A Discussion on the Beliefs and Practices of the Shi'a and Sunni

In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Beneficent. 

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad and his pure household.

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to pose some questions regarding the beliefs and practices of Ahl Al Sunnah Wa Al Jamaa'a (Sunni Islam). Wherever applicable, a corresponding Shi'a view of the topic at hand will be provided. Through this excercise we aim to compare and contrast the two major branches of Islam, and provide some food for thought in the process. For the sake of clarity, we will discuss the various topics in a point-wise format.

1) What is the definition of a " Sunni " Muslim ?

- First Approach 

The term Ahl al Sunnah Wa Al Jamaa'a literally translates to  " The people of the path and the consensus ". In common usage this implies people who have reached a consensus in following the path and traditions of the prophet. However, this cannot be used as a true definition, because every sect within Islam claims that they are the true adherents to the Sunnah of the prophet. 

- Second Approach

A second approach may be to go by the five pillars of Islam, which are: 

1 - Shahadah: Declaring that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the (last) Messenger of Allah.

2 - Salah: Obligatory ritual prayer (performed five time daily)

3 - Zakah: Obligatory tax.

4 - Sawm: Obligatory fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan.

5 - Hajj: Obligatory ritual pilgrimage to Macca at least once in a lifetime for able individuals.

It should be noted that the first of these five is based on belief, and the other four are based on practices (practices spring from the core belief). Once again, most, if not all Muslims claim to adhere to these five pillars. Shia's, for example, give as much importance to the above as Sunnis Muslims. For this reason, these cannot be used to define Sunni Islam.

- Corresponding Shi'a View

The madhab of the Shi'a is divided up into Beliefs (Usool al Deen -  Roots of Faith), and Practices (Furu' al Deen - Branches of Faith). 

Usool al Deen are based on logic and are five in number:

1 - Tawheed: Belief in the oneness of Allah

2 - 'Adl: Belief in the justice of Allah

3 - Nabuwwah: Belief in Muhammad being the last Messenger of Allah

4 - Imamah: Belief in Divine Leadership (refers to the twelve divinely appointed Imams. The first being 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib and the remaining eleven from the progeny of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah, and 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib) 

5 - Ma'aad:  Belief in resurrection (Life after death)

Furu' al Deen are based on the five core beliefs and are ten in number:

1 - Salah

2 - Sawm

3 - Hajj

4 - Zakah

5 - Khummus ( Obligatory tax on savings)

6 - Jihaad  ( Struggle in the way of Allah)

7 - Amr bil Ma'roof ( Enjoining the good )

8 - Nahi 'an il Munkar ( Forbidding the evil )

9 - Tawalla: Associating (Displaying love and approval for the truth and truthful)

10 - Tabarra: Disassociating (Displaying hatred and disapproval for the false and falsehood)

Additionally, in order to practice the ten furu' in an acceptable manner, a Shi'a Muslim must fall in one of the following three categories:

1) Mujtahid - A jurist trained in deducing Islamic Law

2) Muqallid - One who follows a Mujtahid

3) Muhtaat - One who takes the safest possible route 

The main distinguishing factor between Shi'as and other Muslims is the fourth item under Usool al Deen - The belief in Imamah. 'Ali is the first of the Imams. Those who believed in the concept of Imamah, as ordained by Allah and transmitted by the prophet, were given the title Shi'atu 'Aliyin (The followers / party of 'Ali) by the holy prophet during his lifetime. 

According to the Shi'a faith the holy prophet and the twelve Imams are infallible (free from all kinds of sin, error and impurities) and Allah finalized the revelation of his perfect message through Muhammad. Prophet-hood was Allah's mechanism to transmit his message to mankind. Divine leadership (Imamah) is Allah's mechanism to prevent the message from corruption until the day of judgement. 

2) What is the logical basis of the institution of Khilafah ?

The word khilafah, or caliphate refers to the reign of various fallible Muslim rulers who assumed the responsibility of religious authority and political rule after the demise of Prophet Muhammad.

Within the Sunnis there are various opinions on what constitutes Khilafah (there have theoretically been hundreds of Sunni Caliphs since the demise of the prophet). For the purpose of this article we will take the more popular opinion, according to which the first four caliphs were rightly guided and those who came after them (with a few exceptions) were misguided.

The following are Al Khulafah al Rashidun (Rightly Guided caliphs) (in order):

1 - Abu Bakr ibn Abi Qahafah ( Selected by pseudo-election )

2 - 'Umar ibn Al Khattab ( Nominated by Abu Bakr )

3 - 'Uthman ibn 'Affan ( Selected through a committee)

4 - 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib  ( Chosen by popular demand )

How does one justify " Belief in the rightly guided caliphs (who are not free from error) ", through a logical argument? There are narrations in Sunni books of Hadith which can be used to infer the legitimacy of the caliphs, but are there any logical arguments? The logical aspect is crucial because if, for example a core belief (i.e. excluding religious practices and rituals) cannot be proven by logic, then we cannot rely on other means to justify it.

- Corresponding Shi'a View

After the prophet, religious authority is reserved for the Infallible Imams. Imam 'Ali was the religious leader and guide for the Shi'a during the time of the first three caliphs. Even today, the ultimate religious authority is the twelfth Imam (who is in occultation by the will of Allah, but benefits the followers, just as the sun benefits the inhabitants of earth even if it is shrouded by clouds). The Sunni caliphs were fallible, and opposed the concept of Imamah and the Shi'as do not consider them to be legitimate spiritual / political guides.  

3) What is the Mechanism for Prevention of Corruption in Sunni Islam ?

Allah sent 124,000 prophets over many centuries to guide mankind towards the true path. The prophets were divinely chosen and there was no doubt in the pure message that they brought. However, according to Sunnis, with the demise of the Prophet Muhammad the divine connection was cut off and the religion of Allah was left to the interpretation of regular people who were prone to sinning and vulnerable to committing error in judgement, actions and decision making. They even fought a  number of bloody wars among themselves (during the time of 'Ali, and later his two sons). 

The lack of a pre-defined religious authority means that people who have sickness in their hearts may twist the words of Allah, and deliberately misinterpret and exploit the holy commandment to further their sinister agenda (This is very common in our time, and we are all aware of its dangers). 

If we assume that the rightly guided caliphs were the guardians of faith during their time (which is also debatable because the first three were fallible), then what happened after them? Does Islam not have a custodian to prevent the message from becoming impure? How do Sunnis reconcile this? 

- Corresponding Shi'a View

This has already been discussed - The institution of Imamah is designed by Allah to prevent Islam from corruption. The only acceptable source of religious guidance is the fourteen infallibles.

4) Considering the lack of a centralized religious leadership, how do Sunnis resolve issues related to Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) ?

This is related to the previous point. We know that Sunni Islam does not require centralized religious leadership. This becomes especially evident when dealing with Fiqh related issues. As an example, a follower of the Hanafi school of Sunni Fiqh may have a particular fiqh issue which they need clarification on. Theoretically, they could ask multiple scholars specializing in Hanafi fiqh and each one could give a different answer with some answers contradicting each other. If we extrapolate this issue from an individual concern to the greater Sunni Ummah, one can imagine the issues that could arise, and do arise every day because of this. How is this issue tackled?

- Corresponding Shi'a View

As mentioned earlier a Shi'a Muslims falls in one of three categories (see point 1). The vast majority (90%+) of practicing Shi'as follow one of a handful of grand Shi'a scholars. These individuals (commonly referred to as Ayatullah) are masters in Islamic Jurisprudence, and in the absence of the Imam of our time (Imam Al-Mahdi, who is currently in occultation by the order of Allah and will reappear by his will) they act as the representatives of the Imam. Shi'a Muslims seek guidance in all fiqh related issues from the scholar who they follow.

Typically, the Ayatullahs' rulings are published in the form of a detailed book  of laws (Risalah) which are readily available. For additional queries which are not explicitly stated in the risalah, the office of the Ayatullah can be contacted. Here is an example of the English translation of the risalah of Ayatullah Sistani, who is followed by the majority of practicing Shi'as.

5) Can one be a Sunni and also be critical of some of the companions of the prophet ?

All Muslims believe that the companions of Muhammad (including the first three caliphs) were not free from sin or error. Keeping in mind that they were vulnerable to committing sins, does one have the right to criticize them?

If one does not have the right to criticize them then what is the logical explanation for this? 

If one does have the right to criticize them then what is the acceptable extent of the criticism? For example, can one criticize the first three caliphs as far as saying that they were not fit to be the leaders of Muslims?

- Corresponding Shi'a View

The fourteen infallibles (The prophet, Lady Fatimah, and the Imams) are free from sin and error and cannot be criticized. 

The words and actions of all fallible human beings, including the companions of the prophet are subject to scrutiny. The practical implication of this is that any action (or lack of action) by a fallible human being cannot be taken as proof to derive Islamic law (unless verified through an infallible).

6) What is the Sunni View on the Spiritual Contributions of the Twelve Imams ?

Shi'a texts contain an abundance of  Ad'iya (supplications) as recited by the twelve Imams and transmitted to the Shi'a by narrators of traditions. These supplications are immense treasures in their own rights and shed light on man's relationship with his creator. They contain deep and profound messages, life lessons and our towering power houses of spirituality. They uniquely compliment the miraculous linguistic style of the Qur'an, and when analyzed deeply, help us better understand the verses of the Qur'an.    

Through these supplications, the twelve Imams have contributed immensely towards the spiritual enrichment of Muslims both individually and as a community. Unlike narrating events from the prophet, or compiling the Qur'an (which are praise worthy deeds indeed), the supplications are entirely original contributions of the Imams.

Some of the Supplications (e.g. Du'a Al Makarim Al Ikhlaq) are so lengthy that it may take hours to recite them. Du'a Al Jawshan Al Kabeer contains 100 sections, each consisting of uniquely beautiful praises of Allah.

In addition to the supplications, the Imams have also provided guidance on A'maal (obligatory and recommended ritual actions such as prayer, fasting, etc for various months and dates of the year and the days and times of the week).   

Here are some of the prominent compilations of supplications that are household names among the Shi'a:

1) Al Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah: This contains 83 supplications from the fourth Imam of the Shi'a and the grandson of 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib. The Imam used these prayers to bring about spiritual reform in the Islamic community after the martyrdom of his father and his supporters in Karbala at the hands of the forces of Yazeed ibn Mu'awiyah. 

2) Mafaatih Al Jinaan: A compilation of Supplications and other material transmitted on the authority of the Imams.

3) Al Sahifa Al 'Alawiyah: Contains more than 160 supplications on the authority of Imam 'Ali

The above are just a few examples. Much more material transmitted from the fourteen infallibles can be found here. 

In summary, here is what we can say about this topic:

- The Sunnis consider the Imams as pious individuals. 

- The vast majority of material contained in these transmissions is in line with Sunni beliefs.

- The majority of the content of the supplications is universally beneficial (similar to how the messages of the Qur'an are universally beneficial, not just for Muslims.) 

- The linguistic eloquence of the supplications is exemplary and a treasure trove for students of classical  Arabic.

- These materials have benefited the Shi'a greatly for centuries and continue to do so.

- Why have the Sunnis not benefited from these unique treasures?

21 Shahru Ramadhan, 1437 A.H

27 June 2016