Surah As-Saffat - Verse 83 clearly displays the word
"Shia'tehee" in Arabic The concept of Sharia was first propagated by
Hadhrath Nuh (as). The followers of Hadhrath Nuh (as) path were referred to as
Shi?a. This is clear from the fact that we read when referring to
Hadhrath Ibrahim (as) Allah (swt) says that he was following the religion of
Hadhrath Nuh (as).

We read in Surah As-Saffat (Ch:37) Verse 83:

?Verily Ibrahim was a Shi?a of Nuh?.

The Prophet (s) was likewise from the people of Ibrahim that is because
Allah (swt) says in Surah al Baqarah verse 134:

?They say: "Become Jews or Christians and you would be guided (To
salvation)." Say No (I would rather) follow the Religion of Abraham?


Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 15 again uses the word Shia for
Prophet Musa (AS) followers. This therefore means that Hadhrath Muhammad
(s) was a Shi?a of Hadhrath Ibrahim (as) - who was a Shi?a of Hadhrath
Nuh (as). The term Shi?a, should therefore not be viewed with hostility
rather previous Prophets and their adherents were Shi?a.

?And he entered the City at a time when its people were not watching:
and he found there two men fighting,- one of his Shi?a, and the other,
of his enemies?. (Qur'an 28:15).


In this verse, Hadhrath Musa (as)?s party are referred to as Shi?a
because Hadhrath Musa (as) was Shi?a. His followers were Shi?a as
declared by the Holy Qur?an. This fact is acknowledged by the scholars of
Ahl?ul Sunnah.

In Tafsir Bidhawi Volume 4 page 125 (Egypt edition)
?One was his Shi?a in others one that followed his path?.

Allamah Farah Baghawi in his ?Mu?allim ul Tanzil? Volume 3 page 175
(India, Bombay edition) writes:

?The fighter was a Shi?a - a momin, his enemy was a Kaffir?.

Shi?a in light of hadith of the Prophet(s)
Hadhrath Ali (as) and his Shi?a are the best of creations

It is in praise of the Shi?a of Ali that Allah (swt) sent down the
following revelation:

?Those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of the
creatures. Their reward from their Lord shall be everlasting gardens, below
which flow rivers, they will abide there forever. Well pleased is God with
them and they are well pleased with Him? (Qur'an 98:7)?.


Ya Rasool Allah Muhammad bin Ali narrates in Tafsir ibne
Jarir, Volume 33 page 146 (Cairo edition) that the Prophet (s) said ?The
best of creations are you Ali and your Shi?as.

Jalaladin Suyuti, (849 - 911 AH) is one of the highest ranked Sunni
scholars of all time. In his commentary of this verse, he records through
3 asnad (chains) of narrators, that the Prophet (s) told his companions
that the verse referred to Ali and his Shi?a:

?I swear by the one who controls my life that this man (Ali) and his
Shi?a shall secure deliverance on the day of ressurection?.
TDM Volume 6 page 379 (Cairo edition)

The 3 Sahaba who narrated this hadith are (1) Ali (as) himself (2)
Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari (ra) (3) Abdullah ibne Abbas (ra). They are
acknowledged by the majority school as truthful narrators of hadith. Had
this been in a Shi?a book, our opponents would have deemed it a forgery,
but it?s presence in their own books has perplexed the minds of many of
their scholars.

There are no hadith in which the Prophet (s) guaranteed paradise for a
specific Sahaba and his followers, with the sole exception of Ali (as)
and his Shi?a. Other Sunni scholars have also recorded this hadith from
Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari in their commentaries of the above verse.
Tafsir Fatha ul bayan Volume 10 page 333 (Egypt edition) &
Tafsir Fatha ul Qadir, Volume 5 page 477

Hadhrath Abdullah ibne Abbas narrates ?that when this verse descended
the Prophet (s) Ali you and your Shi?a will be joyful on the Day of
Judgement? (ibid Suyuti).

Ahmad ibn Hajr al Makki quotes from Imam Dar Qatany in his al Sawaiqh
al Muhriqa page 159 (Cairo edition) ?O Abul Hasan you and you Shi?a will
attain paradise?.

The Shi?a will enter Heaven with the Prophet (s), Hadhrath Ali (as) and
the pure Imams
Ibn Hajr records this tradition from Imam Tabarani:
?O Ali four people will enter heaven first of all. You Hasan Hussain
your descendents and me will follow us and our wives will follow our
descendents and our Shi?a will be to the left and right of us?.

The Prophet (s) promised to meet Ali (as) and his Shi?a at the fountain
of Kawthur

Hadhrath Ali narrates in Tafsir Durre Mansur, Volume 6 page 379 (Cairo
edition)
?Have you not heard this verse ?Their reward from their Lord shall be
everlasting gardens, below which flow rivers, they will abide there
forever?? This verse refers to you and you Shi?a, I promise you that I will
be meet you at the Fountain of Kawthur?.

Seventy thousand Shi?as will enter Heaven without any questioning

Whilst salvation will be for the Shi?a of course deeds will differ
amongst the followers. It is indeed part of the articles of faith of the
Ahl?ul Sunnah that:

?Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had once observed
that as many as seventy thousand of his followers will be allowed entry
in to paradise without any questioning?.
Islam: The Basic Articles of Faith - According to the Beliefs of the
Ahl al Sunna wa al Jama?a - a Modern English translation of
Bahar-e-Shariat Part One (Unamed author) page 67 (First edition, Crescent
Publishing, Rochdale 1998)

The question that one should ask is ?Did the Prophet (s) expand any
further on who this blessed group would be?? The answer is recorded by the
Shafii scholar al Maghazli who records a tradition from Anas bin Malik,
that he heard the Prophet (s) say:

?Seventy thousand people will go to heaven without questions, the
Prophet then turned to Ali and said ?they will be from among your Shi?a and
you will be their Imam?

Sunni Reference:
Manaqib Ali al Murtaza, page 184 by al Maghazli al Shafii

What should also be noted is the fact that whilst some verses in the
Qur?an are concerned with a specific episode / incident there are some
that have a general applicability for all times. Clearly this verse,
helps Man to identify the fact that that group ?who believe and do
righteous deeds are the best of the creatures?.

The verse is a guarantee that at all times, in every era these type of
individuals shall exist. If the Prophet (s)?s commentary of that verse
is that it is Hadhrath Ali (as) and his Shi?a that are being referred
here, then that means that the Shi?a compliment this verse.

This means that that in the same way that this verse will exist until
the end of the world, Ali (as)?s Shi?a will likewise exist to provide a
practical commentary to it. The fact that the Prophet (s) had made
reference to Ali and his Shi?a during his lifetime proves that the Shi?a
existed then.

Furthermore, the very fact that this verse has never been abrogated
means that from then until the Day of Judgment, if one is seeking to
identify the best of creations s/he will need to turn to Ali (as) and his
Shi?a. There exist no traditions in which the Prophet (s) guaranteed
paradise for a specific companion and his followers, with the sole
exception of Ali (as) and his Shi?a.

If the term Ahl' al Sunna wa'al Jammah existed in a definitive form
from the moment of the death of the Holy Prophet, undoubtedly some Hadith
fabricators would have put this name in and substituted it for the name
Shi?a. But since this term did not exist till the reign of Al Mansur, a
whole century after the death of the Holy Prophet, no such Hadith
exists. So what was the title given to the early companions??.

The companions, the Muhajireen and Ansar were Shi?a

The highly respected Sunni scholar Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi
in his discussion of hadith relating to Ali and his Shi?a writes:

?The title Shi?a was first given to those Muhajireen and Ansar who gave
Bayah to Ali (may Allah enlighten his face), they were his steadfast
faithful followers during his (Ali?s) khilafat, they remained close to
him, and they always fought his enemies, and kept on following Ali?s


"Keep yourselves far from envy, because it eats up and takes away
good actions, like the fire that eats up and burns wood. "HAZRAT
MOHAMMED(S.A.W.A.W)


The Concept of Shia
We live in a world in which electronic prefectures, globalization,
information explosion and technology are the dominant topics. With the
latest technology we have discovered scientific aspects very fast,
knowing that without this technology, it would take us years to discover the
same. But it seems that these scientific progresses and their
consequent comforts have not answered what mankind is looking for and even his
simplest needs, and probably the most important of all, technology has
not able to provide peace.
Statistics show that the rate of mental illnesses, such as depression,
is increasing rapidly and the surprising thing is that these problems
are more common in modern countries? What could be the reason?
Maybe the reason is that the humans, who have to manage a daily program
for enjoyment of their bodies, have not taken any notice of the other
aspect of their natures, their spirits.
We all are looking for something that calms our anxious mind, a peace
and comfort which makes our lives enjoyable, but we are unaware of the
fact that we would be comfortable only by satisfying our innate needs,
those which have been with us since the time we were created. Mankind
needs a great support, an infinite power to depend on, and no one has
competence except Allah (SWT). People have forgotten Allah (SWT) or they
have used to believe in a God who can do nothing...
But if we look carefully to the people who are searching a refuge, we
find a group who have found their refuge and become comfortable under
the protection of this refuge.
Shiites have confidence in Allah (SWT) and His alights, Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.) and his Family (Ahl al-Bayt) (A.S.). Allah (SWT) has all the
possible accomplishments, power and knowledge; He has assigned them as
His representatives on earth.
Shiites also believe in a person who is their live Leader and Master,
he has divine power beyond being their intimate friend and helping them
in strained circumstances. He has the ability to do anything. Yes, he
is their Imam, Mahdi (A.S.). Anyone, who has confidence in him, never
becomes anxious, depressed or hopeless.
Other than Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and Imam Mahdi (A.S.), Shiites
consider having divine power and knowledge for 12 persons, the Prophet's
family (A.S.). Although they have passed this world, their spiritual
presence is permanent and they are aware of what we do and they favor with
us.
Seeking prosperity we should try to know these persons and ask them for
help and open our hearts to them, because they are assigned by Allah
(SWT) and they possess all the keys to help us.

Shia and its History
To understand the concept of Shia, it is necessary to first know Islam,
and then define Shia based on Islam. The basics of Islam start from the
belief in Allah (SWT) and the belief in all the prophets up to the last
of them (Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)). As a Muslim we must act upon the
Islamic orders, which are obtained from the Holy Quran and the Prophet's
(S.A.W.) Sunnah. We must believe in resurrection, the day of judgment,
and rewards versus punishments that will be to the people.
Shiites believe that after the departure of the Prophet Muhammad
(S.A.W.), the true knowledge of Islamic orders, teachings, and revelations
are with the true interpreters of the Holy Quran, the family of the
Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt) (A.S.). A Shiite is a person who follows the Prophet
and his family (A.S.) in all affairs. A Shiite accepts the Prophet and
his family (A.S.) according to his wisdom and divine nature. When he
accepted them, he traces them in all affairs.
According to Shiite doctrines, a true Shiite is one who follows Amir
al-Mu'minin (Commander of the believers) Ali, Fatimah al-Zahra, and the
rest of the Infallibles (A.S.). In other words, Shiites follow the
lights of guidance who are the successors of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and are
free of error and mistake.
Shia literally means follower. By the order of Allah (SWT) Imam Ali ibn
Abitalib (A.S.) was introduced as the leader after the Prophet
(S.A.W.). So the followers of Imam Ali (A.S.) have become known as Shia of Imam
Ali (A.S.).
But what is the origin of this belief and its perspectives? Where can
we find the first appearance of this school in history?
On different occasions such as Youm al-Indhar(1) to the day of Ghadir
al-Khum(2), Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) would constantly remind,
introduce, and preach people about his family, Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.).
Ordered by Allah (SWT), the Prophet (S.A.W.) had declared Wilayat and
Succession of Imam Ali and his sons (A.S.) after him. Even Sunnis
believe that the first person who used the word "Shia" was the Prophet
(S.A.W.) himself. He used this word in different cases about the followers of
Ali (A.S.). We will briefly mention few of these cases here. (3)
Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (companion of the Prophet (S.A.W.)) says:
"we were sitting beside the Prophet, Ali entered and then Prophet said
:"to the one who my life is in His hands (Allah) I swear that this
person and his Shia (followers) are saved in resurrection day". Then this
verse descended: (98:7) (4) "(5)
Umm Salameh narrates from the Prophet (S.A.W.) that he said:" O' Ali
you and your friends are in heaven. You and your Shia (followers) are in
heaven."(6)
Let it be stated that some people believe that Shia originated from the
time of Uthman (the third successor of Sunnis) by the Iranians.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) was completely aware of the disputes and
differences the Ummah (community) was going to face after his demise. He
constantly reviewed the characteristics and signs of the true path and
persons, so even future generations would learn truth through his Sunnah. In
fact an example can be seen when the Prophet (S.A.W.) mentioned a
narration of the future happenings, "My community will be dispersed to 73
sects, and only one of them is true."
Some other revengeful people say that Shia is originated from the
thoughts of a Jew, Abdullah ibn Saba. According to what was mentioned the
establishment of Shia was by the Prophet (S.A.W.) on behalf of Allah
(SWT). (Because according to the Holy Quran (53:3) he does not say anything
on behalf of Himself). In tradition books of Shia this man is accursed
and disfavored by Allah (SWT). Some of the Shia learned people have
definitely proved that he is a forged person. Also mal-existence of such a
person has been decisively proved.
Finally let us conclude that in every stage of life, we Shiites ask
Allah to show us the straight path, free us from all bigotry, and flourish
the luminosity of wisdom within our hearts.
"Praise be on those who follow rightness." (The Holy Quran, 20:47)
REFERENCES
1- Day that the Prophet (S.A.W.) invited his close relatives to Islam
2- Announcement of the Wilayat (Mastership) of Imam Ali (A.S.)
3- These narratives are mentioned here just as samples and there are
many traditions found in different Sunnite tradition books in this
respect.
5- "(As for) those who believe and do good works are the best of
created beings." (The Holy Quran, 98:7)
6- Al-Durr al-Manthur, under commentary of verse 98:7
7- Al-Durr al-Manthur, under commentary of verse 98:7