>
> Excellent article – Please do read it.
>
>
>
> SHIA-SUNNI UNITY
>
> By Dr. Shahid Athar M.D.
>
>
>
> Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and
> Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis,
> Indiana, and a writer on Islam.
>
> The centuries-old Shia-Sunni differences are the major obstacle to
> Muslim unity. The enemies of Islam to their benefit have always
> fanned these differences. Unfortunately, some so-called Muslim
> scholars on their payroll have also played a key role in keeping
> these differences alive.
>
> Although I was born into a Sayyid Sunni family, I did not know of
> many differences while growing up as a child. Our families always
> respected Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his parents and
> participated in ceremonies marking the anniversary of his martyrdom
> (the 10th day of the month of Muharram which is called Ashura) by
> reciting the first chapter of the Quran (al-Fatihah) and other
> chapters and verses of the Quran and fasted on the ninth and tenth
> days of that month.
>
> Now when I give lectures on Islam to non-Muslims, one of the
> questions they always ask me is if I am Shia or Sunni. I ask them
> if they know the difference. They have no knowledge, other than
> what has been given to them by the media. So they say Shias are the
> ones who are the bad guys, the militant version of Islam, and cause
> all the trouble in the Middle East these days.
>
> These non-Muslim American audiences of mine are surprised to learn
> that some of the known tyrants like Saddam Hussain and
> troublemakers like the PLO and Hamas are all Sunnis, just as they
> are surprised to learn that Tariq Aziz ( Iraq 's Foreign Minister)
> was Christian and not a Muslim.
>
> This is what I say to them about Shi'ites."If Ali Ibn Talib (cousin
> of Prophet Muhammad) was a Shia, then I am a Shia. If he was a
> Sunni, then I am a Sunni [i.e., a follower of Prophet Muhammad
> (PBUH)]. In Islam there are five recognized schools of Divine Law:
> 1) Hanafi; 2) Shafi; 3) Maliki; 4) Hambali and 5) Jafari.
>
> The first four are called Sunni, and the fifth one, who in addition
> to following sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), also
> follows those of Ali and consider him as the rightful successor of
> the Prophet, are called Shia. The first four have many major
> theological differences among themselves and according to a
> Christian friend of mine, "The only time Sunnis are united is when
> they are fighting Shias." Shi'ism started as a political movement
> (Shia means follower or partisan) to help Ali become successor of
> Muhammad (PBUH).
>
> Around every successful popular figure, there are some admirers
> whose own future interests rest with the rise of their leader. Thus
> in Indiana , we have "Friends of Lugar Club", who are hoping that
> someday Senator Richard Lugar will become a US President.
> Nationally, we now have a Hillary Rodham Clinton Fan Club with 4,000
> members! Thus, there were the Followers of Ali Club, which later on
> became a political movement. During the initial battles with
> unbelievers, Ali, the Sword of Islam, was in the forefront and
> defeated and killed many of their leaders whose children and
> grandchildren, even when they became Muslims, always remembered who
> killed their father (animosity).
>
> Ali was raised by Prophet Muhammad as a child so he knew Islam very
> well. Thus, when he became a judge, his judgments were based on
> strict Islamic principles, much to the disappointment of many who
> expected him to be lenient to the rich and powerful. He was so well
> respected and trusted by both Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar, that in
> difficult cases they asked his opinion.
>
> Nevertheless, I tell my non-Muslim audience that both Shia and
> Sunni have many things in common. They both believe in One God
> (Allah), follow the same Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the last
> Prophet, offer five daily-prescribed prayers, perform the prescribed
> fast in the month of Ramadan, go to Mecca for the pilgrimage (hajj),
> read the same Quran, and pay the poor-due.
>
> However, my answers can only satisfy my uninformed non-Muslim
> audience. The Sunni brothers, misguided by western propaganda, who
> are ready to embrace non-Muslims (especially the white ones), in the
> pretext of invitation to Islam, will not do so for Shia. They are
> ignorant Sunnis. Our job as a missionary should be to invite both
> groups to the true Islam and not chase them out. There is a movement
> in the Sunni world to have Shias labeled as disbelievers. I have
> been told that Shaykh Bin Baz of Saudi Arabia has declared an edict
> that the meat of the People of Book (Jews and Christians) is
> permissible for Sunni Muslims to eat but not the meat slaughtered by
> Shias.
>
> There are scholars on both sides, like Imam Khomeini and Shaykh
> Shaltut of al-Azhar who have done their best to minimize these
> differences and bring unity, but it is not working due to the
> misinformation prevailing in the common masses of Sunnis about
> Shi'ism. Thus I am listing their misconceptions of Shia belief and
> practices. For answers, I have consulted two Shia scholars in
> America. Dr. A. S. Hashim of Washington and Imam Muhammad Ali Elahi
> of Detroit .
>
> Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote to me "to ignore and not waste
> time in responding to such wrong allegations." He also mentioned
> that "a great deal of money and effort is being spent in the last
> few years to fan the fire of hatred between Shia and Sunni in the
> Persian Gulf region with obvious political and economical fruits for
> powers to-be."
> However, in the interest of Islamic unity, I must deal with the
> questions rather than shun them. Please note that Imam Jafar (peace
> be upon him), founder of the Shia school of law, was the teacher of
> Imam Abu-Hanifa (peace be upon him).
>
> Misconception #1: Shias have a different Quran. They add another 10
> chapters to the original Quran. Response: Not true. I have checked
> many times Quran kept in Shia homes and mosques. I still find it the
> same as the original Quran. More recently, I took care of an Iranian
> lady patient hospitalized here. I saw a copy of the Quran by her side.
> I borrowed it from her and browsed through cover-to-cover. In
> Arabic it was the same as our Quran. Of course, since I did not know
> the Persian language, I can't say much about the translation. It is
> a sin to even say that the Quran can be changed or added to by Shia
> when God protects it.
>
> Misconception #2: Some Shia considers Ali as God. Response: Not true.
> It is disbelief to even think of such a thing. During the time of
> Ali, some pagan groups called Gholat did consider Ali as Lord. When
> he found out, they were burned to death.
>
> Misconception #3: Shias have different declarations of faith and
> they add to the call to prescribed prayer. Response: The declaration
> to become a Muslim, as administered to non Muslims, is the same.
> Some Shia add to themselves, "Ali is a friend of God (PBUH) or Ali
> is a spiritual leader of God," after the call to prescribed prayer,
> but not as part of the call to prescribed prayer.
>
> Misconception #4: Shias do not perform Sunnah prayers. Sunnah
> prayers are non-obligatory prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad.
> Response: Shias do perform non-obligatory prayers, 36 cycles per day
> in total, but call it Nawafil (extra) and not Sunnah as all of the
> Prayers are Sunnah.
>
> Misconception #5: Some Shia believes the Angel Gabriel made a
> mistake and prophet hood was meant for Ali and not Muhammad (PBUH).
> Response: Not true. No Shia thinks of such false claims. "Only
> demented minds think of such questions."
>
> Misconception #6: Shias slander and ridicule the first three
> caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman) and Prophet Muhammad's wife,
> Aisha. Response: Shia considers the first three caliphs as
> companions and administrators, but not spiritual leaders (Imams).
> Imam Jafar Sadiq, whose mother and grandmother came from the line of
> Abu Bakr, said of
> Abu Bakr, "He gave me birth twice." Aisha is respected by Shias as
> the"Mother of Believers," as Ali respected her when he sent her back
> from Basra to Medina after the Battle of the Camel. If some Shia do
> slander the three caliphs and Aisha, they do it out of ignorance and
> should ask God's forgiveness. (As we have witnessed how Imam Khomeini
> The Shia bravely declared death of Salman Rushdie -The author of
> Satanic Verses who abused the wife of Prophet Aisha and Only The
> Shia Leader declared it as blasphemy, just for his Fatwa the whole
> western countries became against Iran . See how much price did Shia
> pay to defend Aisha - while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc. etc. as
> the Sunni government were silent they did not defend Aisha. Now who
> loves Aisha?)
>
> Misconception # 7: Shias combine all five prayers into one prayer
> in the evening. Response: Not true. In Shia mosques, whether in Iran
> or the USA , all five daily prayers are performed. Shia do combine
> noon and afternoon and evening and night, but Shia scholars
> recommend performing them separately. Such combinations may not be
> ideal, but
> better than not praying at all. How can a Sunni who does not pray
> at all be better than a Shia who combines prayers?
>
> Misconception # 8: Shias do not pay zakat (poor-due). Response: Not
> true. They not only pay 2.5% left over from savings as zakat, but
> also an additional 20% as Khums or general charity. However, they
> prefer to pay directly to the needy, or their grass roots recognized
> scholars rather than corrupt Sunni, or Shia (The Shah?) governments.
>
> Misconception #9: Shias practice temporary marriages (Mutah).
> Response: Mutah (temporary marriages) was allowed during the time of
> Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and he himself practiced it. Ibn Zubayr was
> born out of the temporary marriage. Later on Caliph Umar prohibited
> it due to social reasons as the Islamic world was rapidly expanding.
> Shias discourage Mutah but do not consider it prohibited. Some do
> abuse this. As a temporary privilege during travel, it is better
> than adultery.
>
> Misconception #10: They consider Imams infallible and above the
> Prophets. Response: Not true. All prophets are born Prophet but as
> mentioned in Quran about Abraham that after passing the test, a
> prophet becomes a leader (Imam). Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet
> (Nabi), Messenger (Rasul) and leader (Imam). Shias consider The
> Imams as error free carriers of the message of Islam. Shias consider
> Ali only as an Imam and not prophet. But his relevance in relation
> to The Muslim Ummah in particular and the times in which we all
> live, his contribution as "carrier" is more relevant than the
> Prophets before Muhammad whose books are lost, and contributions are
> "legendary" at best.. With the little knowledge I have, I have tried
> to do my best as a Sunni in defending my Shia brothers in Islam with
> the hope and prayer to God Almighty that He will "instill love in
> the heart of the believers" and bring us closer to each other so
> that we jointly can fight our common enemy, Satan and his followers.
>
> May God forgive my mistakes in this article and this book (Amin).
>
> "Knowledge is better than wealth because it protects you while you
> have to guard wealth. It decreases if you keep on spending it but
> the more you make use of knowledge, the more it increases. What you
> get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears but what
> you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you."
http://www.scribd.com/doc/61839666/Indo-Pak-Wars-A-Pictorial-History
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21686885/TALIBAN-WAR-IN-PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN-A-WRITERS-PERCEPTIONS-FROM-2001-TO-2011
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22457862/Military-Decision-making-and-leadership
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22151765/History-of-Pakistan-Army-from-1757-to-1971-PRINTING-ENABLED-Do-acknowledge-to-the-author
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22455178/Letters-to-Command-and-Staff-College-Quetta-Citadel-Journal
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23150027/Pakistan-Army-through-eyes-of-Pakistani-Generals
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23701412/War-of-Independence-of-1857
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22107238/HISTORY
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21693873/Indo-Pak-Wars-1947-71-A-STRATEGIC-AND-OPERATIONAL-ANALYSIS-BY-A-H-AMIN-THIS-BOOK-CAN-BE-PRINTED-FROM-THIS-SITE
> Excellent article – Please do read it.
>
>
>
> SHIA-SUNNI UNITY
>
> By Dr. Shahid Athar M.D.
>
>
>
> Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and
> Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis,
> Indiana, and a writer on Islam.
>
> The centuries-old Shia-Sunni differences are the major obstacle to
> Muslim unity. The enemies of Islam to their benefit have always
> fanned these differences. Unfortunately, some so-called Muslim
> scholars on their payroll have also played a key role in keeping
> these differences alive.
>
> Although I was born into a Sayyid Sunni family, I did not know of
> many differences while growing up as a child. Our families always
> respected Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his parents and
> participated in ceremonies marking the anniversary of his martyrdom
> (the 10th day of the month of Muharram which is called Ashura) by
> reciting the first chapter of the Quran (al-Fatihah) and other
> chapters and verses of the Quran and fasted on the ninth and tenth
> days of that month.
>
> Now when I give lectures on Islam to non-Muslims, one of the
> questions they always ask me is if I am Shia or Sunni. I ask them
> if they know the difference. They have no knowledge, other than
> what has been given to them by the media. So they say Shias are the
> ones who are the bad guys, the militant version of Islam, and cause
> all the trouble in the Middle East these days.
>
> These non-Muslim American audiences of mine are surprised to learn
> that some of the known tyrants like Saddam Hussain and
> troublemakers like the PLO and Hamas are all Sunnis, just as they
> are surprised to learn that Tariq Aziz ( Iraq 's Foreign Minister)
> was Christian and not a Muslim.
>
> This is what I say to them about Shi'ites."If Ali Ibn Talib (cousin
> of Prophet Muhammad) was a Shia, then I am a Shia. If he was a
> Sunni, then I am a Sunni [i.e., a follower of Prophet Muhammad
> (PBUH)]. In Islam there are five recognized schools of Divine Law:
> 1) Hanafi; 2) Shafi; 3) Maliki; 4) Hambali and 5) Jafari.
>
> The first four are called Sunni, and the fifth one, who in addition
> to following sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), also
> follows those of Ali and consider him as the rightful successor of
> the Prophet, are called Shia. The first four have many major
> theological differences among themselves and according to a
> Christian friend of mine, "The only time Sunnis are united is when
> they are fighting Shias." Shi'ism started as a political movement
> (Shia means follower or partisan) to help Ali become successor of
> Muhammad (PBUH).
>
> Around every successful popular figure, there are some admirers
> whose own future interests rest with the rise of their leader. Thus
> in Indiana , we have "Friends of Lugar Club", who are hoping that
> someday Senator Richard Lugar will become a US President.
> Nationally, we now have a Hillary Rodham Clinton Fan Club with 4,000
> members! Thus, there were the Followers of Ali Club, which later on
> became a political movement. During the initial battles with
> unbelievers, Ali, the Sword of Islam, was in the forefront and
> defeated and killed many of their leaders whose children and
> grandchildren, even when they became Muslims, always remembered who
> killed their father (animosity).
>
> Ali was raised by Prophet Muhammad as a child so he knew Islam very
> well. Thus, when he became a judge, his judgments were based on
> strict Islamic principles, much to the disappointment of many who
> expected him to be lenient to the rich and powerful. He was so well
> respected and trusted by both Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar, that in
> difficult cases they asked his opinion.
>
> Nevertheless, I tell my non-Muslim audience that both Shia and
> Sunni have many things in common. They both believe in One God
> (Allah), follow the same Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the last
> Prophet, offer five daily-prescribed prayers, perform the prescribed
> fast in the month of Ramadan, go to Mecca for the pilgrimage (hajj),
> read the same Quran, and pay the poor-due.
>
> However, my answers can only satisfy my uninformed non-Muslim
> audience. The Sunni brothers, misguided by western propaganda, who
> are ready to embrace non-Muslims (especially the white ones), in the
> pretext of invitation to Islam, will not do so for Shia. They are
> ignorant Sunnis. Our job as a missionary should be to invite both
> groups to the true Islam and not chase them out. There is a movement
> in the Sunni world to have Shias labeled as disbelievers. I have
> been told that Shaykh Bin Baz of Saudi Arabia has declared an edict
> that the meat of the People of Book (Jews and Christians) is
> permissible for Sunni Muslims to eat but not the meat slaughtered by
> Shias.
>
> There are scholars on both sides, like Imam Khomeini and Shaykh
> Shaltut of al-Azhar who have done their best to minimize these
> differences and bring unity, but it is not working due to the
> misinformation prevailing in the common masses of Sunnis about
> Shi'ism. Thus I am listing their misconceptions of Shia belief and
> practices. For answers, I have consulted two Shia scholars in
> America. Dr. A. S. Hashim of Washington and Imam Muhammad Ali Elahi
> of Detroit .
>
> Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote to me "to ignore and not waste
> time in responding to such wrong allegations." He also mentioned
> that "a great deal of money and effort is being spent in the last
> few years to fan the fire of hatred between Shia and Sunni in the
> Persian Gulf region with obvious political and economical fruits for
> powers to-be."
> However, in the interest of Islamic unity, I must deal with the
> questions rather than shun them. Please note that Imam Jafar (peace
> be upon him), founder of the Shia school of law, was the teacher of
> Imam Abu-Hanifa (peace be upon him).
>
> Misconception #1: Shias have a different Quran. They add another 10
> chapters to the original Quran. Response: Not true. I have checked
> many times Quran kept in Shia homes and mosques. I still find it the
> same as the original Quran. More recently, I took care of an Iranian
> lady patient hospitalized here. I saw a copy of the Quran by her side.
> I borrowed it from her and browsed through cover-to-cover. In
> Arabic it was the same as our Quran. Of course, since I did not know
> the Persian language, I can't say much about the translation. It is
> a sin to even say that the Quran can be changed or added to by Shia
> when God protects it.
>
> Misconception #2: Some Shia considers Ali as God. Response: Not true.
> It is disbelief to even think of such a thing. During the time of
> Ali, some pagan groups called Gholat did consider Ali as Lord. When
> he found out, they were burned to death.
>
> Misconception #3: Shias have different declarations of faith and
> they add to the call to prescribed prayer. Response: The declaration
> to become a Muslim, as administered to non Muslims, is the same.
> Some Shia add to themselves, "Ali is a friend of God (PBUH) or Ali
> is a spiritual leader of God," after the call to prescribed prayer,
> but not as part of the call to prescribed prayer.
>
> Misconception #4: Shias do not perform Sunnah prayers. Sunnah
> prayers are non-obligatory prayers performed by Prophet Muhammad.
> Response: Shias do perform non-obligatory prayers, 36 cycles per day
> in total, but call it Nawafil (extra) and not Sunnah as all of the
> Prayers are Sunnah.
>
> Misconception #5: Some Shia believes the Angel Gabriel made a
> mistake and prophet hood was meant for Ali and not Muhammad (PBUH).
> Response: Not true. No Shia thinks of such false claims. "Only
> demented minds think of such questions."
>
> Misconception #6: Shias slander and ridicule the first three
> caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman) and Prophet Muhammad's wife,
> Aisha. Response: Shia considers the first three caliphs as
> companions and administrators, but not spiritual leaders (Imams).
> Imam Jafar Sadiq, whose mother and grandmother came from the line of
> Abu Bakr, said of
> Abu Bakr, "He gave me birth twice." Aisha is respected by Shias as
> the"Mother of Believers," as Ali respected her when he sent her back
> from Basra to Medina after the Battle of the Camel. If some Shia do
> slander the three caliphs and Aisha, they do it out of ignorance and
> should ask God's forgiveness. (As we have witnessed how Imam Khomeini
> The Shia bravely declared death of Salman Rushdie -The author of
> Satanic Verses who abused the wife of Prophet Aisha and Only The
> Shia Leader declared it as blasphemy, just for his Fatwa the whole
> western countries became against Iran . See how much price did Shia
> pay to defend Aisha - while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc. etc. as
> the Sunni government were silent they did not defend Aisha. Now who
> loves Aisha?)
>
> Misconception # 7: Shias combine all five prayers into one prayer
> in the evening. Response: Not true. In Shia mosques, whether in Iran
> or the USA , all five daily prayers are performed. Shia do combine
> noon and afternoon and evening and night, but Shia scholars
> recommend performing them separately. Such combinations may not be
> ideal, but
> better than not praying at all. How can a Sunni who does not pray
> at all be better than a Shia who combines prayers?
>
> Misconception # 8: Shias do not pay zakat (poor-due). Response: Not
> true. They not only pay 2.5% left over from savings as zakat, but
> also an additional 20% as Khums or general charity. However, they
> prefer to pay directly to the needy, or their grass roots recognized
> scholars rather than corrupt Sunni, or Shia (The Shah?) governments.
>
> Misconception #9: Shias practice temporary marriages (Mutah).
> Response: Mutah (temporary marriages) was allowed during the time of
> Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and he himself practiced it. Ibn Zubayr was
> born out of the temporary marriage. Later on Caliph Umar prohibited
> it due to social reasons as the Islamic world was rapidly expanding.
> Shias discourage Mutah but do not consider it prohibited. Some do
> abuse this. As a temporary privilege during travel, it is better
> than adultery.
>
> Misconception #10: They consider Imams infallible and above the
> Prophets. Response: Not true. All prophets are born Prophet but as
> mentioned in Quran about Abraham that after passing the test, a
> prophet becomes a leader (Imam). Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet
> (Nabi), Messenger (Rasul) and leader (Imam). Shias consider The
> Imams as error free carriers of the message of Islam. Shias consider
> Ali only as an Imam and not prophet. But his relevance in relation
> to The Muslim Ummah in particular and the times in which we all
> live, his contribution as "carrier" is more relevant than the
> Prophets before Muhammad whose books are lost, and contributions are
> "legendary" at best.. With the little knowledge I have, I have tried
> to do my best as a Sunni in defending my Shia brothers in Islam with
> the hope and prayer to God Almighty that He will "instill love in
> the heart of the believers" and bring us closer to each other so
> that we jointly can fight our common enemy, Satan and his followers.
>
> May God forgive my mistakes in this article and this book (Amin).
>
> "Knowledge is better than wealth because it protects you while you
> have to guard wealth. It decreases if you keep on spending it but
> the more you make use of knowledge, the more it increases. What you
> get through wealth disappears as soon as wealth disappears but what
> you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you."
http://www.scribd.com/doc/61839666/Indo-Pak-Wars-A-Pictorial-History
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21686885/TALIBAN-WAR-IN-PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN-A-WRITERS-PERCEPTIONS-FROM-2001-TO-2011
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22457862/Military-Decision-making-and-leadership
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22151765/History-of-Pakistan-Army-from-1757-to-1971-PRINTING-ENABLED-Do-acknowledge-to-the-author
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22455178/Letters-to-Command-and-Staff-College-Quetta-Citadel-Journal
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23150027/Pakistan-Army-through-eyes-of-Pakistani-Generals
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23701412/War-of-Independence-of-1857
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22107238/HISTORY
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21693873/Indo-Pak-Wars-1947-71-A-STRATEGIC-AND-OPERATIONAL-ANALYSIS-BY-A-H-AMIN-THIS-BOOK-CAN-BE-PRINTED-FROM-THIS-SITE
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