Download Shi`ite Muslims

Shi’ite Muslims
July 5, 2013 version
In our previous paper we discussed Islam from a
Sunni perspective; now we will look at a Shi’ite
perspective. Our point is not to say that Shi’ites are
more right, or that Sunnis are more right; we believe
everyone in both groups need to repent of following
deception, and come to Jesus to escape going to Hell.
But our purpose here is to give an understanding of
Shi’ite Islam, and show how both Sunnis are Shi’ites
err in being waqifa, that is “hesitators” concerning
Jesus’ death on the cross.
Here is a quiz for you: what do these battle cries and
slogans mean?
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Of course it would be hard to understand Americans,
or even study the American Revolution, without
understanding what that meant.
“Remember the Alamo” It would be hard to
understand the history of Texas, without
understanding why that was said.
“Karbala is everywhere; every month is Muharram;
every day is Ashura” (Shi’a Islam : From Religion to
Revolution. p.136
This was a slogan in Iran at the time of Khomeini.
What in the world does that mean? Today we are
going to talk about Shi’ite Islam, and by the end we
will understand the deep emotion behind that
statement. The word “Shi’ite” means a follower of
‘Ali as the rightful caliph after Mohammed. To
understand Shi’ite Islam, you have to know something
of the turbulent times of the succession of
Mohammed.
‘Ali - On Fire for Allah
‘Ali should have been the first caliph according to
Shi’ites. However, he was passed over by Abu Bakr,
‘Umar, and ‘Uthman, only finally becoming caliph in
when he was in his mid-50’s in 656 A.D. He fought
many battles, including the Khawarij (Kharijites) at
Nahrawan, and defeated a revolt by ‘Aisha, Talha, alZubair, and the Basrans at the Battle of al-Jamal (the
Camel). He was only caliph for a few years when
Mu’awiya in Damascus claimed he was the rightful
caliph. They fought at the Battle of Siffin in (July 657
A.D.) (about 25 years after Mohammed died). Even
though Mu’awiya allegedly encouraged defectors with
promises of money, ‘Ali’s forces were winning.
Mu’awiya’s troops had to do something, so they stuck
pages of the Qur’an on the ends of their spears saying
that Muslims should not fight other Muslims. That
stopped the battle.
‘Ali bin Abi/Abu Talib was born c.600 - became
caliph 656 A.D. and assassinated 661 A.D.. When ‘Ali
became caliph, he crushed a revolt at the Battle of the
Camel, killing the generals Talha and Zobair, and
captured A’isha. Kufa was his capital.
‘Ali, only son-in-law of Mohammed, was stabbed by
a Kharijite Muslim, named ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ibn
Muljam with a poisoned weapon in Jan. 27, 661 A.D.,
40 years after Hegira. ‘Ali died two days later.
“‘Ali said God is one; He was alone in His
singleness and so He spoke one word and it because a
light and He created from that light Mohammed and
He created me and my descendants (i.e. the other
Imams) then He spoke another word and it became a
Spirit and He caused it to settle upon that light and He
caused it to settle on our bodies. And so we are the
Spirit of God and His word… and this was before the
creation of the world… and this was before He created
the Creation.” (An Introduction to Sh’i Islam p.148149.
Bukhari vol.9 book 84 ch.2 no.57 p.45: Narrated
‘Ikrima: Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to
‘Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event,
reached Ibn ‘Abbas who said, “If I had been in his
place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah’s Apostle
forbade it, saying, ‘Do not punish anybody with
Allah’s punishment ( fire ).’ I would have killed them
according to the statement of Allah’s Apostle,
‘Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill
him.’”
Distinctive Shi’ite Beliefs
Like the Sunni’s, Shi’ites follow their own
traditions, but above their tradition are the imams, the
successors of the prophet. They claim the Sunnis have
only passed down accounts, with the Shi’ites have
eyewitnesses. They claim they have 14 “infallible
ones”, the 12 imams, Mohammed, and Fatema. Here
are some of their other beliefs.
* Temporary Marriage is for today too.
* Dissimultude (taqiyya) based on their interpretation
of Sura 3:27
* Most Shi’ites believe the Mahdi will return and
restore things as they should be. Some (but not all)
Sunnis view this as a denial of Mohammed as a
final prophet and thus consider all Shi’ites
“Ghulat”. However, there are two problems with
this view of some Sunnis.
1) A Shi’ite saying Allah will have someone
miraculously return does not necessarily make
the returnee a prophet. Though they have a lot to
say about the Mahdi, Shi’ites in fact DO believe
Mohammed is the final prophet.
2) Nothing in the Qur’an says that Mohammed is
the final prophet, as An Introduction to Shi’i
Islam p.67 mentions. It is only the Sunni hadiths
that say Mohammed is the final prophet.
* The Muslim world was wrong when ‘Ali was
unjustly denied the Caliphate and assassinated.
* Ithna’ashariyya and Isma’ilis have the same
succession through the 6th Imam, Ja’far (d.765
A.D.)
* For Ithna’ashariyya, they have a holy city of Qom in
Iran, where Fatima, the infallible sister of the 8th
imam died in 816/817 A.D.
Anti-Shi’ite Hadiths
‘Ali not the Mohammed’s direct successor: “The
prophet said, ‘But I should say, ‘O my head!’ I feel
like calling Abu Bakr and his son and appoint (the
former as my successor) lest people should say
something or wish for something. Allah will insist (on
Abu Bakr becoming a caliph) and the believers will
prevent (anyone else from claiming the Caliphate)’…”
Bukhari vol.9 book 89 ch.51 no.334 p.246-247.
Shi’ite have their own hadiths, though the role of
hadiths to Shi’ites is not as prominent as in Sunni
Islam. The main Shi’ite hadith are by:
al-Kulaini (died 328/329 A.H.)
Ibn Babuwayh (died 381 A.H.)
Ja’far Muhammad al-Tusi (died 411 A.H.)
al-Murtada (died 436 A.H.), who compiled sayings
attributed to Ali
Evidence from Hadiths and Writings that
‘Ali WAS the rightful Successor
Here is evidence, provided by a Muslim
(presumably a Shi’ite), that the vice-regent and
successor of Mohammed was supposed to be ‘Ali, not
Abu Bakr or ‘Umar.
(1) Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad and Mir
Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi’i in Mawaddati’l-Qurba
towards the end of the fourth Mawadda, have recorded
that the Holy Prophet said,
(1) “O Ali! You shall discharge responsibilities on my
behalf, and you are my Vicegerent over my
following.”
(2) Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad, Ibn
Maghazili Faqih Shafi’i in Manaqib and Tha’labi in
his Tafsir (commentary) have reported that the Holy
Prophet said to Ali: “O Ali! You are my brother,
successor, vicegerent, and the payer of my debt.”
(3) Abu Qasim Husain Bin Muhammad (Raghib
Ispahani) in Mahadhiratu’l-Udaba wa Muhawaratu’shShu’ara wa’l-Balagha (printed in Amira-e-Shazafiyya,
Seyyed Husain Afandi, 1326 A.H.), part II, page 213,
quotes from Ibn Malik that the Prophet said: “Verily,
my friend, helper, Vicegerent, and the choicest of men
whom I am leaving behind, who will pay my debt and
fulfill my promise, is Ali Bin Abu Talib.”
(4) Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu’l-Qurba,
at the beginning of the sixth Mawadda, narrates from
the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab, that when the
Prophet established the relationship of brotherhood
among the companions, he said: “This Ali is my
brother in this world and in the Hereafter; he is my
successor from among my kin and my Vicegerent
among my umma; he is the heir of my knowledge and
the payer of my debt; whatever he owes to me, I owe
to him. His profit is my profit, and his loss is my loss;
one who is his friend is my friend; one who is his
enemy is my enemy.”
(5) In the same Mawadda, he quotes a hadith from
Anas bin Malik, which I have mentioned earlier.
Toward its end he says that the Holy Prophet said, “He
(Ali) is my Vicegerent and helper.”
(6) Muhammad Bin Ganji Shafi’i quotes a hadith from
Abu Dharr Ghifari in his book, Kifayatu’t-Talib, that
the Prophet said, “The flag of Ali, the commander of
the believers, the leader of the bright-faced people,
and my Vicegerent, will come to me at the Fountain of
Kauthar.”
(7) Baihaqi, Khatib Khawarizmi, and Ibn Maghazili
Shafi’i write in their Manaqib that the Prophet said to
Ali: “It is not proper that I depart from the people
without you becoming my successor since you are the
choicest of the believers after me.”
(8) Imam Abu Abdu’r-Rahman Nisa’i, one of the
Imams of the Six Books of Traditions, narrates in
detail from Ibn Abbas the virtues of Ali in connection
with hadith 23 in Khasa’isu’l-Alawi. After describing
the rank of the prophet Aaron, the Holy Prophet said
to Ali: “You are my Vicegerent after me for every
believer.”
This hadith and others in which the Holy Prophet used
the phrase “after me” clearly prove that Ali was his
immediate successor.
(9) There is the “Hadith of Creation,” which has been
narrated in different ways. Imam Bin Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal in his Musnad, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in
Mawaddatu’l-Qurba, Ibn Maghazili Shafi’i in
Manaqib, and Dailami in Firdaus have quoted the
Prophet as saying: “I and Ali were created of the same
Divine Light 14,000 years before Adam was created.
From the loins of the Prophet Adam and through his
holy progeny, the Light was inherited by Abdu’lMuttalib, and from him it was divided and inherited
by Abdullah, (father of the Prophet) and Abu Talib,
(father of Ali). I was granted prophethood, and Ali
was granted the caliphate.”
(10) Hafiz Abu Ja’far Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari
(d.310 A.H.) writes in his Kitabu’l-Wilaya that the
Prophet said in the beginning of his renowned address
at Ghadir-e-Khum: “The angel Gabriel has conveyed
Allah’s command to me that I stop at this place and
inform the people that Ali Bin Abu Talib is my
brother, my successor, my Caliph (Vicegerent) after
me. O men! Allah has made Ali your Wali (guardian),
and Imam (guide). Obedience to him is obligatory on
each one of you; his command is supreme; his
utterance is truth; curse be on him who opposes him;
Allah’s mercy be on him who befriends him.”
(11) Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi in Yanabiu’l-Mawadda
reports from the Manaqib of Ahmad, and he from Ibn
Abbas, a hadith which describes many of Ali’s merits.
I quote all of it. Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet
said: “O Ali, you are the bearer of my knowledge, my
Wali and friend, my successor, the heir of my
knowledge, and my Caliph. You are the trustee of the
heritage of all the preceding prophets. You are the
confidant of Allah on this earth and Allah’s proof for
the whole of creation. You are a pillar of Iman (faith)
and the guardian of Islam. You are a lamp in darkness,
a light of guidance, and for the people of the world
you are a raised standard. O Ali! He who follows you
is delivered; he who disobeys you will perish; you are
the luminous way, and a straight path; you are the
leader of pure men, and the head of the believers; to
whomsoever I am Master (Maula), you are also his
Master (Maula), and I am the Master of every believer
(man or woman). Only he is your friend who is born
of lawful wedlock. Allah did not transport me to the
heavens to speak with me without telling me, ‘O
Muhammad! Convey my salutation to Ali and tell him
that he is the Imam of my friends and the Light of
worshippers.’ Congratulations to you, O Ali, on this
marvelous excellence.”
(12) Abu Mu’ayyid Muwafiqu’d-Din, the best orator
of Khawarizm, in his Faza’il of the Commander of the
Faithful, printed in 1313 A.H., Chapter XIX, page
240, quotes the sources who reported that the Prophet
said: “When I reached Sidratu’l-Muntaha (‘the farthest
Lote Tree,’ the highest station during the Mi’raj), I
was addressed thus: ‘O Muhammad! When you tested
the people, whom did you find the most obedient?’ I
said ‘Ali.’ Allah then said, ‘You have told the truth,
Muhammad!’ Further, He said, ‘Have you selected a
Vicegerent who will convey your knowledge to the
people, and teach my servants from My Book those
things which they do not know?’ I said, ‘O Allah!
Whomever you select, I will select.’ He said, ‘I have
selected Ali for you. I make him your Vicegerent and
successor.’ And He furnished Ali with His knowledge
and forbearance. He is the Commander of the Faithful
whom no one can equal in rank among his
predecessors or successors.”
There are many such hadith in your authentic books.
Some of your just ulema, like Nizzam Basri, have
acknowledged this fact. Salahu’d-Din Safdi in his
Wafa Bi’l-Wafiyya, in connection with the account of
Ibrahim Bin Sayyar Bin Hani Basri, known as Nizzam
Mu’tazali, says: “The Prophet of Allah confirmed the
Imamate of Ali and appointed him the Imam (Guide).
The companions of the Prophet were also fully aware
of it, but Umar, for the sake of Abu Bakr, covered the
Imamate of Ali with a curtain.”
It is clear from your own books, hadith, and Qur’anic
commentaries that Ali occupied the highest position of
virtue. Khatib Khawarizmi reports from Ibn Abbas in
Manaqib, Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi’i in his
Kifayatu’t-Talib, Sibt Ibn Jauzi in his Tadhkira, Ibn
Sabbagh Maliki in Fusulu’l-Mawadda, Sulayman
Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu’l-Mawadda and Mir Seyyed
Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu’l-Qurba, Mawadda V,
quotation from the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab all confirming with slight variations of words - that
the Prophet said: “If all the trees were pens, if the seas
were ink, if all the jinn and men were recorders - even
then the virtues of Ali Bin Abu Talib could not be
enumerated.”
Consider them and justified them
We Shia do not believe in Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and
Usman [‘Uthman] due to their on [own]
characteristics.
You can look up in the matter of Garden of Fdaak,
burning house of Fatima and read following Hadith
narrated in Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Number 114
[p.86-87]
Narrated ‘Ubaidullah bin ‘Abdullah:
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When the ailment of the Prophet
became worse, he said, ‘Bring for me (writing) paper
and I will write for you a statement after which you
will not go astray.’ But ‘Umar said, ‘The Prophet is
seriously ill, and we have got Allah’s Book with us
and that is sufficient for us.’ But the companions of
the Prophet differed about this and there was a hue
and cry. On that the Prophet said to them, ‘Go away
(and leave me alone). It is not right that you should
quarrel in front of me.” Ibn ‘Abbas came out saying,
“It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s
Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for
them because of their disagreement and noise. (Note:
It is apparent from this Hadith that Ibn ‘Abbas had
witnessed the event and came out saying this
statement.” [Following this is in Bukhari is: “The
truth is not so, for Ibn ‘Abbas used to say this
statement on narrating the hadith and he had not
witnessed the event personally. See Fath Al-Bari
Vol.1 p.220 footnote.)”]
This Muslims asks, “How any one who love
Mohammad PBUH can follow people like this guy
mention in above hadith ??????”
The Passion of Husayn at Karbala
In 680 A.D. (61 A.H.) at Karbala, Husayn was with a
small group of rebels (32 cavalry, 40 foot-soldiers)
when they were surrounded by government troops.
When they refused to surrender, all of them were
killed. According to the tradition Husayn was killed
by arrows while fetching water for thirsty children.
Husayn’s head was sent to Damascus as a trophy.
In Africa there is a poem in Swahili of the sacrificial
passion of ‘Ali that is 4,000 lines long. (Textual
Sources for the Study of Islam 1987 p.22)
According to a Shi’ite Muslim, “this self flagellation
tradition has nothing to do with sins. There is
absolutely no belief in 12’er Islam about being able to
wash your sins by ‘punishing’ yourself. It’s actually to
try and quell the grief we feel in connecting to a
human who had to live to the fullest extent as a guide
for the future of humanity as a whole. How in one
hand having to sacrifice everything of this world,
while actually having to see your children slain,
your companions and family killed, and having to trust
wholly that you’re sisters and wives would survive
you at the hands of 10’s of thousands of bloodthirsty
Arabs. That event in Karbala for us ordinary folk
makes it apparent to us about what kind of people
these really were.”
The Imams of Shi’ite Islam
“By God! God has not left the earth, since the death of
Adam, without there being on it an Imam guiding (the
people) to God. He is the proof of God to his
servants.” Introduction to Shi’i Islam p.147.
1. ‘Ali bin Abi/Abu Talib - stabbed to death 661
A.D.
2. Hasan bin ‘Ali - murdered 669 A.D.
3. Husayn/Husain bin ‘Ali - beheaded 680 A.D.
4. Ali Zaynu al-’Abidin -c.713 A.D.
5. Mohammed al-Baqir –c.732 A.D.
Zayd
6. Ja’far al-Sadiq -765 A.D.
Yahya
7. Musa al-Kazim 7. Isma’il
183/799
8. ‘Ali ar-Rida –
MuhamAbdallah none
died mysteriously
mad
818 A.D.
9. Muhammad atTaqu -835 A.D.
10. ‘Ali al-Hadi 868 A.D.
11. Hasan al’Askari -873 A.D
12. Mohammed ibn
al-Hanifiyah disappeared c.875 A.D.
No Intoxicating Drinks
“Narrated ‘Aisha [one of Mohammed’s wives] The
Prophet said, ‘All drinks that produce intoxication are
Haram (forbidden) to drink.” Bukhari vol.1 book 4
ch.75 no.243 p.153. While 12’er Shi’ites are against
alcohol, some other Shi’ite groups believe drinking is
OK.
“Narrated Abu Huraira: ‘The Prophet said, ‘An
adulterer, at the time he is committing illegal sexual
intercourse is not a believer; and a person, at the time
of drinking an alcoholic drink, is not a believer; and a
thief, at the time of stealing is not a believer” Bukhari
vol.7 book 69 ch.1 no.484 p.339.
Misinformation About 12’er Shi’ites
Many Sunnis accept Shi’ites as Muslims too; after
all, they are allowed to visit Mecca. (Though at certain
times of history they had to pay an extra tax for being
Shi’ite.) On the other hand, many other Sunnis say
Shi’ites are not really Muslims at all, but Ghulat
(heretics) or Kaffir (infidels). The following
statements in bold I have read and heard from multiple
sources about Shi’ites; however the sources are all
non-Shi’ite. Shi’ites themselves have denied these
charges against them, so the bold statements should
NOT be said about Shi’ite beliefs.
Shi’ites Allegedly Added to the Statement of Faith
While some small groups may have, the vast majority
do not add anything. They do believe ‘Ali is the most
important in Islam after Mohammed, but they have not
added it to the statement of faith.
Shi’ites Allegedly Say Sunnis Corrupted the
Qur’an
At least a couple of Shi’ite writers have written this,
but “a couple” is not representative of tens of millions
of Sh’ites. A few Sunni writers believe the Qur’an was
corrupted too, so if a few writers could somehow
represent all Shi’ites, a few writers could somehow
represent all Sunnis too.
Sh’ites Allegedly Believe in a Last Prophet After
Mohammed
A few small 7-er and Ghulat groups do believe in
another prophet. However, the vast majority believe in
a coming messenger, (the Mahdi for 12’ers) but stop
short of calling him a prophet.
Khomeini was an Ithna’ashariyya Shi’ite
Khomeini said, “Islam makes it incumbent on all adult
males, provided they are not disabled and
incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest
of [other] countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed
in every country of the world. But those who study
Islamic Holy War will understand why Islam wants to
conquer the whole world…. Those who know nothing
of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war.
Those [who says this] are witless. Islam says: Kill all
the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Does
this mean that Muslims should sit back until they are
devoured by [the unbelievers]! Islam says: Kill them
[non-Muslims], put them to the sword and scatter
[their armies]. Does this mean sitting back until [nonMuslims] overcome us? Islam says: Kill in the service
of Allah those who may want to kill you! Does this
mean that we should surrender to the enemy? Islam
says: Whatever good there is exists thanks to the
sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot
be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is
the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for
Holy Warriors! These are hundreds of other [Koranic]
psalms and Hadiths [sayings of the Prophet] urging
Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all that mean
that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging
war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a
claim.”
Quoted from Ibn Warraq Why I am Not A Muslim
Prometheus Books 1995 p.11-12. (p.381) Amir
Taheri. Holy Terror. London, 1987. p.226-227.
What About Khamenei After Him?
The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei, in a speech at Ayatollah Khomeini’s
Mausoleum, June 4, 2002, supports the Palestinian
suicide-homicide martyrdoms that are deliberately
carried out on innocent Israelis.
Let me say to you: these stances [of American
administrators on suicide bombings] will not be of
any use. This quest for martyrdom is not based on
emotions; it is based on belief in Islam and faith in
[the] Judgment Day and faith in life after death.
Anywhere Islam exists in its true sense, arrogance
faces this threat.
http://www.MuslmiHope.com/JamesArlandson/Ayato
llahKhameneiInHisOwnWords.htm has more info.
Shi’ite Demographics
Country
Iran 90% Shi'ite
India is 11.4 to 13.4% Muslims. of the
Muslims 20% are Shi'ite. Indian
Shi'ites are
Afghanistan is 19% Shi'ite
Iraq has 27M population, 60-65%
Shi'ite
Number of
Shi’ites
63M
29M to 34M
6M
16.2M to
17.6M
UAE, population 4.4 M, 15-16%
Shi'ite
Pakistan 164.74M * 97% Muslim *
20% Shi'ite
Azerbaijan is 90% Shi'ite
33% of eastern Saudi Arabia ?
Shi'ite minorities in Yemen and
Bahrain.
Malaysia
Lebanon 3.9M 19%
Syria 18.5M < 16% mainly 'Alawites
Kuwait 45%
Indonesia 245M
Egypt 80M 82-90% Muslim
Total Shi'ites in the above countries
0.7M.
32M
8M
0
0.8M
~2.8M
158.5M to
164.9M
Estimated Total
160M-180M
Total Muslims: 1.1 to 1.4 billion. So about 11-16%
Shi’ites
Ithna’Ashariyya and Other Shi’ite Sects
There was controversy over the 7th imam. Should it
have been the older brother (Isma’il) or his younger
brother Musa, since (according to 12’ers) Isma’il was
a drinker of alcohol. The 7’ers say Isma’il was not, but
there was a conspiracy against him. Before talking
about the 12’ers and 7’ers, we will discuss a small
group, the Zaydites.
Most Shi’ites are Ithna’ashariyya, nicknamed 12’ers.
They say the 12th imam, Mohammed ibn al-Hanifiyah
disappeared c.875 A.D. and will return. Mullah
Muhammad Bakir Madjlisi (1627-1698 A.D.) was a
12’er who made a hadith collection. He said he hoped
his works “may give life to the hearts and spirits of the
dead-hearted people.” In a sense he became the virtual
ruler of Iran, and they persecuted Sunnis, Sufis, and
Zoroastrians. He said that the Sunni caliphs ‘Umar,
Abu Bakr, and ‘Uthman were hypocrites and
unbelievers who deserved God’s curse. See the
Encyclopedia of Islam vol.5 p.1086-1088 for more
info.
The Hurufis were a group that stressed numerology.
They said that Fadl Allah is God incarnate
The Shaykis are a comparably late group, with about
half a million. They were founded by Shaykh Ahmad
ibn Zaynu-d-Din al Ahsa’i. (116/1753-1241/1826)
The Akhbari and Usulis are two other groups of
Ithna’ashariyya.
There are many sects in Shi’ite Islam, but most of the
rest of the sects differ on three things: succession,
worship of an individual (Ghulat), and “hesitators”
(waqifa). Hesitator sects start when a group believes
an imam never died. Generally they believe their man
only disappeared and will return.
the Mahdi. Other Zaydite sects are the Jarudiyya,
Suleymanniyya/Jaririya, and Bitriyya/Salishiyya.
Shi’ites and the Return of the Mahdi
Ithna’Ashariyya Shi’ite End-Times
The Mahdi, Mohammed ibn al-Hanafiyah
disappeared, but will return some day. A number of
people have claimed they are the 12th Imam returned.
They have been called the Mahdi, which means
“rightly guided one.”
Some Claimed Mahdi’s in Shi’ite Islamic Sects
First Fatimid caliph ‘Obaidallah (909-933/934 A.D.)
Imam al Husayn bin al-Kasim al-’Iyani (1013 A.D.)
‘Ali bin Abu Talib and Saliman al-Farisi: ‘Alawites
worship them as sort of a Muslim Tritheism.
Lord Hakim was visible God to the Druze Faith
The Mahdist movement in Sudan
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1879 A.D., Ahmadiyyas)
Sliman Murshad of Syria (1900-1949 A.D.)
The Bahaullah (Baha’is, 1863 A.D.)
For Christians, when you read the book of
Revelation, have you ever wondered how nonbelievers
will explain away those events and still not believe in
the true God? Perhaps the counterfeit explanation is
already here. According to the Ithan’ashariyya, here
are some signs of the endtimes.
First will come the red death (sword) and white death
(plague).
The Mahdi will be descended from Fatima, and will
be called Mohammed
The Mahdi will raise the black standard in Khurasan
He will be a young man, with medium height, very
handsome, with black hair
The Mahdi will not come in an odd-numbered year
He will come to Mecca, and then travel to Kufa.
The one-eyed Dajjil (anti-Christ) will come in the East
The sun will rise from the west, and a star in the east
will give out as much light as the moon.
A caller will call out from Heaven
A great conflict in Syria will destroy it.
Like Mohammed, the Mahdi will have a new cause
and a new book and a new religious law. This will
be a severe test for Arabs. The sword will be
between the Mahdi and the Arabs.
Jesus will return too.
The 313 fighters from the battle at Badr also return.
The imams and former prophets will also all return
The Hesitators
Some Isma’ilis claim Isma’il did not die according to.
Arthur Jeffries in A Reader on Islam p.38.
Similarly 12’er Shi’ites claim the 12th imam was not
dead, but concealed by Allah.
Some Hesitator and Ghulat Sects in Shi’ite Islam
Saba’iyya – Hesitators of ‘Ali (1st Imam)
‘Ulyaniyya/’Alya’iyya – Saba’iyya who say ‘Ali
also is divine
Muhammadiyya - Saba’iyya who say Mohammed
also is divine
Ishaqiyya/Hamraniyya – Another Saba’iyya group
Other hestitator sects: Karibiyya, Hashimiyya
Rizamiyya/Muslimiyya – God existed in the form
of all the prophets
Some Isma’ilis give semi-divine status to Isma’il.
Ithna-ashariyya themselves are “hesitators” of the
12th imam Mohammed.
Muslims are all hesitators of Jesus, saying he did not
die on the cross.
The Zaydi Shi’ites (Different 5th Imam)
Zaydis are a group in Yemen named after Zayd, the
grandson of Husain, who revolted in January 740 A.D.
and was killed by Caliph Hisham. His son Yahya also
revolted, but was killed in 743 A.D.. They are the
most moderate Shi’ite group. They believe it was
permissible for ‘Umar, Abu Bakr and the others to be
caliphs, though ‘Ali was still the best choice. The
Zaydites believe the imams were not superhuman and
believed close to Sunni Mu’tazilites. One Zaydi, Imam
al Husayn bin al-Kasim al-’Iyani from 1010-1013
A.D. started the Husayniyya sect when said he was
Isma’ili (7’er) Shi’ites
There is a triad of the fortune, allegorical
interpretation and thought-image. Mohammed
received the “fortune” at his birth of being the
revelator of the Qur’an. ‘Ali provides the
interpretation, and the imam provides the thoughtimage. Fazlur Rahman in Islam p.176 mentions that
some have seen a connection with Neoplatonism and
the Zoroastrian concept of fortune.
There were seven cycles of history with seven
“speakers”: six of them are Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed. There are seven
“mutes” accompanying them.
Some Isma’ili Sects
Assassins took hashish and assassinated people. They
split off from the other Isma’ilis in 1094 A.D.
because they did not accept the ninth Fatimid
caliph al-Musta’li (1094-1101 A.D.).
Druze/Druse - worship al-Hakim as visible God
Fatimites - caliphs should descend from Fatima/’Ali
Ja’fari - a compromise with Sunni Islam
Musta’lis, whose headquarters is in Bombay, India.
From them came the Sulaymani and the Da’udi.
Nizais and Aga Khanis, headed by the Aga Khan.
The Qarmatians/Carmathians were sort of a brutal
communist terrorists in 890 A.D.
The Qur’an is Not Enough
The Shi’ites believe in Mohammed and the Qur’an,
but those are not enough. Shi’ites believe it is
essential to have a male leader, called an imam, alive
today to interpret the Qur’an.
Many people try to say the Jesus is not enough, and
the Bible is not sufficient. It requires a Pope or other
official interpreter.
with getting wealth, living foolishly, or even so busy
in religion, we have no time for God, or room for
Jesus’ word today.
Shi’ites generally believe that truth cannot come just
from a book; we need a living representative. The
Bible says similar, in an even greater way. Not only do
we have a Living God, but God Himself came to
earth, incarnated as Jesus Christ. Prophets were
extraordinary people, but Jesus, the sinless one, was
not merely an ordinary prophet. He came not to show
us the way, but to be the way. Jesus came not just to
teach, but more importantly to die as a ransom for us.
Jesus is our living representative.
So what did that slogan mean: “Karbala is
everywhere; every month is Muharram; every day is
Ashura”? (Shi’a Islam : From Religion to Revolution.
p.136)
If you are a Shi’ite who flagellates your back, and
the blood oozes down your bruised skin, know this:
you have not bled enough. You have not suffered
enough pain in proportion to your sins against an
infinite God. When you pray to and show deep nearworship to one besides God, you are only adding to
the need for forgiveness.
Ashura is the tenth day of the month of Muharram,
and on that day in 640 A.D., at the battle of Karbala,
‘Ali’s son Husayn and his soldiers were killed. It was
on that day that many Shi’ites believe he suffered for
the sins of the world.
If we had ten times as much blood as we have, sinstained, that would not be enough to pay for our sins,
to be a ransom for our rescue from the Lake of Fire.
Since you cannot flagellate yourself enough because
of your sins, you can stop now.
On the 11th day, Shi’ites lie in bed with a bandaged
head, commemorating Husayn’s wounds.
When there was no way for us to merit Heaven,
Jesus came to shed His sinless blood for us, and pay
the price for us to go to Heaven. All the sacrifices of
imperfect, sinful men in history, both real and
imagined, are nothing compared to the effective
sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. What Satan thought
was His own victory was in fact a trap for Satan’s
greatest defeat. Jesus’ resurrection was Jesus’
vindication and the great victory of God.
Back to the Slogan
It is on the 10th day that some Shi’ites flagellate
(whip) themselves. Shi’ite Mullahs have issued fatwas
saying this should not be done, but many Shi’ites
persist anyway. One purpose is to say that if they had
been alive at that time, they would have stood with
Husayn and died with him. In contrast, the 4th imam,
‘Ali Zaynu al-’Abidin, Husayn’s son, lay sick in his
tent nearby and did not join the battle.
Sinlessness
Like most Sunni Muslims today, Shi’ites believe
Allah sent 144,000 prophets, and all of them,
including Jesus, were sinless. However Muslims in
general acknowledge that Jesus alone was born of a
virgin, and he did many miracles.
Jesus, More than the Ultimate Imam
God did not say, “seek Me in vain” but cares for us
and desires that none perish. God is pure and Holy,
and God is true. He makes His truth known through
His prophets, but unfortunately many people refuse to
listen to their message.
Jesus rebuked the very religious Pharisees by saying,
“You have no room for my word.” We are so busy
But God’s forgiveness is not for those who refuse to
follow Him. You should make every day Christmas by
accepting the Lord Jesus as your Savior, by giving
your life to Christ. Pray to Him. Prayer is not
mechanical recitation of the same dry words over and
over, but talking to God. Tell Him you acknowledge
He is Lord of all. Cry out to God though you are a
sinner, and you beg Him for His mercy. Thank Him
for paying the price for your sins, even before you
loved Him, through Jesus, who sacrificed Himself for
us. Then make every day of your life Easter, the Day
of Jesus’ Resurrection. Live a life of love, serving
God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul,
and all your strength. Love others as you love
yourself.
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