Drawn to Islam

[erevna]

Hello. I've been looking into Islam just to learn about it and I've been considering converting. I'm a Christian so a lot of it seems familiar to me. But I have so many questions. Like for instance, I have a few Muslim friends and none of them wear head coverings and they listen to music and watch movies. They eat meat that hasn't been killed in the name of Allah and they don't pray five times a day. Are they just not "practicing Muslims"?

Does the Quran forbid music and movies? What about painting and drawing? And writing?

Is a head covering necessary? And I've heard that the Quran was only meant to be read in Arabic. Does this mean I can't read the Quran until I've learned Arabic? What is a good place to start out with if I'm looking into conversion? Are there any good books that I should read?

I really feel lost but I keep getting drawn back to Islam.

If someone could just maybe answer just a few of the questions I would be very grateful.

[namesdontmatter]

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Peace and blessings be upon you, erevna.

Originally Posted by erevna

Hello. I've been looking into Islam just to learn about it and I've been considering converting. I'm a Christian so a lot of it seems familiar to me.

May God be pleased with you! I am a convert from Christianity (in my early life) to agnosticism (after a family problem that left me in a Christian foster home) to Islam, ilhamdulileh (after my wife, then friend, bought me a Qur'an and helped answer many questions I had about the religion.) I would love to help you answer your questions, insha'Allah, either here or in private (I would give you my wife's email address if you wanted a pen-pal, she knows much that I do not).

But I have so many questions.

Like for instance, I have a few Muslim friends and none of them wear head coverings and they listen to music and watch movies. They eat meat that hasn't been killed in the name of Allah and they don't pray five times a day. Are they just not "practicing Muslims"?

Wearing head-coverings is a very debatable topic. We are taught as Muslims to cover that which is not necessary to be seen. In arabic, the word for private parts includes things such as a woman's hair, and a woman's voice. These things can be arrousing to men, and it is best to keep them hidden, so as not to be the cause of sinful thoughts or actions. However, God has said that he will not put a burden on a person more than they can carry. So, if it is not possible for you to wear a hijab (head covering), try to make it possible. Failing that, pray for forgiveness. If they, or you, are afraid of wearing a hijab because people will stare, then just remember that you are doing it for God and not for the people.

Prayer is something that we must do to be Muslim. The Prophet Muhammed (may peace be upon him) said to the men that the difference between a Muslim and a man is that a Muslim prays. Five daily prayers is but small offering to the creator of you, your friends, and all around you.

If you can't find meat that has been killed in the name of God, then before you eat it, you must say "Bismillah al-rahmen al-raheem." This is to 'cleanse' it as best you can. God will not have you go hungry, and will not put a burden on you more than you can carry.

The Qur'an does not forbid music, movies, writing, painting, or drawing, unless they contain sinful material. (violence or pornographic material)

And I've heard that the Quran was only meant to be read in Arabic. Does this mean I can't read the Quran until I've learned Arabic? What is a good place to start out with if I'm looking into conversion?

The Qur'an has stayed unaltered in its Arabic form for over 1400 years. You can read the Qur'an in your language, but you must understand that no matter how hard the translators try, he or she will never reach the magnitude of perfection that God had when He created the glorious Qur'an. If you are serious about studying Islam, and you promise to treat the book well, I will have my wife send you a copy of the Qur'an in your preferred language. If you would rather buy your own, then I must suggest Abdullah Yusuf Ali as an author. He uses the english language very well in his translation of the arabic Qur'an. His words are beautiful, but again you must remember that they do not hold a candle to the original arabic.

I really feel lost but I keep getting drawn back to Islam.

If someone could just maybe answer just a few of the questions I would be very grateful.

If you don't mind my asking, how do you keep getting drawn back to Islam? Surely, there are signs to be seen in this, for those who are observant.

I hope I have answered your questions well. If you have more questions, I am happy to answer. May you find the straight path, sister.

--Would a rose, by any other...?

[Yaqinud Din]

About your friends not praying

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463 and others. It is a saheeh report. Al-Mishkaat, 574)

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr, there stands his giving up prayer.”

Music is Haraam

Al-Bukhaari narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will be among my ummah people who will regard adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as permissible.”

But there are some ahaadeeth which indicate that it is permissible to beat the daff in some circumstances, which are:

Eid, weddings, and when one who has been away returns.
The evidence is given below.

1 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) entered upon her and there were two girls with her during the days of Mina beating the daff, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) uncovered his face and said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.” That was during the days of Mina.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 944; Muslim, 892

2 – It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: “After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the daff and reciting verses mourning my father, who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ On that the Prophet said, ‘Omit this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before.’”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4852).

3 – It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I vowed that if Allaah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the daff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Shaytaan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3690; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2913.

These ahaadeeth indicate that it is permissible to beat the daff in these three situations. Apart from that, the principle remains that it is haraam. Some scholars made the matter broader and said that it is permissible to beat the daff when a child is born and when he is circumcised; others take the matter further and say that it is permissible on all occasions that are a cause for expressing joy, such as the recovery of a sick person and the like.

See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 38/169

But it is better to limit ourselves to what was narrated in the text. And Allaah knows best.

The correct view is that it is not permissible to beat the daff except for women. If a man does that, he is imitating women, which is a major sin.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said this

In general, it is a well known principle of the Islamic religion that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not prescribe that the righteous men, devoted worshippers and ascetics of this ummah should gather to listen to verses of poetry chanted to the accompaniment of handclapping, rhythm sticks or daffs. It is not permissible for anyone to go beyond the limits of Islam and follow something other than that which was narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, whether that has to do with inward matters or outward, whether for the common man or the elite. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a concession for some kinds of entertainment on the occasion of weddings and the like, and he also granted a concession to women allowing them to beat the daff at weddings and on other joyous occasions. But with regard to the men of his time, none of them used to beat the daff or clap his hands, rather it was proven in al-Saheeh that he said, ‘Clapping is for women, and Tasbeeh is for men,’ and he cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women.

Because singing, beating the daff and clapping the hands are actions of women, the salaf used to call a man who did that mukhannath (effeminate), and they used to call male singers makhaaneeth (pl. of mukhannath). This is well known.

[Yaqinud Din]

Islamic dress for Women

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Ahzaab 33:59].

and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e., their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.)…” [al-Noor 24:31]

and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance…” [al-Ahzaab 33:33]

Suicide

Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the Fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever)), [Bukhaaree (5778) and Muslim (109 and 110)]].
And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 29].

Fighting

Premission to fight is given to those (i.e.believers against disbelievers),who are fighting them, (and) because they (believers) have been wronged,and surely,Allah is able to give them (believers) victory. (Al-Hajj 22:39)

And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors. (Al-Baqarah (2:190)

Hope this helps feel free to ask anything

[thipps]

Originally Posted by erevna

Hello. I've been looking into Islam just to learn about it and I've been considering converting. I'm a Christian so a lot of it seems familiar to me. But I have so many questions. Like for instance, I have a few Muslim friends and none of them wear head coverings and they listen to music and watch movies. They eat meat that hasn't been killed in the name of Allah and they don't pray five times a day. Are they just not "practicing Muslims"?

Correct. They are not practicing muslims. Always look to the authentic sources (Qur'an and sahih(authentic) Hadith) when learning about Islam. Whenever someone tells you something, ask for the proof. Why? because already you can see one person telling you that Quran does not forbid music and another poster saying it is forbidden. The difference, as you can see, lies in the fact that the latter has provided clear proof for his statement.

Does the Quran forbid music and movies? What about painting and drawing? And writing?

Regarding music, eventhough what was provided by Yaqinuddin is enough but still just a little more on music, please read Tafseer ibn kathir regarding the 6th verse of chapter 31. For a quick look, I will paste some relevant material right here. It says regarding the verse:
As Ibn Mas`ud commented about the Ayah (i.e. 31:6):
he said, "This -- by Allah -- refers to singing.''
It should be noted that Ibn Mas`ud (May Allaah be pleased with him) was a Companion of the Prophet Mohammad(pbuh).
The online version of Tafseer (Explanation of the Quran) Ibn Kathir is an excellent resource for english speakers. I strongly suggest using it.
Regarding Painting/Drawing/sculpting, please click here.
Regarding writing, it depends on the content. If it does not violate Islamic laws and rulings, then its fine.

Is a head covering necessary?

covering your head is compulsory. Not only your head but your whole body. Yaqinud Din provided some details.

And I've heard that the Quran was only meant to be read in Arabic. Does this mean I can't read the Quran until I've learned Arabic?

namesdontmatter is right. The point is that the original arabic is not equivalent to its translation because translations are done by people. and people can make mistakes. But it doesnt mean that you cant read translations.
A translation done in modern english which is becoming popular is by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

What is a good place to start out with if I'm looking into conversion? Are there any good books that I should read?

Look inside yourself of all places. reading and understanding the Qur'an is the most important book. I also suggest you speak to other converts as, im sure, they would have gone through pretty much the same thing you are going through now.
May Allaah guide us all.

[wil]

If I may inquire in regards to the making images of the animate.

So would that have effectively stopped medical advancement in drawings of the anatomy?

Can one who follows Islam use the images drawn by others for educational purposes? Or is one allowed not allowed to look at images done by another?

How did Sadam get away with all his statues and billboards?
or Saudi Arabia use the images on all the currency?
How is creating a video, like Osama has, not creating images?

[erevna]

Thank you all for your replies!!! It explained a lot and I am going to start reading the Quran to help me understand Islam more.

[Yaqinud Din]

I also agree with my good brother thipps that the translations of Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan is good. You can go to one of the book store I gave you in the links to get this translation

Here is a list of sites that will help you.

http://www.binbaz.co.uk

http://www.albani.co.uk

http://www.troid.org

http://www.therighteouspath.com

http://www.salafipublications.com

This site is a must read

http://www.thewahhabimyth.com/

Book stores

http://www.islamicbookstore.com

http://www.darussalam.com

[thipps]

erevna, Yaqinud Din has given you top-notch websites. Excellent stuff.
by the way, I strongly suggest you and everyone else to read that book on The Wahhabi Myth. A jewel of a book indeed. A need of our times to explain to our youth and the non-muslim world about many things they simply misunderstand.

[Jibran]

Originally Posted by wil

If I may inquire in regards to the making images of the animate.

So would that have effectively stopped medical advancement in drawings of the anatomy?

Can one who follows Islam use the images drawn by others for educational purposes? Or is one allowed not allowed to look at images done by another?

How did Sadam get away with all his statues and billboards?
or Saudi Arabia use the images on all the currency?
How is creating a video, like Osama has, not creating images?

There is no prohibition of making any kind of images in Islam. for instance, Painting, drawing etc for educational purposes is allowed. Also, Recording video or taking snaps from a camera in itself is perfectly alright as far as it does not induce any sinful activity. i.e; obscene images, pornography, or exposure of female to the non-mahram in a way that is not islamic in terms of code of dress and morals.

It should be remembered that there is a doubt whether the making of statues of any kind (any three dimensional object) is allowed or not. Some argue that it is absolutely forbidden but some of the scholars say that if there is not a fear of a statue being worshipped in any sense, it is allowed.

But there are some people who are against any kind of drawings, paintings and pictures and decalre them as prohibited but there is no proof for that. Rather, they are plunging in a kind of darkness and making Islam a dogmatic and narrow belief which is surely not true.

May God help us all.

Peace
Jibran

[Jibran]

Originally Posted by thipps

erevna, Yaqinud Din has given you top-notch websites. Excellent stuff.
by the way, I strongly suggest you and everyone else to read that book on The Wahhabi Myth. A jewel of a book indeed. A need of our times to explain to our youth and the non-muslim world about many things they simply misunderstand.

Brother Thipps

Assalamu Alaikum,

I would recommend that Please let Non-Muslims read and understand the Quran on their own. Let them experience and accept the truth and then make a choice of their own whether which line of Islam they want to follow. By proposing them to read any sectarian oriented book like "Wahhabi myth" you are confusing them at the very outset. Im sure the book would certainly glorify the Wahhabi thinking and ideology and refute any idea which may go against the established beliefs of Wahhbis.

I would again request you not to refer them books and websites which exlusively deal witht the sectarian issues at large and ignore the very fundementals Islam teaches.

I would like to give you an example:

If you open the 'recommended' Shaykh Albani's website it says on the header:

"Shaykh Nasir-ud-din Albani:One of the imams of the Ahle-sunnah wal Jamaah"

* There is no mention that Shaykh is a scholar of Islam but specifically "Ahl-e-sunnah wal jamaah"

Welcome! On this website, you will be able to keep up to date on whatever is available of the Shaykh's materials in English on the well known Salafee web sites.

So, it a "salafee" webstie NOT an "Islamic" one! Well, I don't know why we are so quick to be identify with some kind of sectarian name other then Muslims or Islam. In its introduction, the site author emphasizes more on the "sect" rather than the religion as a whole.. I find it disturbing.

And then, there is a refutation section which deals more with explaining and refuting non-wahhabi beleifs. I couldnt see any section where I could read the debates between Muslims and non-muslims i.e; People of the book or others in general. All i see, the bombardment of personal beliefs on others within the fold of Islam

Its again my humble request not to recommend any sectarian books and website at the outset. Let the people read and chose on their own. Why we should tell non-muslims that If they want to accept Islam, they have to stick to our sect or faction?

I m sorry if I hurt your feelings or sounded bad at all in any way.

Jibran

[Yaqinud Din]

Im sure the book would certainly glorify the Wahhabi thinking and ideology and refute any idea which may go against the established beliefs of Wahhbis.

Wrong maybe you need to read the book before you talk about it.

So, it a "salafee" webstie NOT an "Islamic" one! Well, I don't know why we are so quick to be identify with some kind of sectarian name other then Muslims or Islam. In its introduction, the site author emphasizes more on the "sect" rather than the religion as a whole.. I find it disturbing

This kind of thinking from Muslims is what makes new Muslims join groups like Ahmadiyya and others then they get lost from Islam.

Shaikh al-Albaani answered this.

Shaikh al-Albaani: "When it is said to you, ‘What is your madhhab’, what is your reply?"


Questioner: "A Muslim".

Shaikh al-Albaani: "This is not sufficient!".

Questioner: "Allaah has named us Muslims" and he recited the saying of Allaah Most High, "He is the one who has called you Muslims beforehand." (al-Hajj 22:78)

Shaikh al-Albaani: "This would be a correct answer if we were in the very first times (of Islaam) before the sects had appeared and spread. But if we were to ask, now, any Muslim from any of these sects with which we differ on account of aqeedah, his answer would not be any different to this word. All of them – the Shi’ite Rafidi, the Khaariji, the Nusayri Alawi – would say, "I am a Muslim". Hence, this is not sufficient in these days."

Questioner: "In that case I say, I am a Muslim upon the Book and the Sunnah."

Shaikh al-Albaani: "This is not sufficient either".

Questioner: "Why?"

Shaikh al-Albaani: "Do you find any of those whom we have just mentioned by way of example saying, ‘I am a Muslim who is not upon the Book and the Sunnah’?" Who is the one who says, ‘I am not upon the Book and the Sunnah’?"

At this point the Shaikh then began to explain in detail the importance of being upon the Book and the Sunnah in light of the understanding of the Salaf us-Saalih…

Questioner: "In that case I am a Muslim upon the Book and the Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf us-Saalih".

Shaikh al-Albaani: "When a person asks you about your madhhab, is this what you will say to him?"

Questioner: "Yes".

Shaikh al-Albaani: "What is your view that we shorten this phrase in the language, since the best words are those that are few but indicated the desired intent, so we say, ‘Salafi’?" End of quotation. Hence, the point is that naming with "Muslim" or "Sunni" is not enough, since everyone will claim that. And Imaam al-Albaani emphasised the importance of the truth being distinguished from the falsehood – from the point of view of the basis of manhaj and aqidah, and that is taking from the Salaf us-Saalih, as opposed to the various sects and groups whose understandings are based upon those of their mentors and leaders and not that of the Salaf, fundamentally.

http://www.salafipublications.com

[Amica]

Salaam!
Welcome to Islam! May Allah Almighty grant you all the good and protection!

I myself am drawn back to Islam. I consider myself a 'reborn' Muslim, as People of the Book would say when they go back to faith. This is because most of my life I believed myself to be Muslim, but did not really practice my faith to the fullest potential.
With all the turmoil around the world in the recent decade and with the war against Muslims in my own homeland I began to feel desire to learn more about my faith. Suddenly I realized that there is so much I was turning my back against and have been feeling horrible about it. Little by little I opened my arms to Islam again and, elhamdulillah, have tried my best to become a better Muslim.

I have a long road to go still, but I am proud to be who I am today compared to who I was before.

To me, Islam is the path of life. You have to live it in order to learn and understand it. A Muslim's life, as I see it, is a constant jihad. Jihad for improvement of one's soul. Like many Muslims young in their iman, I have many challanges to face. One of my challanges that I would like to overcome is hijab.

I would love to wear hijab, because I see many beautiful benefits from it. But I do not have courage for it yet.

The reason I am telling you all this is not to encourage you to not try your best, but to let you know that you are not alone in your jihad towards saving your soul. I continually pray to Almighty Allah to help me with this struggle, to help me overcome my fears that should not be in my heart. Years of being away from Islam did it to me, but I want to be back in Islam.

Bless your heart for coming to Islam. I wish you the best and pray to Almighty Allah to help you.

[thipps]

Originally Posted by Jibran

Brother Thipps

Assalamu Alaikum,

Wa'alaikum salaam,

I would recommend that Please let Non-Muslims read and understand the Quran on their own.

I assume you are aware of amr bil ma'roof brother. Besides, I do not consider the purpose of quoting those websites as promotional considering the nature of the thread and original poster's comments and questions. furthermore, I'm sure you can give our readers here the benefit of having an intellect as good as your own. Also, this is not people who are outside the fold of Islam like the Ahmadiyya etc.

Let them experience and accept the truth and then make a choice of their own whether which line of Islam they want to follow.

Exactly. They will decide on thier own. As Allaah says in the Quran that truth is clear from falsehood. If they decide that what is written on those websites is not the truth, then how can I force them? So, ofcourse they will decide on thier own. They always do.

By proposing them to read any sectarian oriented book like "Wahhabi myth" you are confusing them at the very outset. Im sure the book would certainly glorify the Wahhabi thinking and ideology and refute any idea which may go against the established beliefs of Wahhbis.

I think Yaqinud Din said it quite well. Furthermore, the media is not stopping from using the word to signify all kinds of nonsense. So, if there is one book finally out there that is trying to explain the matter, then why so upset? I would think that it would be much welcomed. Also, I would strongly recommend that you read it as well considering that it was not written by a 'wahhabi'. It was written by a revert. This fact was one big reason that I actually read the book some months ago.

So, it a "salafee" webstie NOT an "Islamic" one! Well, I don't know why we are so quick to be identify with some kind of sectarian name other then Muslims or Islam. In its introduction, the site author emphasizes more on the "sect" rather than the religion as a whole.. I find it disturbing.

Again Yaqinud Din answered exactly as i would have. No need to say much of anything more as it isnt sectarian, its quite clear from his quoting the Shiekh.
I hope that his answers really do remove that disturbance.
I will tell you, in short, that in the past, when I did not read about my religion, I also thought that this was some sort of sectarian stuff and not Islam. I was lazy regarding my religion and also I had some difficulty, naturally, in considering what my parents had taught me... to be not 100% right. No one likes to consider that they are on the wrong path. But truely, Allaah is the one who guides. Only after I had gone through the material myself and actually read the stuff instead of just looking at it from the surface or going on what other people were telling me that it became clear to me that it wasnt. As you see from the quoted conversation, the questioner is actually what he originally would have considered himself not to be. Its just a concise way of explaining the methodology. So, I sincerely hope that this disturbance leaves you.
And Allaah knows best.

[Jibran]

Shaikh al-Albaani: "This would be a correct answer if we were in the very first times (of Islaam) before the sects had appeared and spread. But if we were to ask, now, any Muslim from any of these sects with which we differ on account of aqeedah, his answer would not be any different to this word. All of them – the Shi’ite Rafidi, the Khaariji, the Nusayri Alawi – would say, "I am a Muslim". Hence, this is not sufficient in these days.

I wonder why Shaikh Albani did not mention "Ahmadiyah" in the list of sects which he "considers" to be the out of the fold of Islam. He mentions Shi'tes, Kharijites and Alawis only. As for the Kharjites, we are still yet to identify in which forms and levels are they present among Muslims. There is no single identifyable community which declare themselves as Kharjites. The case is different with Shi'tes and Alawis. As you may aware of the fact that Shi'tes and Alawis have a world of differences. Shi'tes are NOT Alawis and Alawis are NOT Shias even though some of them (Alawis) identify them so. My emphasis is on the point that by only considering that if a particular faction doesn't identify itself as "Ahl-e-Sunnah", it does not make it a "non-Muslim" creed.

I would like to give an example here:

"Ahmadiyyah" basically evolved from the Ahl-e-sunnah wal jamaah. If we analyse there beliefs and practices, we come to know that originally Mriza G.A.Qadiyani was a Sunni but then after the proclamation of his so-called prophethood the rubbish he started to preach, it made him a Kaafir, a non-muslim and his creed, as simply non-muslims even though they recite shahadah and Quran and hold similar beliefs in the same manner other Sunni Muslims do.

Now, consider the case of Shi'ites and Alawis. Alawis also evolved from the Shi'ites in the history and founded there own esoteric doctrines which are hidden and burried inside there hearts even today and most of these doctrines are un-known but a few have been exposed. There belief of the Divinity of Ali ibn-e-Abu Talib and incarnation of God in him etc is one of them, which simply makes them out of the fold of Islam and we need little solid evidence from Quran to prove that.

NOW,if someone, when trying to define the Sunni Islam says that Sunnis has two distinct major branches i.e; The main orthodox Sunni branch (divided into different sub-catagories) and the Ahamddiya branch....etc.... I would like to pose a Question,that, how would a Sunni feel knowing the fact that Ahamddiya and their doctrines have nothing to do with the Sunni belief?

In the similar fashion, when trying to define the Shia Islam, if someone says that Shias are of two types. Shia orthodox (sub-divided into different catagories) and the Alawi....etc.....I would again like to pose a question,that, how would a Shia feel when he knows that Alawis and their doctrines have nothing to do with the Shia belief.

Brushing different faction or some self-proclaimed Sunnis or the Shias with the same brush is not just.

Therefore, just to identify the Shia as a non-believer on the basis of some bias and prejudice is certainly creating fitnaa. Though there are differences between the two schools of thought on various issues but none is of the fundamental type or such a one that compels the leaders of the one to label other as a "non-muslim".

Sheikh Ahmed Deedat of South Africa once during his lecture said : If we identify the four schools of thought though there are crucial differences among them on various issues like 200 differences between the Sha'fai and the Hanafi on Salaat only. But by only considering the fact that all are derived from Quran and Sunnah then why can't we accept the the Ja'afri Shia as the fifth which is also derived from the Quran and Sunnah?

In this regard, the fatwa of the Head of renowned Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Shiekh Mahmood Shaltoot is very important in reconciliating the Shia and Sunni schools of thought.

This is a time for unity and calling people towards Islam thorugh Wisdom and beautiful preaching in the true Islamic Brotherhood but all we do is to tend to propagate our very own version of Islam. I would also like to make a point that with regard to the group of scholars and people whose teachings are generally named as "Wahhabis", commonly known as "Deobandi" in the Indian sub-continent (though this group hate to be called 'Wahhabis') are in many ways, on certain small matters, different from that of the other Ahl-e-sunnah (who are commonly known as Barelvis in Indian sub-continent with some other minor factions) So, If someone says that Ahl-e-sunnah has only some differences in some Shara'ii matters (practical laws) and not in the ideological matters,it is not true. (though these ideological matters are not basic)

Here is the fatwa:

1) Islam does not require a Muslim to follow a particular Madh'hab (school of thought). Rather, we say: every Muslim has the right to follow one of the schools of thought which has been correctly narrated and its verdicts have been compiled in its books. And, everyone who is following such Madhahib [schools of thought] can transfer to another school, and there shall be no crime on him for doing so.

2) The Ja'fari school of thought, which is also known as "al-Shia al- Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah" (i.e., The Twelver Imami Shi'ites) is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought.

Muslims must know this, and ought to refrain from unjust prejudice to any particular school of thought, since the religion of Allah and His Divine Law (Shari'ah) was never restricted to a particular school of thought. Their jurists (Mujtahidoon) are accepted by Almighty Allah, and it is permissible to the "non-Mujtahid" to follow them and to accord with their teaching whether in worship (Ibadaat) or transactions (Mu'amilaat).