For the past few months I have been attending a monthly women’s halaqah that is mostly attended by Shias, and the organizers are Shia. It is an inter-sect group, though, and the presenters are both Sunni and Shia. I also went last week to attend an event affiliated with the same group in which we heard a recitation of Dua Kumail followed by a short discussion on some ayaat from a particular Surah from the Quran. There is another meeting this Thursday and then the following Thursday during Ramadan, and Inshallah I plan to attend those, too. We pray in a Shia jamaat at these events.
Throughout my time various Muslim American communities, I have always had a couple of Shia friends who participated in our local Sunni mosques and Muslim groups, perhaps due to lack of Shia oriented options. I remember having Shia friends complain to me about Obnoxious Aunties at the mosque who came up to them and told them Shi’ism was the wrong path and that they should convert to Sunni Islam. I actually had some similar experiences when I lived in Oman, which is an Ibaadhi majority country. Occasionally an Ibaadhi person would just say, “Why don’t you convert to Ibaadhism? It is better.” Though I was a sectarian minority in Oman, and though there has been political and even physical fighting between various sects in Oman, I never felt threatened or offended by such suggestions. Although it didn’t occur to me at the time, perhaps this was because deep down I knew that Sunnism is the global majority sect, and outside of this tiny Omani bubble I would suffer no personal judgement or persecution for being a Sunni. I can’t say that the same thing is the case for Shia friends who have been told to convert to Sunnism by Obnoxious Aunties. Although there is a history of warring between Ibaadhis and members of other sects, it is regionally limited and not something as widely known as strife between Sunni and Shia. Although I see the devastation of Sunni Shia tensions playing out in places like Pakistan, Afganistan, and Iraq, I also look at the long history of coexistence and even syncretic lifestyles among Sunni and Shia. My mother in law told me that in her childhood in Lucknow, Sunnis regularly observed Muharram’s public sobriety, and that on special occasions, it was important to pay respects to the Shia Imambara no matter what one’s sect was. This is really the way we should be living, I suppose.
I don’t mean to sound self-important, but I am really proud to be part of this inter-sect group. I like the idea of Sunnis and Shias learning and worshiping together. These are bridges that should be frequently crossed. During these halaqas, we get to hear from a larger variety of sources of knowledge and traditions, which is enriching.
I really know very little about Shi’ism, though. I’d like to learn more. At a friend’s suggestion, I am planning to watch the Iranian serial the Mukhtar-Nama. I may watch it dubbed Urdu. I have been watching really silly and trivial stuff in Urdu for the past few months (Humsafar, Maat, Durr-e Shahvar, etc) when I could be watching something that adds to my knowledge and perspective instead of just titillating me with saas-bahu dramaybaazi and romantic tension.
This particular Shia group that I have fallen in with is progressive oriented and much more gender egalitarian than some of my other study options around here. I have no idea if this is common for Shias. (Common for Twelvers, that is. I know Ismailis are very egalitarian in their jamaatkhanas.) Actually, I am sure it is not that common. But this group is good about such things, at least. For example, when we met as a mixed gender group for the du’a recitation, both men and women read aloud and recited and participated very actively in the discussion. The woman who read the dua in English used gender-egalitarian language when she spoke of the Worshiper, rather than just saying “He…” and so on. That is a nice and refreshing change from some other types of mixed gender halaqas I have attended where women sat in the back and had to ask questions by writing them down on slips of paper.
So, that is what I have been up to lately in terms of my spiritual life.
August 1, 2012 at 2:43 am
interesting…I have had a 5%er tell me, or my friend to be exact, that I was on the wrong side of islam. It made work the next day a little odd.
August 1, 2012 at 8:29 am
Wow, a 5%er. None of the Shia people I have met at these events, including the main friend who invited me and introduced me to everyone else, has made me feel in any way that they are trying to convert me to their point of view. I think they are just interested in expanding their circle. I know once you get that feeling that people are trying to convert you or don’t respect your beliefs, it gets creepy and awkward.
August 2, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Growing up, I found that most of the stuff I heard about Shias as a kid was plaing wrong. Some people even believed they worshipped Ali, or held him as a Prophet!
Living in such a multicultural society and knowing one another is a blessing.
“To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.” — Quran 5:48
August 2, 2012 at 10:19 pm
So true.
August 5, 2012 at 10:49 am
[...] I have also been attending the halaqa and recitation of Dua e Kumail that I mentioned in the previous post. I also went to a few iftars at friends’ homes. Inshallah, next Friday I will attend an iftar [...]
September 4, 2012 at 10:06 pm
salam,
My experience was the other way round. I grew up with shias around me, learned to read Quran at a shia madrasah, prayed with shias and knew more about shias than Sunnis. As I grew older I started having simple questions like why say “Ya Ali” so often instead of “Ya ALLAH”. At school I had Hindu & Christian friends and could see a similarity between Hindus, Christians and Shias. The shias had started deifying the family of the Prophet in a similar way to what the Christians must have started deifying Jesus a thousand years ago or the Hindus their prophets five thousand years ago. In fact in the last 20 years I can see that my shia friends and uncles have undergone a sea change. It is now very common in shia homes to see pictures of the Imams and other objects before which they make salams and duas. This did not happen when I was young. Also I would have a hard time explaining them why I wouldn’t do sujood on a tablet made of mud of Karbala or for that matter food that has been dedicated to Imam Jaffer is holier than any other food.
Coming to the ideological differences between sunnis & shias, as per sunnis is it very simple and straightforward, the Prophet worked hard in his lifetime and produced the best men other than the prophets. These people, the sahabas, were not perfect but still way better than any other men. The sahabas had great love and respect for each other even though they would have legitimate difference of opinions. As per the shias most of the sahabas were the worst of hypocrites and only a handful were true muslims. Now imagine the prophet, the most truthful, being surrounded by hypocrites. The same sahabas are responsible for preserving the Quran and transmitting the sunnahs of the prophet. If they were hypocrites than how can we rely on the quran and the sunnah that they transmitted? The prophet married 2 of his daughters to Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Ali married his daughter to Hazrat Umar. Shias regard Uthman and Umar to be the greatest enemies of the prophet and the ahle bait. Now imagine the prophet & Ali, lion of ALLAH, marrying their daughters to munafiqs?
October 12, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Salamu alaykum , I cannot answer all of your questions, but I can try and answer some to the best of my ability inshallah.
As for saying ‘Ya Ali’(as), well this is something that is hotly debated and discussed in the shia community. I don’t think that we should call on anyone more then Allah(swt), but for many, calling on a representative of Allah(swt) to speak favourably on our behalf before Allah(swt) is pretty much the same if the intention is correct, and how can we truely know intention? It is seen in the shia school of thought that asking for tawassul or shif’aa(intercession) is not just available on the day of judgment but also in this life, epsecially when it comes to martyrs-
‘Think not of those who were slain in the way of Allah as dead; rather they are alive and have provision with their Lord.(Aale-‘Imran [3]:169)
and as you may know, the history of the Imams and ahlul bayt(as) includes many of them being martyrd.
The shia school of thought teaches that the universe was created by Allah(Swt) for the love of the ahlul bayt(as)- being rasulallah(sawas),12 Imams and Fatima-zahra(as). As such, we often feel that if we ask them to speak on our behalf, then with the power and permission of Allah(swt) they can and Allah(swt) is more likely to positivly accept and respond to our du’a inshallah, due to the fact that they have less veils between them and Allah(swt). Think about if you would like to get a job in a certain company, and you had a friend in that company who was doing well and was well liked by the boss of the company, do you not think that if you asked your friend to speak well of you to that boss, you would be more likely to get the job then if you just applied directly? Shias feel that anything from a simple ‘ya Ali’(as) up to a full ziyarah towards the ahlul bayt(as) is no more shirk, then it is to ask a friend or family to help you with your shopping, or your efforts to get a job etc. One man’s shirk is another man’s perfect tawhid, so we should be careful when accusing someone of the great sin of shirk,of any sin for that matter, but especially shirk.
As for pictures of Imams(as), that is expressly forbidden, and though misguided, many people create and use these images. It is a cultural expression of faith that is not permitted by major Islamic scholars, such as Sayed sistani(ha) for one. As for using other more ‘abstract’ objects to be reminded of Allah(swt) and the Ahlul bayt(as), and objects to direct a salam to, this is not odd with sunnis either, do you face the ka’aba and pray everyday? and during hajj have the ka’aba right in front of you, are your worhipping the ka’aba or hajar al aswad? or are you using them as a symbolic direction towards Allah(swt)? well this is what these items are for. As for karbala soil not being holy, well that depends on what hadith you read and believe or don’t believe… but it is necessary to place the for-head on something natural. This is because we come from the earth, and when we do two sajdahs in salah, it represents us coming from the earth and returning to it in death. As for food dedicated to certain Imams or ma’soomeen, well that can be done for any loved one who has passed onto the next world or been martyrd. Giving out food to the community and the poor for the thawab of a ma’soomeen(as) or a deceased or martyrd loved one is considered to have a lot of blessings and reward in it, but ofcourse that would be up to you to believe it or not.
As for your understanding of how shias view the sahabah, many showed their hypocrisy after the prophet’s(sawas) death, and we don’t have pre-emptive punishment in Islam, as well as the fact that the muslims could not be truly tested if all sahabah were even reasonably good a least. Some so called ‘sahabah’ in the sunni school only ever caught a glimpse of Muhammad(sawas) and were automatically called his companions, would you consider someone you never met and who only saw a glimpse of you from afar?
Salams and duas
For anyone who wishes to know more about the shia view on the companions, check the link below inshallah
http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter4/2.html
October 13, 2012 at 9:44 am
walaikum kum as salam
1) Why do you say “The shia school of thought teaches that the universe was created by Allah(Swt) for the love of the ahlul bayt(as)- being rasulallah(sawas),12 Imams and Fatima-zahra(as)”
The Quran clearly states “We did not create the jinn and men except to worship us.” [Al-Qur'an 51:56]
2) The analogy of approaching a boss through a friend is very flawed. When you make salah you are in front of ALLAH and talking to him directly. In Islam there is no middleman like Brahmins in Hinduism or the Clergy. Throughout the Quran ALLAH has told us about his attributes such as “The Most Merciful”, “The Provider” and others. In the Quran HE tells us to turn towards HIM and call on HIM. Nowhere in the QURAN he has mentioned to call on others which people do by saying “YA ALI MADAD” (O Ali help me). This is associating a partner with ALLAH. Before the Prophet, the Quresh had many GODS which they believed brought them closer to the most supreme GOD which they called ALLAH. You analogy of going to a boss through a friend is very similar to what the Quresh used to do.
3) Sunnis don’t pray to the Kaaba they just turn towards it to have a unity in direction. The prophet ordered Hazrat Bilal to climb on the Kaaba and give azaan. The shias will never allow anyone to stand on objects that they revere and pray to. This is idolization.
4) Giving food in charity is a virtue however dedicating food to anyone other than GOD is expressed prohibited. This idea of dedicating food is very similar to the prasad of Hindus or to what the pre islamic Quresh did by dedicating portions of their crops to the GODS.
5) I understand the fiqh of doing Sujood on soil but what makes the soil of Karbala holier than other soil? I am sure in the city of Karbala the soil mixes with human discharge.
6) Regarding the sahabas, both shias and sunnis agree that the Prophet knew who where the bad muslims and the munafiqs and who would apostatize after him. Also shias and sunnis agree that the prophet married 2 of his daughters to Uthman and Ali married his daughter to Umar. If Uthman and Umar were munafiqs or going to become munafiqs as the shias claim then why would the prophet and Ali marry their daughters to them?
Peace
October 12, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Salam alaykum,
As a shia(and a revert to Islam, it is lovely to see a sunni being so open minded, especially a revert(sunni reverts that I have met can be the most judgmental and nasty about my choice to be shia). I think we do need to come together more, not in a way that we cover up our differences(this usually means the shias cover up our beliefs for fear of offending the sunni majority, I have doen this myself, but have found more confidence over the years), we should celebrate both our differences and similarities, and when we contradict each other then further discussion and understanding is needed, not judgement and takfir. As for the egalitarian nature of the halaqa/majlis that you attended, that is very common place amongst the 12ver shia community, and is one of the things that I really love as a shia muslim! This is particularly evident in the khoja community, they are a sort of Indian(mostly from east africa) ‘revert’ community who changed from Ismailism themselves or their relativly recent ancestors did. This has resulted in either a relaxed less religious approach to Islam, or in most cases a stronger obeservance that includes a high reverance for females in Islamic history, such as Sayeda Fatima(as)-daughter of Muhammad(sawas), or Sayeda Zaynab(as) daughter of Fatima(as) and Ali(as), amongst many other noted women. There is also a higher occurence(in my experience and to the best of my knowlege) of females studying Islam and becoming Islamic scholars at Islamic seminaries, often becoming as knowlegable if not more so then their male counterparts. I personally know many, who have gone on to become well known Islamic speakers, not just to female audiences(though mostly this is the case) but also the men and women, and this is seen as no problem, and often encouraged as sunnah of the ahlul bayt(as). I hope you enjoy your continued meetings with shias and that you gain more knowlege as time goes on inshallah.
Fi amanillah
October 12, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Thanks Maryammm for all of your info here and in your response to Shahid.