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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
All Praise be to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. Salutations and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions altogether.
It is widely recognised by Muslim preachers and thinkers that there are individuals within the Ummah striving to reunite and gather its scattered factions. Their aim is to restore the Ummah to its rightful place, leading humanity in accordance to the method of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and the divine justice exemplified by Islam. This justice has historically allowed all religions to coexist with respect and security.
Those who advocate for unity and rapprochement garner attention and respect from Muslims, as they endeavour to revive the glory and honour of the Muslim Ummah. They are seen as beacons of hope, working to unify Muslims despite doctrinal differences, to put aside disputes, and to unite them under the banner of Islamic brotherhood. This unity stands as a strong defence against enemies who seek to humiliate and oppress Muslims.
Voices calling for rapprochement among Islamic sects and the rejection of discord have emerged, highlighting the necessity of unity to avoid weakness and fragmentation within the Ummah. This aspiration resonates deeply with every devout Muslim who feels the pain of their Ummah’s plight and carries the burden of its suffering in their heart.
One of the most prominent calls for rapprochement and Islamic unity in this era is the one that advocates rapprochement and unity between the Ahlus Sunnah and Twelver Shia communities. It has occupied a significant space in writings, sermons, and lectures across Masajid and radio broadcasts, and has persisted for decades.
Among the foremost proponents of rapprochement and symbols of unity in the present time is the Shia authority, scholar, and researcher Jafar al Subhani. Rarely does one of his ‘Aqidah or Fiqh works lack an invitation to Islamic unity and rapprochement between the Ahlus Sunnah and Shia, rejecting discord, division, and fragmentation.
However, despite the hopeful message of unity and rejection of division, I found in some of them smoke, as the advocates of these calls were driven by personal agendas and ambitions to achieve their goals. Their repetition of these slogans stemmed not from concern for the Muslim Ummah and its torn state, but rather from their desire to spread their ideas and win over a larger number of Muslims to their own beliefs, exploiting the respect of Muslims and their inclination—with their hearts and bodies—towards those who call for rapprochement. However, when people responded positively to them, they began to present their ideas and beliefs gradually and subtly, especially since most Muslims lack a clear understanding and awareness of these doctrines and their evaluation, in terms of correctness and deviation. Consequently, the result was that the call for rapprochement among these individuals turned into a means—after being an end in itself and a dream cherished by every sincere Muslim in their Din—to lure followers of other doctrines into their own.
The best evidence for what I say is what the scholars of the Imamiyyah have done by adopting their call for rapprochement as a means to spread their beliefs among the ranks of the Ahlus Sunnah and entrap them with their nets.
While there are many examples of this[1], I will suffice in this brief treatise with just one example, who is their authority and researcher, Jafar al Subhani, one of the most prominent scholarly figures in the Imamiyyah realm and one of the leading advocates for rapprochement and its symbols in the present era. Hardly does a book of his on ‘Aqidah or Fiqh lack a call for Islamic unity and rapprochement between the Ahlus Sunnah and Shia, and the rejection of discord, division, and fragmentation. He frequently echoed the idea of rapprochement in his writings, but contradicted himself when he adopted a path that made him an advocate of discord and division, as some found him criticising the senior Companions of our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, foremost among them being the Khulafa’ Rashidin, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman, radiya Llahu ‘anhum. It is hoped that people will wake up from their slumber and reject the voices echoed by ignorant extremists with deviant sectarian tendencies and adhere to the saying of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala:
هَٰٓأَنتُمۡ أُوْلَآءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمۡ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمۡ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡكِتَٰبِ كُلِّهِۦ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ عَضُّواْ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡأَنَامِلَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيۡظِۚ قُلۡ مُوتُواْ بِغَيۡظِكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
Here you are loving them but they are not loving you, while you believe in the Scripture – all of it. And when they meet you, they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage. Say, “Die in your rage. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts.”[2]
In conclusion, may Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala open the ears and eyes of the deaf and blind with this treatise. He is the patron and fully capable of executing it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala bestow His peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
‘Abdul Malik ibn ‘Abdur Rahman al Shafi’i
1 Safar 1430 AH
NEXT⇒ Excerpts from his call for rapprochement and rejection of division and discord among Muslims
[1] Their philosopher and martyr, Murtada al Mutahhari, confirms that their fundamental goal from the project of Islamic unity and rapprochement is to spread their ideas and beliefs among the ranks of the Ahlus Sunnah. He said in the book al Imamah (pg. 28-29): “What we anticipate on the path of Islamic unity is the emergence of a conducive environment for mutual understanding, so that we can present our usul (principles) and furu’ (branches), including our Fiqh, Hadith, logic, philosophy, Tafsir, and literature. This environment should enable us to present our products as the finest merchandise, ensuring that the Shia community is not marginalised. It is crucial that significant sites in the Islamic world become accessible to them. Additionally, the treasure trove of Shia Islamic knowledge should not be inaccessible.”
Then, al Mutahhari emphasised that the goal of rapprochement, spreading their beliefs among the Ahlus Sunnah, is what he was striving to achieve, echoing the aspirations of al Burujirdi. He acknowledged that he had successfully achieved it stating, “What the late Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma al Burujirdi envisioned, specifically, was to create a conducive platform for disseminating the knowledge of the Ahlul Bayt among Ahlus Sunnah brethren. He believed that this endeavour could only be accomplished by fostering a common ground for understanding. The success attained by the late al Burujirdi, may Allah reward him abundantly for his service to Islam and Muslims, was evident in the printing of some Shia jurisprudential books in Egypt by the Egyptians themselves. This was a consequence of the understanding that emerged, and it was indeed the most significant success achieved by Shia scholars.”
Here is their avid writer, Jafar al Shakhuri al Bahrani, calling upon Imami writers to refrain from direct attacks on the Ahlus Sunnah, especially the Khalifas, in their writings as it repels them. He urges them to adopt the moderate approach adorned with slogans of unity, Islamic brotherhood, and rapprochement, aiming for the success of this method of infiltrating the Ahlus Sunnah and converting many of them to the belief of the Shia Imamiyyah. Then, he commends the success achieved by ‘Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din, author of al Muraja’at, in this (method of) infiltration when he followed this method, stating in his book Marji’iyyat al Marhalah wa Ghubar al Taghyir (pg. 228): “It is noteworthy to mention here that such works, where all their efforts are focused on highlighting the flaws of the Sunni figures including physical and ordinary flaws which are not linked to history, lead to the aversion of people for Shi’ism, unlike balanced writings like the book al Muraja’at (by Sayed Sharaf al Din) and Ma’alim al Madrasatayn (by Sayed Murtada al ‘Askari), where they have contributed to the widespread dissemination of Shia thought because when Sunni readers find objectivity and calm language in them, their appetite for reading and studying them will open.”
Yes, indeed, they have succeeded in spreading their doctrine among the ranks of the Sunni community and advancing their agenda under the banner of rapprochement and promoting Islamic unity. Periodically, we encounter books filled with criticisms and distortions of Islam and esteemed men of Islam, under the guise of promoting rapprochement. In these books, the authors claim to have converted to the Imamiyyah doctrine after previously being Ahlus Sunnah and accepting the validity of their claims.
[2] Surah Al ‘Imran: 119.