Are the Shias – in general terms – Disbelievers? Dispelling a Misconception

 

Question:
Nowadays, a question is raised with great fervour, that Shias are infidels, but is it correct to call all the Shias infidels? And this question is raised because some of our great scholars had put restrictions and clauses in their fatwas... that if a Shia holds this belief or this belief... etc.

Answer:
Remember, fatwas are given because of belief and ideology, so the focus of the fatwa is not on the word Shia, but on belief and ideology. Therefore, a person whose belief is kufr (blasphemous) is an infidel, whether he is called a Shia or something else.

For example, a person who believes in the distortion of the Qur’an or denies the chastity of Sayyidah A’isha Siddiqa radiyallahu ‘anha or believes in the belief in Imamate (which is the denial of the finality of the Prophethood), is unanimously a disbeliever, no matter who he is.

Since the above-mentioned blasphemous beliefs are present in the foundational books of the Shia and the Shias acknowledge them, all the scholars have called the Shias disbelievers based on these blasphemous beliefs.

However, in the past, there were many differences among the Shias, including some who agreed with the Ahl-us-Sunnah in all other beliefs, except that they believed in the superiority of Sayyiduna Ali radiyallahu ‘anhu over Sayyiduna Uthman Dhul-Nurain radiyallahu ‘anhu, so the scholars called them Tafdili Shias, not disbelievers.

Those who were extreme in their disparagement of the Sahabah radiyallahu ‘anhum were called Rafidi Shias in that era - they were unanimously considered infidels and apostates.

Now, the muftis who do not call the Shias absolute disbelievers are cautious because of this specific detail, that perhaps even in this era there are some Shias whose beliefs are not kufr.

But the scholars who have researched this subject, especially those muftis who are engaged in rejecting false beliefs, those who are experts in this field, their research is that there are no Shias in this era; all of them are Rawafid, Ghali Tabarra’i, even though the word ‘Shia’ is used for them.

So, whenever the word Shia is used in this era, it means these Rawafid who have kufr (blasphemous) beliefs. Therefore, it is correct to call Shias in this era infidels in general terms.

Imam Ahlus-Sunnah, Muhaqqiq-ul-‘Asr, Shaykh-ul-Hadith wat Tafseer Allamah Sarfaraz Khan Safdar rahimahullah has written in his book ‘Taifa Mansoora’ that the Shias of the bygone era cannot be found even by searching with a lamp.

Allamah Manzoor Ahmad Nomani rahimahullah has mentioned similar comments in Muttafiqah Faysla.

Mufti A’dham of Pakistan, Allamah Rashid Ahmed Ludhianvi rahimahullah has taken the same position in Ahsan al-Fatawa.

Allamah Ashiq Elahi Buland Shehri rahimahullah has taken the same position in his article "There is no doubt in the disbelief of the Rawafid".

Therefore, the scholars who have done research write that in this era, all the Shia hold blasphemous beliefs, and they are unanimously disbelievers.

And those scholars who do not do research are invited to research. Shaykh al-Arab wa al-Ajam, Muhaqqiq-ul-Kul, ‘Alim-e-Rabbani, Allamah Khalid Mahmood of London rahimahullah says that the fatwas of the scholars who have not studied the basic books of Shia are not reliable regarding the Shia.

Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlvi rahimahullah says, "He who did not declare the Rawafid to be disbelievers did not know their beliefs" that the scholar who did not declare the Rawafid to be disbelievers is in fact ignorant of their beliefs (Fayd al-Bari, vol. 1, p. 120).

The result of Shah Saheb's statement is that it is not possible for a scholar, Mufti, to be aware of the beliefs of the Shia and yet not declare them disbelievers.

In short...

A Shia who believes that the Qur’an has been distorted...or...Jibril made a mistake in bringing revelation...

Or a Shia who denies the Caliphate of Siddiq (radiyallahu ‘anhu)...

Or a Shia who denies the finality of the Prophethood under the guise of the belief in Imamate, such Shia are unanimously disbelievers and apostates...

And according to the opinions of expert ‘Ulama in this era, all Shias have these blasphemous beliefs.

Therefore, when the word Shia is used in general terms, it means the Twelver Shia who hold the same beliefs. Therefore, it is correct to call the Shias disbelievers in general terms.

Abu Muhammad, graduate of Jamia Binnori Town Karachi