status/1840740049299583355

“Hezbollah says it fired a Noor missile at Kfar Giladi - and this missile has not been used throughout the war so far”

What is the view on this statement from The Sunni-Shia Divide | Council on Foreign Relations www.cfr.org/article/sunni-shia-divide "Many Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian converts to Islam chose to become Shia rather than Sunni in the early centuries of the religion as a protest against the ethnic Arab empires that treated non-Arabs as second-class citizens. Their religions influenced the evolution of Shia Islam as distinct from Sunni Islam in rituals and beliefs."

Letter 4 U | Ayatollah Khamenei letter for western Youths Imam Khamenei letter against Bin laden letter (a campaign for spreading truth of Shia Islam against Zionism & rogue state of Israel & wahhabism) please everyone share the letter (4U/for you) among everyone who you can for defending the truth & Palestine (Palestinians) against sheer evil the rogue state of Israel & global zionism.

News|Israel War on Gaza Several killed in Israeli strike on Iranian consulate in Damascus Commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi among seven killed, IRGC says. Video Duration 00 minutes 32 seconds00:32 Published On 1 Apr 20241 Apr 2024 | Updated: 5 hours ago Iran has promised to respond after two commanders from its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were among seven people killed in an Israeli air strike that flattened the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the elite Quds Force of the IRGC and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi were killed in the attack, the IRGC said in a statement on Monday. Reporters at the scene in Damascus’s Mezzeh district, where the consulate is located, saw smoke rising from rubble, and emergency vehicles parked outside. Iran’s Ambassador Hossein Akbari, who was not injured, said at least five people had been killed in the attack, including three military personnel. He said that Tehran’s response would be “decisive”. Members of the Syria Civil Defence stand near a damaged site after what Syrian and Iranian media described as an Israeli air strike on Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus [Firas Makdesi/Reuters] Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described the attack “as a violation of all international obligations and conventions” and blamed Israel. In a separate statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that Iran “reserves the right to carry out a reaction and will decide on the type of response and the punishment of the aggressor”. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad denounced the “terrorist attack”. “We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack that targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus killing a number of innocent people,” Mekdad said in a statement cited by Syrian state news agency SANA. Russia accused Israel of carrying out an “unacceptable” attack. “We strongly condemn this unacceptable attack against the Iranian consular mission in Syria,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. When asked about the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson told journalists: “We do not comment on reports in the foreign media.” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that the United States remained “concerned about anything that would be escalatory or cause an increase in conflict in the region”. People gather near the site of the damage to Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria [Firas Makdesi/Reuters] Since Israel launched its war on the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7 following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, Israel has ramped up air strikes in Syria against Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia and Iran’s IRGC, both of which support the government of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. The strike in Damascus comes just days after Israeli air strikes killed dozens of people in Syria’s northern province of Aleppo, amid fears that the Gaza war could lead to a broader regional escalation. Ali Vaez, director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran Project, says Israel’s alleged attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria is “akin to targeting another country on its own soil”. “Overall this seems to still be a low-simmer regional war. It’s not yet an all-out regional conflict, but it does appear that Israel is trying to do everything in its power to expand the conflict,” Vaez told Al Jazeera. “[This] puts Israel in a win-win situation because Israel knows Iran doesn’t want to get dragged into a regional war, so if it escalates its attacks against Iranian assets and personnel in Syria, it probably will be cost free, and if Iran does respond and retaliate, then it becomes a justified pretext for expanding the war.” SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES WHO work­er and Iran­ian ad­vis­er among sev­er­al killed in Syr­ia air strikes WHO Di­rec­tor-Gen­er­al Tedros Ad­hanom Ghe­breye­sus ‘heart­bro­ken’ by killing of en­gi­neer Emad She­hab. Published On 26 Mar 202426 Mar 2024 UN ob­servers wound­ed in ex­plo­sion while on pa­trol in south­ern Lebanon UN mis­sion in Lebanon says tar­get­ing of peace­keep­ers ‘un­ac­cept­able’ as Is­raeli mil­i­tary de­nies strik­ing area. Published On 30 Mar 202430 Mar 2024 More than 40 peo­ple killed in Is­raeli strikes on Syr­ia’s Alep­po: Re­ports At­tacks have es­ca­lat­ed amid con­tin­u­ing war in Gaza and clash­es with Hezbol­lah across Is­rael-Lebanon bor­der. Published On 29 Mar 202429 Mar 2024 Video Duration 00 minutes 38 seconds00:38

https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/News/middle-east/2022/09/16/Iranian-woman-beaten-by-police-for-not-wearing-hijab-dies-after-coma Utterly disgusting.

The Associated Press Follow Iran says at least 103 people killed, 141 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general Story by By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press • 4h The Associated Press Follow Iran says at least 103 people killed, 141 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general Story by By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press • 4h DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two explosions minutes apart Wednesday in Iran targeted a commemoration for a prominent general slain in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, killing at least 103 people and wounding at least 141 others as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a “terroristic" attack shortly after the blasts in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman. People take care of injured after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 73 people and wounded over 170 others, state-run media in Iran reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari)© Provided by The Associated Press Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution. The blasts struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. who died in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site in Kerman, People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 73 people and wounded over 170 others, state-run media in Iran reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari)© Provided by The Associated Press Iranian state television quoted Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for the country’s emergency services, for the casualty figure. Authorities said some people were injured while fleeing afterward. Footage suggested that the second blast occurred some 15 minutes after the first. A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel responding to the scene and inflict more casualties. Related video: Tensions in Middle East rise as Iranian-backed militants increase military activity (NBC News) NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba joins us now Video Player is loading. NBC News Tensions in Middle East rise as Iranian-backed militants increase military activity People could be heard screaming in state TV footage. Kerman’s deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, called the attack “terroristic,” without elaborating. Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)© Provided by The Associated Press Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Iran’s theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad's government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today. Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Soleimani’s popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops. A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Iran’s most recognizable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership. Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed America's 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. Soleimani's death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession. Otherwise, Kerman largely has been untouched in the recent unrest and attacks that have struck Iran. The city and province of the same name sits in Iran's central desert plateau. Varias personas son vistas después de una explosión en Kerman, Irán, el miércoles 3 de enero de 2024. (AP Foto/Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari)© Provided by The Associated Press People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 73 people and wounded over 170 others, state-run media in Iran reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari)© Provided by The Associated Press

Bloomberg Follow Israel’s Top Spy Worried Russia Could Sell Iran Advanced Weapons Story by Marissa Newman •9h (Bloomberg) -- Israel believes Russia could sell advanced weaponry to Iran, the director of the Mossad intelligence agency said, in rare public criticism of Moscow by an Israeli official. “We are concerned that the Russians will meet Iran’s demands to supply it with weapons and raw materials that will put Israel at risk,” Mossad’s David Barnea said in a speech on Sunday. Iran has been seeking sophisticated new air-defense systems from Russia, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News in March. Russia hasn’t said if it will supply the S-400s, which Israeli officials believe would hamper their ability to strike Tehran’s nuclear program. Israel has repeatedly vowed it won’t allow arch-nemesis Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and frequently threatens military action. Russia and Iran have bolstered their ties over the war in Ukraine, while Israel has issued only mild criticism of Moscow to keep its relations warm with the Kremlin on Middle East issues. In his public remarks Barnea said his agency foiled over two dozen planned attacks by Iran targeting Jewish and Israeli sites around the world this year, without providing specifics. The Mossad director threatened to strike Iranian officials and policymakers “from the bottom all the way to the top” should any attack plot linked to Iran harm Jews or Israelis. Israel’s retaliation would strike “deep inside Iran, in the heart of Tehran,” he warned.

I had been planning to go to Iran for a long time and finally made it a priority for me in 2016. Since I wanted to mix in sightseeing and pilgrimage in the same trip, I decided to go on my own instead of in a group. As it turned out, getting an individual visa for Iran when traveling from the US is a real hassle. We need to get permission from the Iran Foreign Ministry and then apply for the visa at the Iran Mission housed within the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC. After struggling for almost 3 weeks, I was able to find Taha Ziyarat Group (tahaziyarat@gmail.com) based out of Toronto that obtained the necessary approval for me for $90. Once I got my approval, I sent my passport off to the Iran Mission in Washington. I did have to follow up with them almost daily to ensure they processed my visa application expeditiously. I received my passport 4 days before flying out. While I was waiting for the visa approval, I booked my flights on Qatar Airways for a bargain price of $700 return to/from US-Tehran. For in-country arrangements, I know a maulana (NAJ) there who arranged everything for me based on my budget. Finally, the big day came and I left for Iran on Wed Mar 23rd arriving in Tehran late Thu evening (Mar 24th). NAJ had arranged for a driver to pick me up and drive straight to Qum instead of spending the night in Tehran. The drive from IKA (Imam Khomeni Airport) to Qum took about 90 minutes. The driver barely spoke English but knew where to pick me up from and where to drop me. We arrived at Qum International Hotel around 1245am (Fri Mar 25th). The hotel was about a *** US hotel, higher for Iran. Day 1 (Fri): We prayed fajr in our room and went back to bed. Since breakfast was included in our price, we went down for breakfast around 9a – nice long buffet. NAJ contacted me around 10am and picked me up from the QIH around 1030a to take me to the Roza of Masooma-e-Qum. We walked to the roza and were there at 1035a. The hotel is the closet one to the roza. NAJ showed us around the haram and provided us some background about Masooma and her roza. From 1130a – 2p, we were on our own to recite ziyarat, salah-e-jumah and dua. I wandered around the roza and made my way to the masjid adjoining the roza. It is an absolutely beautiful mosque. They had beautiful recitations of the quran and then some speeches followed by Azaan. The Jumah khutba was recited by an Ayatollah in Farsi (of course) and then namaz-e-jumah. Although I did not understand most of the khutba, one thing that was unmistakable was the ‘marg-al-Amreeka’ chants (down with America or death to America). They were loud and boisterous. Shrine of Bibi Masooma Qum (as). After salah-e-jumah, NAJ took us to the Suffrah of Masooma where were had a decent meal of rice with spinach with potatoes. We went to our hotel after lunch for some R&R and then returned to the haram for maghribain. After namaz, NAJ took us around the bazaar outside the haram. The clothing looked like they were from the 70s and 80s. Religious paraphernalia including irani chador were well stocked and affordably priced. Almost evey other shop sold halwa-suhan. Day 2 (Sat): We spent most of this day driving around to the various ziarats around Qum. Bait Al-Noor. Musallah of Masooma (as). This is where she spent time praying. Shrine of an Imamzadeh (Son of an Imam). Shrine of Hz. Hamza bin Musa Kazim (as). Day 3 (Sun): This was by far the most hectic day of the trip. We left around 5am to drive from Qum to Isfahan. It was about a 4-hour drive. I was surprised how much of the Iranian country was desert. The deserts in the Middle East countries (UAE, Saudi) have a lot of fine yellow sand. Iranian deserts are more rocky than sandy. Upon entering Isfahan, we visited the shrine of Masooma Zainab bint Imam Musa Khadim (as) – Masooma Qum’s younger sister. Next stop was the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan. We spent a few minutes here and then walked to Allama Majlisi’s tomb nearby. His house and surrounding are well preserved. Next was the more secular part of the Ishafan visit. We went to Naqsh-e-Jahan (half of the world) which is the main plaza of Isfahan. The weather was great and since the Nawroz holidays were still going on, it was packed with people. Within Naqsh-e-Jahan is the Ali Qapu Palace Panamoric View from Ali Qapu Palace Balcony of Naqsh-e-Jahan Since it was almost lunch time, we stopped by a street restaurant selling A’ash After lunch, we went to the Vank Cathedral. This Christian monastery was established in 1606. It contains some amazing art work. From here, we went to Khaju Bridge for some more sightseeing. At this point, we were too tired to do anything else so we headed back to Qum – 4 hour journey mostly spent napping. Day 4 (Mon): After a hectic day, sleep was going to be the primary thing on the agenda for this day but there was too much to do. We prayed fajr at the mosque next to Masooma-e-Qum’s shrine: Mosque adjacent to Masooma-e-Qum's shrine And then went back to our hotel for more sleep. We had breakfast and got ready for another fun-filled travel day. We started off by going from Qum to Mashad-e-Ardehal. This site contains the tomb of Sultan Ali son of Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) and brother of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as). Sultan Ali was brutally killed here by his enemies. From here we drove to a hilltop/mountaintop with streams running down. We had to walk down about 500 meters and got a great view of a waterfall. The most distinct feature of this area of the smell of rose water distilleries all over the place. You could get rose water for a variety of needs including simple hot rose water tea. The other distinct item being sold was fresh bee hives dripping with honey. And yes, we tried hot rose water tea with honey. From here, we went to the city of Kashan. Our first stop was an ancient archeological site called Tepe Sialk. The Sialk ziggurat Note: Entrance for most places have an Iranian Rate and a Foreigner rate (up to 3X in places). We had our driver buy the tickets and we would walk in with him talking to us in Farsi. Yes – very sneaky indeed. I excused myself by convincing myself that since both my wife and I are of Iranian descent, we qualify for the discount. Final stop of our day trip to Kashan was to the oldest extant garden in Iran known as the Bagh-e-Fin or Fin Garden. Although this was a less hectic day than the trip to Isfahan, we were still pretty tired so we drove back to Qum, had a 12-in falafel sandwich, prayed maghraibain at the haram and went to bed. Day 5 (Tue): The past couple of days had left us tired so we decided to take it easy. We went to the haram for fajr then went back to bed. We woke up just in time to catch breakfast and then went to the local market (wish I took pictures). From there we went for zohrain at the mosque adjacent to Masooma’s shrine. After a quick bite to eat, we left for the Koh-e-Khizr aka Mountain of Khizr. What was supposed to be a light day in terms of exercise became a very intense and steep climb to the top of Koh-e-Khizr. It was well worth it in the end because we got a great view of the entire city of Qum if not the whole province. Got more daunting as we got closer. For the record, the old gentleman in the pic IS NOT ME City/Province of Qum. Needless to say the climb down was nowhere near as arduous as the climb up. There was a small food vendor about half from the top. On our way up, we bought some water from him and then ice cream on the way down. After resting by the car for a few moments, we drove nearby to the Masjid-e-Jhamkaran, located on the outskirts of Qum. A brief history of this grand mosque is that it has long been a sacred place, at least since 373 A.H., 17th of Ramadan (22 February 984 C.E.), when according to the mosque website, one Sheikh Hassan ibn Muthlih Jamkarani is reported to have met Muhammad al-Mahdi along with the prophet Al-Khidr. Jamkarani was instructed that the land they were on was "noble" and that the owner — Hasan bin Muslim — was to cease cultivating it and finance the building of a mosque on it from the earnings he had accumulated from farming the land. As we had been told, the mosque starts getting filled up from about 5pm and gets fuller and fuller as the evening progresses. I am not sure if it was because of Nawruz season but it definitely had a very 'carnival' and festive feel to it. People had spread out their rugs all across the mosque courtyard and were reveling with family and friends. There was hot tea brewing and koobideh with naan being shared by one and all. Quran and then different duas were being recited, followed by maghribain and then more duas. We left around 830p to go back to our hotel. Mosque sparely populated around 4pm. Crowded!!! (730pm). Day 6 (Wed): Today was the big day when we would finally make our way to Mashad. We had packed the previous night so we left right after fajr – and yes, I skipped breakfast!!! First stop was First stop was an almost 2 hour drive to Ayatollah Khomenei’s mausoleum. It is located to the south of Tehran in the Behesht-e Zahra (the Paradise of Zahra) cemetery. Construction commenced in 1989 following Khomeini's death on June 3 of that year. It is still under construction, but when completed will be the centerpiece in a complex spread over 5,000 acres, housing a cultural and tourist center, a university for Islamic studies, a seminary, a shopping mall, and a 20,000-car parking lot. The Iranian government has reportedly devoted US$2 billion to this development. It is definitely one of the largest and most beautiful mausoleums I have come across. Visitors reciting fatiha for Ayatollah Khomenei. Please recite surah fatiha for Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini. Next stop was the Astana Bibi Shehr Bano. On the ground level there is a cave which according to legends was the place where Zuljinah brought Bibi from Kerbala, and she was there until hostile people to Bani Hashim got news of her being there, and they tried to catch her. She climbed the hillock and then vanished in a mountainous wall. Now a zarih has been constructed together with prayer rooms for men and women. Zarih of Hz. Shehr Bano. View of other side of Tehran. who was a fifth generation descendant of Hasan ibn ‘Alī and a companion of Muhammad al-Taqī. A piece of paper was found in his pocket outlining his ancestry as being: ‘Abdul ‘Adhīm son of ‘Abdillāh son of ‘Alī son of Husayn son of Zayd son of Hasan ibn ‘Alī.Shah Abdul AzeemNext stop was the Shrine of Adjacent to the shrine, within the complex, include the mausolea of Imamzadeh Tahir (son of the fourth shia Imam Sajjad) and Imamzadeh Hamzeh (brother of the eighth Twelver Imām - Imām Reza). From here, we drove around the City of Tehran including the famed part known as Rey. I am fairly well traveled but I have to say that Tehran is one of the most picturesque cities I have visited. Situated in close proximity of the Alborz range and its majestic peak Mount Damavand , being the highest in Iran with a height of 18,550 feet ,it is a mega city of about Thirty Million People. You can see hundreds of buildings at the foot of the mountain. Not a bad view to wake up to every morning. After driving around for a couple of hours, our driver dropped us of at Tehran’s Mehrabad Intl Airport which is primarily used for domestic travel. The airport is in the heart of Tehran or at least within the city. The airport has a small cafeteria that serves hot meals of the local variety. They also have a coffee shop and ice cream parlor. After a 2-hour wait, we finally boarded our short (1-hr) flight to Mashad. The flight was as uneventful as all flights can be. I did enjoy a small boxed-meal they offered everyone despite the short flight. It made up for the breakfast that morning J. Naj had arranged a friend of his (Ali) to be our tour guide for the stay in Mashad. Since Ali’s English was a little weak, he brought along his sister (Afsanay) who was quite fluent in English. We checked into our Hotel (Hotel Omid). It is definitely one of the nicer hotels in Mashad. View of shrine from our hotel room balcony. We quickly refreshed and headed over to the Shrine of Imam Reza (as). Much to our pleasant surprise, the shrine was not as packed with zawar as we expected. It could have been the weather or Nawruz. About to enter the main hallway of the Shrine for the first time. Goose bumps. As salaam alai ka Ya Ghareeb Al Ghuraba (as) One of the many courtyards within the Shrine Complex of Imam Ali Reza (as). Day 7 (Thu): Although our intention was to go to the haram in Imam Al-Reza (as) for fajr, it was raining too hard with heavy winds to walk so we prayed in our rooms and went back to sleep. We woke up to this view: After a world class buffet breakfast, we met up with Ali and Afsanay to go to Nishapour. Once again, it was a very scenic drive. The mountain-desert country just has a certain serenity about it. On the way, we saw small villages celebrating nawroz in their own way. Our first stop was at the Qadamgah – where the footprints of the Holy Imam Al-Reza (as) can be found. Adjacent to it is a small stream said to bring benefits of all kinds to the zawar. Panoramic view of the building housing the footprint. Just before entering the area of the qadamgah is a small caravansary which use to house people back in the day. There were probably abour 20-25 room like the one shown above. Very basic room with a hearth in the middle. The rooms were considered high end. Outside the caravansary, there was just the open shelter (pretend there is no room just the outer part). Next stop was to the mausoleum of Bibi Shatitay. The legend goes that Imam himself came there and led the Namaz-e-janaza prayers for her. We made a brief stop at the historic Shah Abbas Inn/Caravansary which has been converted into several small shops selling jewelry or souvenirs. Nishapur is famous for its turquoise stone (firoza). Next stop was the shrines of Imamzade Mahruq bin Muhammad Al-Baqir bin Sajjad (as) and Ebrahim bin Ahmad bin Moosa bin Jafar (as). A short walk from here was the tomb of Omar Al-Khayam – one of the most influential thinkers of the Middle Ages. He wrote numerous treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy and astronomy. A short drive from here was the mausoleum of Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr Ibrahim aka Attar Nishapuri - a Persian Muslim poet, theoretician of Sufism, and hagiographer from Nishapur who had an immense and lasting influence on Persian poetry and Sufism. If memory serves me right, next to Attar’s tomb was an archeological site from thousands of years ago. It was going through extensive renovations at the time. Our last stop was a very famous local restaurant called Emirat Restaurant. Undoubtedly the best lamb koobideh I have ever had!!! My wife and I had some very interesting conversations with Ali and Afsanay. They were both fascinated by our lives in America. They had no qualms about asking me my salary; the size and cost of our house; they were surprised if not shocked that it was okay for my wife to go grocery shopping by herself and it was perfectly safe. They were under the impression that any woman who stepped out of her house by herself was 'asking for it'. I thought it was hilarious. Now that I think about it, everything the Western media does to paint Muslims in a certain light happens in Iran too but backwards. The Western media takes 1 bad Muslim story and tries to apply it to all Muslims. The Iranian media takes a bad Western story and applies it to all Westerners. This was just my observation and nothing more. We had some other interesting conversations but those are for another day and another time. We drove back to Mashad and spent the evening the haram of Imam Al-Reza (as). Day 8 (Fri): We prayed fajr at the haram and went back to bed; then woke up to this beautiful view. Beautiful view of Roza of Ima Ali Reza (as). Since it was Friday, we stayed in our room until 11a or so and then headed to the haram again. Good thing we went early because it was fuller than we had seen since we got there. So I got a good spot in the mosque adjacent to the haram. I heard the Friday sermon (understood bits and pieces) and the “Death to American” chants, then prayed juma followed by Asr. Mosque adjacent to Imam Ali Reza's (as) shrine. Next was one of the most essential parts of the trip. One may not get this opportunity all the time. We had to take our passport to the office of Pilgrims situated in the Haram of Imam Ridha’s (as). They marked our passport and gives us a ticket for the meal. At the restaurant, they feed almost 4000 Zuwar each day. Thousands of Iranians must wait for years before they get a chance to have a meal at this restaurant. Lunch at Imam's restaurant (dastakhawan) Following lunch, Ali and Afsanay picked us up for some sightseeing. We drove around Mashad, saw her university and then went to ziarat nearby Ziarat near Mashad Iranian country side. Notice the marked difference in scenery from the previous pictures. On our way back, we stopped at an ice cream parlor for some traditional Persian ice cream. The last stop was a nearby pewter mountain. I was amazed to see people climbing it without any concern for safety. It was rainy and slick. Mrs ShiaMan14 bought a very nice souvenir. We came back, rested for a bit and then went to the haram for salah. Day 9 (Sat): This was the day to head back to Tehran. We spent the entire night at the haram until fajr. Then came back to get some rest. We got up after a couple of hours, had some breakfast and packed. We took all our luggage downstairs and went back to the haram for zuhrain. We also did the farewell ziarat, rushed back to the hotel since Ali was waiting for us. We got to the Mashad International Airport around 245pm for a 530p flight - plenty of time. Just as Ali left us, NAJ gave me a call informing me that my flight had been cancelled so he booked me on the last flight to Tehran (happened to be the cheapest option). This is when panic set in. If the last flight got cancelled, I would miss my flight from IKA to Doha and the subsequent flight to US. I could see on the monitors that there were several flights from the time now until my new flight time although all of them were on a different airline than mine. I called NAJ to ask if my ticket could be changed and he said it would not be possible. So I saw the flight I wanted about 1.5 hours later and went to their sales office. First, they couldnt understand why I wanted another ticket when I already had one. My farsi and their english were too awful to understand each other but nevertheless they allowed me to buy 2 tickets. Next problem - I did not have any Iranian Rials on me and the INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT did not have a Money Exchange! So I had to call Ali back to see if he had any rials that he could give me in exchange for dollars. By this time, he was about 20 minutes away so we had to wait for him to come back. In the meanwhile, the Sales Agent agreed to take my dollars at a fairly decent exchange rate. Basically, I bought 2 one-way tickets from Mashad to Tehran for about $100. Just as we finalized the transaction, Ali came back and I had to explain the whole thing to him as well. He, too, was confused as to why I would buy another ticket when I already had one. Anyway, we finally put all that behind us, checked-in and were on our way to Tehran. After an uneventful journey to Tehran, we drove all the way to Qum to sepnt about 3-4 hours in Qum at NAJ's house. We freshened up, ate a really nice meal and got ready to leave. Day 10 (Fri): We left Naj's house around 1am and reached IKA by 215am. Since this was the last or day after Nawruz holidays, the airport was jam packed. It took an hour to check-in, the security lines were considerably shorter so in another 15 minutes, we were at our gate. Boarding started just around fajr, so we prayed quickly and boarded our Qatar Airways flight to Doha. I was a bit nervous about returning to the US from Iran but had no problems whatsoever. A very placid end to a very hectic but thoroughly enjoyable trip. Summary: Iranians are a very joyous and happy people. There was no patch of grass where we didn't see a family setting up a picnic be it as a roadside or a courtyard of a shrine. I really wish relations between Iran and the West improves so the people can really experience the rich, colorful and impressive history, geography and culture Iran has to offer. Our entire 10 day trip cost about $1,600/pp. It was money well spent.

Is the film "Hussein, Who Said No" available on DVD outside of Iran? Is there a way to get a copy, cut or uncut? I live in the US and really would like to see this film.

Is a US or Isreali Airstrike or attack on Iran imminent? Will there be a major conflict in the middle east? WIll it incite War in the Region? What do you all think?

Saudi Crown pricne said: Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview broadcast on Tuesday that his country could crush Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen where a Saudi-led military coalition is fighting to restore the government of president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi. Asked if Saudi Arabia was ready to open a direct dialogue with Tehran, Prince Mohammed said it was impossible to talk with a power that was planning for the return of the Imam Mahdi. Shiites believe Imam Mahdi was a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed who went into hiding 1,000 years ago and will return to establish global Islamic rule before the end of the world. "How do you have a dialogue with this (Iran)?" Prince Mohammed said. "Its (Iran’s) logic is that the Imam Mahdi will come and they must prepare the fertile environment for the arrival of the awaited Mahdi and they must control the Muslim world." Under Iran’s constitution, in place since the 1979 revolution, the country’s supreme leader is the earthly representative of the Imam until his return. http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/saudi-arabias-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-rules-out-dialogue-with-iran Trump to visit Saudi capital Riyadh to meet 50 countries alliance. The summit agenda is expected to focus on combating Islamist militants and the growing regional influence of Iran. Mr Trump has been a fierce critic of the Iran deal which eased sanctions in return for a curb on its nuclear activities. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39979189 so modern day Saqifa is in process to deny the Chosen representative Mahdi and his supporters and those awaiting for him.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, government and religious leaders meet with Min. Farrakhan (finalcall.com)

Description: When and how was Shia sect founded? And how can we say that more than one billion Muslims are wrong and Shia that is in minority is right? Response: Dear friend, in Quran logic, majority is never the criteria of rightfulness, as god almighty has mentioned to this point in Quran, god says in Quran fifteen times: “أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ” Most of them do not know. Chapters: AL-ANAAM / 37 /// AL-ARAF/ 13 /// AL-ANFAL / 34 /// YUNUS / 55,… Or this verse: “أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ” Most of them do not understand. Chapters: AL-ANKABOOT / 63 and AL-HUJRAAT, 55 On the other hand if you take a look around, you’ll see that most of the people around the world are “Christian”. According to studies done by experts and global statisticians in 2005, 33% of people around the world ore “Christian” while Muslims have the second place by 21%. So, if we say that majority is the criteria of rightfulness, so you should become “Christian”, because in your opinion, is that possible 33% of people are wrong and 21% of people of the world are right? Source: Wikipedia If you’re fair, you’ll find out that you’re wrong. As for this matter that why the population of Sunni is more than Shias, it requires independent conversation and it has different reasons either, at this time it’s irrelevant to our discussion, but we’ll talk about it later if it’s necessary. But about this saying of yours that Shia sect was founded in “Safvid dynasty”, we take it for granted that you’re not aware of history and issues written in your own books {Sunni books}, to resolve any ambiguity, pay attention to following issues: قال تعالي ( إن الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك هم خير البرية ) . لما نزلت هذه الآية قال الرسول لعلي يا علي ( ع ) هم أنت و شيعتك . When this verse: “But those who believe and do good deeds are the best of all creatures” was sent down, Prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said to commander of the faithful Ali [AS]: the meaning of this verse is you and your Shias. Sura AL-BAYYINA, verse 7 “ibn Hajar al-Haytam”, Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, p 96 /// “Al-Hakim Haskani”, Shawahid al-Tanzil, v 2, p 356 // “Al-Khwarizmi”, Al-Manaqib, p 62 and 187 // Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, v 6, p 379 // “Tafsir al-Tabari”, v 3, p 146 /// “Al-Shukani”, Fath al-Qadir, v 5, p 477 // “Al-Juwayni”- Fara’id al-Simtayn- v 1, p 156 and …. “... أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب قال قال رسول الله ( صلي الله عليه وسلم ) يا علي إذا كان يوم القيامة يخرج قوم من قبورهم لباسهم النور علي نجائب من نور أزمتها يواقيت حمر تزفهم الملائكة إلي المحشر فقال علي تبارك الله ما أكرم هؤلاء علي الله قال رسول الله ( صلي الله عليه وسلم ) يا علي هم أهل ولايتك وشيعتك ومحبوك يحبونك بحبي ويحبوني بحب الله هم الفائزون يوم القيامة” Commander of the faithful Ali [AS] said: prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] told me: O “Ali” when day of resurrection comes up, some will come out of their graves that their clothing is made of light and are riding camels made by light and those camels’ tether is made of ruby, and angels will see them off to resurrection, then prophet said: they are those who have accepted your guardianship and Imamate, they’re your Shias, they like you because they like me and they like me because they like god, they get to salvation on the day of resurrection. “Ibn Asakir”- The History of Damascus, v42, p 332 روي ابن عساكر بإسناده عن جابر بن عبد اللّه، قال: كنّا عند النبي صلي اللّه عليه وسلّم، فأقبل علي بن أبي طالب، فقال رسول اللّه: «قد أتاكم أخي، ثمّ التفت الي الكعبة فضربها بيده. ثمّ قال: والذي نفسي بيده، إنّ هذا وشيعته لهم الفائزون يوم القيامة. ثمّ قال: إنّه أوّلكم إيماناً معي، وأوفاكم بعهد اللّه، وأقومكم بأمر اللّه، وأعدلكم في الرعيّة، وأقسمكم بالسويّة، وأعظمكم عند اللّه مزية». قال: وفي ذلك الوقت نزلت فيه: (إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّلِحَتِ أُولَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ). البيّنة:7/98. كان أصحاب محمد صلي اللّه عليه وسلّم إذا أقبل علي قالوا: قد جاء خير البرية. “Ibn Asakir” quotes from “Jabir bin Ansari” who said: I was with prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] that “Ali” [AS] came to us, then messenger of god [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said: your brother came, Then he turned towards “Ka’aba” and knocked it and said: swear by god that my life is in his hands, indeed, this man and his Shias get to solvation on the day of resurrection. Then prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said: “Ali” is the first guy who believed in me, amongst you, he’s the most loyal one to divine promise and is the most steadfast one in divine orders and the most righteous one in dealing with subordinates and the fairest one and is better than all of you with god. “Jabir” said: then this verse “But those who believe and do good deeds are the best of all creatures”, was sent down about Hadrat “Ali” [AS], and whenever “Ali” [AS] would come, prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] would say: the best creature of god has come. “Ibn Asakir”, The History of Damascus- v 42- p 371 وعن ابن عباس ( رض ) قال : لما نزلت هذه الآية : ان الذين امنوا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك هم خير البرية قال : لعلي هو أنت وشيعتك تأتي يوم القيامة أنت وشيعتك راضين مرضيين ويأتي عدوك غضبانا مقحمين ... “Ibn Abbas” says: when this verse “But those who believe and do good deeds are the best of all creatures” was sent down, messenger of god [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said to “Ali” [AS]: the meaning of this verse is you and your Shias, on the day of resurrection, you and your Shias will come while you’re pleased of god and god is pleased of you and your enemy will come while he’s angry and perished… “Zarandi al-Hanafi”- Nazm durari al-Simtayn- p 92 ... عن الشعبي عن علي قال : قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم : " أنت وشيعتك في الجنة " “Shu’bi” quotes from commander of the faithful [AS] that prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said: {O Ali}, you and your Shias will go to paradise on the day of resurrection. “History of Baghdad”- v 12, p 284 “أن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم قال لعلي أنت وشيعتك تردون علي الحوض رواة مرويين بيضة وجوهكم وان عدوك يردون علي الحوض ظمأ مقمحين” Messenger of god [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] said: O “Ali”! {On the day of resurrection} you and your Shias will come to me next to “Al Kawthar” {name of a river, its pool and springs} while you’re watered and your faces are bright and your enemy will come to me next to “Al-Kawthar” while he’s thirsty and perished. “Al-Tabarani”- al-Mu’jam al-Kabir- v 1, p 319, Hadith No. 948 There are about forty narratives with such contents in Sunni resources. Names of some of companions of prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] who were Shia: “Al-Dhahabi” says about “Hujr bin ‘Adi bin Jabala bin ‘Adi”: “وهو حجر الخير ... أبو عبد الرحمن الشهيد . له صحبة ووفادة ... وكان شريفا ، أميرا مطاعا ، أمارا بالمعروف ، مقدما علي الانكار ، من شيعة علي رضي الله عنهما” He’s “Hujr bin ‘Adi”, his nickname is “Abu abd ar-Rahman” who was martyred. He’s amongst the companions of Prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] and he was honorable man and obedient ruler and would order to the good a lot and he was always pioneer in forbidding from the evil and he’s amongst the Shias of “Ali” [AS]. “Al-Dhahabi”- Siyar al’A’lam al-Nubala- v 3, p 463 “Al-Dhahabi” writes about “Wahab al-Hamdani al-Khaywani al-Kufi”: “من كبراء شيعة علي ... أسلم في حياة النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم” He was amongst great Shias of “Ali” [AS]… he became Muslim during prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)]’s life. “Al-Dhahabi”- Siyar al-A’lam al-Nubala- v 3, p 180 “Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr” says about “abu al-Tufail al-Sahabi”: أبو الطفيل عامر بن واثلة الكناني .. وقد ذكره ابن أبي خيثمة في شعراء الصحابة... وكان متشيّعاً في علي. “Abu Tufail” …. “Ibn abi Khithamah” has said his names amongst poet companions and he was amongst Shias of “Ali” [AS]. “Al-Isti’ab”- Ibn Abd al-Barr, v 4, p 1696 “Ibn abi al-Hadid” says: “وكان سلمان من شيعة علي ( عليه السلام ) وخاصته” “Salman” was amongst Shias of “Ali” [AS] and his particular companions. “Ibn abu al-Hadid”- comments on the Peak of Eloquence- v 18, p 39 “Mas’udi Shafi’i” says: “أن الإمام عليا أقام ومن معه من شيعته في منزله بعد أن تمت البيعة لأبي بكر” After people swore allegiance with “Abu-Bakr”, Imam “Ali” [AS] and his Shias sat-in in Ali [AS]’s house. “Al-Mas’udi”- Ithbat al-Wasiyyah “Taqi al-Din Sabki” writes in the book “Al-Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyah” that “Mas’udi Sahafi’i” is one of the Shafi’i-faith scholars. “Al-Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyah”- v 3, p 456-457 “Subhi Saleh” says: “كان بين الصحابة حتي في عهد النبي ( صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم ) شيعة لربيبه علي ، منهم : أبو ذر الغفاري ، والمقداد بن الأسود ، وجابر بن عبد الله ، وأبي بن كعب ، وأبو الطفيل عمر بن وائلة ، والعباس بن عبد المطلب وجميع بنيه ، وعمار بن ياسر ، وأبو أيوب الأنصاري” even during prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)]’s life, some of companions of prophet were Shias of Ali -trained by prophet- such as: “Abu Dhar Ghifari”, “Meqdad bin Aswad”, “Jabir bin Abdullah, “Ubay bin Ka’b”, “Abu Tufail ‘Amir bin Wathilah”, “Abbas bin abd al-Mattalib”, “Ammar bin Yasir” and “Abu Ayyub al-Ansari”. “Al-Nazm al-Islamiyyah”- p 96 “Muhammad Kurd Ali” writes: عرف جماعة من كبار الصحابة بموالاة علي في عصر رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم ، مثل سلمان الفارسي ، القائل : بايعنا رسول الله علي النصح للمسلمين ، والائتمام بعلي بن أبي طالب ، والموالاة له ، ومثل أبي سعيد الخدري ... ومثل أبي ذر الغفاري وعمار بن ياسر ، وحذيفة بن اليمان وذي الشهادتين ، وأبي أيوب الأنصاري ، وخالد بن سعيد ، وقيس بن سعد . At the time prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)], many of companions would be known as the friends and followers of “Ali” [AS], such as “Salman” who said: we swore allegiance with prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] to do good deeds to Muslims and accept the Imamate and guardianship of “Ali” and like him. Other guys such as: “Abi Sai’id Khederi”… and “Abu Dhar Ghaffari”, “Ammar ibn Yasir”, “Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman”, “Abi Ayyub Ansari”, “Khālid ibn Sa`īd” and “Qais ibn Sa’d” were amongst those companions as well. “Khitat al-Sham”, v 5, p 251 – 256 “Ibn Hazm” says: “وروينا عن نحو عشرين من الصحابة أن أكرم الناس علي رسول الله ( صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم ) علي بن أبي طالب” We have narrative from about twenty of companions of prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] that “Ali bin Abi Talib” was the most respectable person with prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)]. “Al-Fasl fi al-Melal wa aI-Ahwa’ wa al-Nihal- v 3, p 32 The foundation of Shia in Sunni scholars’ quotation “Ibn Khaldun” says about the beginning of the appearance of Shia: “مبدأ دولة الشيعة: اعلم أنّ مبدء هذه الدولة، أنّ أهل البيت لمّا توفي رسول اللّه صلي اللّه عليه وسلّم كانوا يرون أنّهم أحق بالأمر وأنّ الخلافة لرجالهم دون سواهم من قريش. وفي قصّة الشوري أنّ جماعة من الصحابة كانوا يتشيعون لعلي ويرون استحقاقه علي غيره ولمّا عدل به إلي سواه تأففوا منه وأسفوا له مثل الزبير ومعه عمار بن ياسر والمقداد بن الأسود وغيرهم” “Ibn Khaldun” says about the beginning of the appearance of Shia: Know that the beginning of founding Shia is that when prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] passed away, “Ahl al-Bayt” [AS] would say that caliphate is our inalienable right and believed that men of “Bani Hashim” deserve caliphate and other men of “Quraysh” tribe have no right in caliphate. In the matter of “council” -in which Abu-Bakr was selected as caliph- some of companions were considered as Shias of “Ali” [AS] and they believed that no one deserves to be caliph other than “Ali bin abi Talib” [AS] and when another guy became caliph they express hatred, such as: “Zubayr”, “Ammar bin Yasir”, “Meqdad bin Aswad” and others. The history of Ibn Khaldun”- v 3, p 171 Master “Muhammad ibn Abd Allah Anan” says: “من الخطأ أن يقال : إن الشيعة ظهرت ولأول مرة عند انشقاق الخوارج . بل كان بدء الشيعة وظهورهم في عصر الرسول ( صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم ) حين أمره الله بإنذار عشيرته في الآية 214 من الشعراء : (وأنذر عشيرتك الأقربين) ولبي النبي فجمع عشيرته في بيته وقال لهم مشيرا إلي علي : هذا أخي ووصيي وخليفتي فيكم فاسمعوا له وأطيعوا” It’s wrong if someone says Shia was first founded at the time of “Khawarij” sedition, but the beginning of appearing Shia was during prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)]’s life, the beginning of prophetic mission, it means the same time that god said to his prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)]: “Warn your tribe and your near kinsmen”, then prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] gathered his relatives in his home and pointed out to “Ali” and said: this person is my brother, ad my successor amongst you after me, so listen to him and obey him. “Abd Allah Ni’ma”- The Sprite of Tashayyu’ – p 20 “Abu Hatam Razi Sahl ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman Sajistani” says: “الشيعة لقب لقوم كانوا قد ألفوا أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب - صلوات الله عليه - في حياة رسول الله - صلي الله عليه وسلم - وعرفوا به ، مثل سلمان الفارسي ، وأبي ذر الغفاري ، والمقداد بن الأسود ، وعمار بن ياسر ، وكان يقال لهم شيعة علي ، وأصحاب علي” Shia was the title of those who were the friends of commander of the faithful at the time of prophet [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] and would be known as those who like “Ali” [AS], guys such as: “Salamn Farsi”, “Abu Dhar Ghaffari”, “Meqdad ibn Aswad”, “Amamr ibn Yasir”, and they were called Shia of “Ali” and companions of “Ali”. “Muhammad bin Sajestani”- the book of al-Zinat, p 65 /// “Saleh al-Wardani al-Mustabsar”- Shia in Egypt, p 10 “وكان عامّة المهاجرين وجلّ الأنصار لا يشكّون أنّ عليّاً هو صاحب الأمر بعد رسول اللّه” Most of “Muhajirin” {those who emigrated with Prophet Muhammad [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)] from Mecca to Medina, the event known in Islam as The Hijra} and “Ansar” had no doubt that after messenger of god [(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)], “Ali” [AS] is the caliph. “The History of Ya’qubi”- v 2, p 103

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