Question:

Answer:

When speaking to a person of the Shia sect one should keep the discussion simple, because Islam is simple. There are so many points that can be cited to show the falseness of this sect and that it was a deviation from real Islam that occured after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, there is one point if you argue it properly, a sincere Shiah follower will be able to see the deviation and the false basis of this sect. And that point is that the central belief in Shiah Belief, namely, that there are twelve infallible Imams who alone have the right to rule the Muslims. Thus the first three Khalifs of Islam (Abu Bakr r.a., Umar r.a. and Uthman r.a.) were all (Maadhallah) apostates who by ruling without right, that is they usurped the right of the first of the twelve Imams, namely Ali r.a., they left the fold of Islam.

As wild and contrary to the historical facts as this belif of theirs is, they actually do believe it. They also belief after Ali r.a. only his off-spring could be Imams and there would be eleven more after the last one, the World would end. These Imams include Imams Hasan r.a. Hussain r.a., Imams Jafar Sadiq, Imam Baqir etc, whom even we Sunnis believe were pious and great men. However, we also believe that they themselves never held the belief the Shiahs hold about them and many lies have been falsely ascribed to these great men. In any case, as great as the belief of the twelve Imams is for the Shiah and as pivotal as it is in their theology, it cannot be supported by a single verse of the Holy Qur'an. No where in the Holy Qur'an does it mention that Muslims must believe in twelve Imams or that they even exist.

Any sincere Shiah follower, who truly fears Allah taala, will admit that this discrepency is so huge, the only explanation for it is to say that people of devious intentions, concocted this belief much later. Your question to your friend should be how can you accept that Shiaism is on the truth when one of its most central beliefs does not even exist in the Holy Qur'an? If it does prove it by quoting a single verse? A true believer, who loves the Holy Qur'an and knows the rank of this book and that it is divine and free from any defects or doubt, as Allah taala says Himself in the beginning verses of Sura Al-Baqara: "This is the Book in which there is no doubt...," will immediatly reject Shiaism and its heretical beliefs, otherwise it would mean he/she has made the Holy Qur'an and its clear verses subordinate to their own desires and that is something no sincere believer in Allah taala and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) could ever do. Finally, once you have presented your argument to your friend, in a friendly and compassionate way, leave her to choose, but do not get involved in a debate on other topics, as Shiah followers try to create confusion and a smoke screen, by turning the discussion to other issues which you may not know the full background of.

Mufti Mohammed Sajjad

Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab

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The answer to this question is the opinion of the scholar and does not reflect the opinion of other scholars of As-Suffa Institute and As-Suffa Institute as an organisation.