Attempts at Taqrib in the twentieth century

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

Attempts at Taqrib in the twentieth century[1]

The twentieth century witnessed a decided change in Sunni-Shia relations. The focus of this new development was the Middle East. Most of the countries in this region fell under direct Ottoman rule at the beginning of the century and all of them gained independence in the wake of the abolishment of the Caliphate.

In regions where Sunnis and Shia co-existed, but did not form part of the Ottoman Empire, like the Indian subcontinent, the situation remained to a large extent unaffected. It is worth noting that despite the largely Sunni character of the Moghul Empire, the Shia in India wielded tremendous influence and even ruled a number of Indian principalities, like Awadh (Oudh) with its capital at Lucknow, and the principality of Rampur. In South India, the Shia legacy of the kingdoms of Bijapur and Golconda also persisted.

In Iran, the only country with a Shia majority, we see a unique case of contradiction. The ‘Ulama’ of Iran were heavily involved in Taqrib ventures elsewhere and the government supported some of these ventures financially. At home however, the conditions of the Sunni minority remained much the same. No attempt was made to woo them like their brothers in the Arab world were being wooed. On the whole, they remained the oppressed, downtrodden community they had been ever since Safavid times.

Taqrib efforts in the twentieth century came in the form of groups working collectively, or of single persons advocating rapprochement individually. In the ensuing pages we first look at collective efforts.

Collective endeavours

In the beginning of 1935, a person called Abu ‘Abdullah al Zanjani came to Cairo. He held talks with Sheikh Muhammad al Khadir Hussain and Sheikh Muhibb al Din al Khatib on the subject of mutual cooperation between the Shia and the Ahlus Sunnah and gave them the good news that there existed in Iran an enlightened group who were realising the mistakes of the past, especially with regard to their traditional attitude towards the Sahabah. He went back to Iran, ostensibly to start working towards his stated aim of Sunni-Shia cooperation, but never returned. It later came to light that he was in fact sent by the Iranian government for other reasons.[2]

Sometime later, Iran sent another Zanjani to Cairo with a similar purpose. This person, ‘Abdul Karim al Zanjani was much more straightforward about the mechanics of how to achieve Sunni-Shia unity. He believed that unity is only achievable if the Ahlus Sunnah embrace the beliefs of the Shia. His venture was therefore short-lived, and he too, like his predecessor and namesake, returned to Iran.[3]

The ventures of the two Zanjanis were thus unsuccessful. There were other efforts that lasted longer than theirs; and it is to four of those ventures that we now turn.

Jama’at al Ukhuwwah al Islamiyyah

This group was founded by an Ismaili Shia from India named Muhammad Hassan A’zami. He came to Cairo in 1937 where he established the headquarters of his group at Qubbat al Ghuri. Eminent thinkers like Sheikh Tantawi Jawhari, Mustafa ‘Abdur Raziq and ‘Abdur Rahman ‘Azzam were supposedly members of the Jama’ah. Membership, the founder claimed, was restricted to “followers of the true schools who do not contradict the categorical text of the Qur’an, the authentic Sunnah, or the consensus of the Ummah”. He returned to Karachi in Pakistan in 1948.

Although the Jama’ah was supposed to include some of Egypt’s leading thinkers amongst its members, none of its publications came from the pen of any of them. The two solitary publications were both written by A’zami himself. One, a book called al Haqa’iq al Khafiyyah ‘an al Shia al Fatimiyyah wa l-Ithna ‘Ashariyyah, was more of an Ismaili propaganda than anything else. The other, Haqa’iq ‘an Pakistan, dealt with the newly established state of Pakistan. Besides these two books, the group assisted in the editing and publication of a number of Ismaili works like Ta’wil al Da’a’im and Iftitah al Da’wah, both by Qadi No’man, the chief judge of the Fatimid ruler al Mu’izz li Din Allah.

What further counts against the credibility of this group as a serious effort of reconciliation is the fact that besides its founder, no one else seems to have known anything about it. In Egypt, Sheikh ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ‘Isa, editor of the journal published by the Dar al Taqrib, denied any knowledge of the existence of such a group, while in Pakistan, the other supposed home of the organisation, no trace could be found of it.[4]

Dar al Insaf

This group was founded in Lebanon in 1366 AH/1946 CE. Its founder members, Hashim al Daftardar and Muhammad al Zu’bi, stated their objective as being “to reach an understanding of the various sects of Islam in the manner of the Dar al Taqrib in Egypt.” Its only publication, a book entitled al Islam bayna al Sunnah wa al Shia, was written on the faulty premise that the Rawafid are an extinct sect who used to hate and curse the Sahabah and that the Shia of today love and respect them all, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar included. This shows once again that the Sunni parties to this venture were simply ignorant of Shi’ism, not having made a study of it from its original sources and that the Shia participants (if there were any) made good use of Taqiyyah.[5]

Dar Ahlul Bayt

After the activities of the Dar al Taqrib in Cairo came to a stillstand, there came to Cairo a person by the name of Talib al Rifa’i al Hussaini who soon started styling himself “the imam of the Shia in Egypt”. His organisation, the Dar Ahlul Bayt cannot be strictly classified as a Taqrib endeavour. Its efforts centred around an issue which is very often used by Shia missionaries in the accomplishment of their task: the Family of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Knowing fully well the potency of this issue with the Egyptian public, Talib al Rifa’i chose this name for his organisation. Its activities included the publication of Shia literature, the commemoration of Shia festivals, and on the whole, the subtle propagation of Shi’ism. As incentives, he founded a welfare branch that extends material aid to the poor, as well as a free dispensary.

Considering the fact that Egypt did not have any Shia before the founding of the Dar al Taqrib, one is inclined to believe that Talib al Rifa’i came to Egypt to consolidate the success of the Dar al Taqrib in its true mission, which is the conversion of Sunnis to Shi’ism and not rapprochement between the Ahlus Sunnah and the Shia.[6]

NEXT⇒ The Dar al Taqrib in Cairo

[1] This study is based upon the book Mas’alat al Taqrib bayna Ahlus Sunnah wa al Shia by Dr. Nasir ‘Abdullah al Qafari, published by Dar Taybah in Riyad.

[2] Muhibb al Din al Khatib: Nash’at al Tashayyu’ wa-Tatawwaruhu, 4-6, and Majallat al Fath, 17/709.

[3] Ibid. See also ‘Abdul Karim al Zanjani: al Wahdah al Islamiyyah (al Taqrib bayna al Muslimin), 59.

[4] Dr. Nasir ‘Abdullah al Qifari: Mas’alat al Taqrib bayna Ahlus Sunnah wa al Shia, 2/171-172.

[5] Ibid., 173.

[6] Ibid., 177-178.