Are Shias Muslims
Religion differentiates people from each other. People belong from different religions have variations in their beliefs. Religion ‘Islam’ is the one complete religion and is not limited to praying or fasting only, but Islam is comprised of complete set of rules.
It has been believed that shia and sunni are the two different sects, and since they both have different religious beliefs so they cannot come under the same umbrella ‘Islam’. Many people have this faith that due to the entirely different conduct of life, shia and sunni cannot marry with each other. Even then the complete research is very important to know the truth. So, before marrying with a shia man or woman, one must know that there are two types of shias:
• One of the types of shia holds disbeliefs (kufr), that the Qur'an has been altered, Hazrat Ali (R.A) is worthy to worship and here Shirk (to worship someone other than Allah) occurs, the angel Jibril made an error in descending the revelation on the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) in place of Hazrat Ali (R.A), accusations on Hazrat Aisha (R.A) of committing adultery or denying the Companionship Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A).
• However, the another type of shias are those who do not hold beliefs that constitute Kufr, such as believing that Hazrat Ali (R.A) was the rightful first Caliph after the demise of the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H), belief in the twelve Imams, and all those beliefs which the first type of shias put faith in.
Therefore, no one can directly claim that Shias are out of the fold of Islam. Imam Ibn Abidin says that:
"It is difficult to make a general statement and judge all the Shi'as to be non-believers, for the scholars have agreed on the deviation and defection of the deviated sects."
In both of the cases, whether shias hold beliefs that constitute Kufr or they do not hold such beliefs, we cannot be sure that what are their inner beliefs and what they are showing or denying, thus we cannot judge anyone. Even then if we are supposed to judge that whether they have the right faith in Islam or not, for some important purposes like marriage, then we can judge them according to their outward statements and actions. Because when it comes to marry then we are asked by Islam to look the religious beliefs in our partners. The piousness in a person is so important to live a balanced happy life. As our Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said:
"A woman is married for four reasons, her wealth, lineage, status and Deen. Choose the one who is religious." (Sahih Bukhari)
We cannot judge anyone’s faith and religious practices, because only Allah knows the secrets which are hidden in chests and we do not know. So, we should avoid those things where we find doubts or dissatisfaction. If we go for things which are doubtful then we are tangling ourselves deliberately in the chaos.
