There is no difference of opinion amongst Muslims that the ' Religion' of God is Islam; that the only way to know Islam is through the Book of God and the Sunnahof The Holy Prophet) pbuh hf (; that the Book of God is what is known as The Qur'an, without any addition or subtraction. And what difference is there, is in the interpretation of some of the verses of Qur'an; and in believing or not believing some of the Sunnahas genuine; or in its interpretation.
This difference of approach has led towards the difference in some basic principles and some laws of Shariah. As the basic principles of Islam are well known, I do not think it necessary to enumerate all the beliefs. It will be sufficient if some of the important differences are described here to give the readers a fairly comprehensive idea of the main characteristics which distinguish Shiafrom the Sunnis.
All the Muslims agree:
1 (Allah is One) swt (
2 (Mohamrnadis His last Prophet) pbuh hf (
3 (That one day Allah) swt (will resurrect all the human beings and all will be answerable to their beliefs and actions.
All of them agree that anyone not believing in any of the above Three basic Principles is not a Muslim.
Also, they agree that anybody denying the famous tenets of Islam, like Prayers, Fasting, Hajj, Zakat, etc., or believing that the famous sins, like drinking wine, adultery, stealing, gambling, lie, murder, etc., are not sins, is not a Muslim, though he might have been believing in Allah) swt (and His Prophet Mohammed) pbuh hf (, because to deny such things is tantamount to deny the Prophethoodof Mohammed and his Shari'ah) Divine Law (.
When we go further, we come across those subjects whichare not agreed amongst
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the Muslims, and there the differences between different sects of Islam begin.
PERSON OF GOD
Sunnis say that Allah has a body, not like the bodies we know. There is a vast material which can be quoted here describing that belief. But as all the Sunnis nowadays are Ash'aritc) followers of Abull-Hassan Al-Ash'ari (, I would like to note down his belief on this subject. He says:
" We confess that God is firmly seated on His Throne ..... We confess that God has two hands, without asking how ..... We confess that God has two eyes, without asking how .... We confess that God has a face We confirm that God has a knowledge .... We affirm hearing and sight, and do not deny that, as do the Mu'tazila, the Jahmiyya, and the Khawarij .... We affirm that God has a power ...."
) A. J. Arbery," Revelation and Reason in Islam", pp. 22- 32; quoted from" Al-Ibarla" by Abul-HasanAl- Ash'ari (.
We, the Shiabelieve that Allah has not got a body
" Verily, Allah is One, unique, nothing is like Him, He is Eternal; Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Living, Omnipotent, above every need, He cannot be describe in terms of substance, nor body, nor form, nor accident, nor line, nor surface, nor heaviness, nor lightness, nor colour, nor movement, nor rest, nor time, nor space. He is above all the descriptions which can be applied to His creatures."
" He is away from both extremes: Neither He is just a non-entity) as atheists and in a lesser degree Mu'tazilitesimplied (, nor He is just like other things. He is Existent, not like other existing things".) ShaykhAl- Sadiq, I'ti'qadat' (.
Of course, there are some verses in the Qur'an which ascribe the words used for limbs to the person of God. But according to the interpretation of our Imams, they are used in metaphorical, not literal, sense.
For example, the verse:
" Every thing is mortal except His Face" means 'except His Person'. Surely, even the Sunnis cannot say that only the Face of God will remain, while all His so-called limbs will die! Similarly, Allah has used the word ' Hand' in several places in the
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Qur'an. But it means His Power and His Mercy, as in the verse:
" But His Hands are outspread."
CAN ALLAH BE SEEN?
As a direct result of the above mentioned difference, the Sunnis say that Allah can be seen. Some of them, like Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, say that He can be seen in this world, as well as in the life hereafter. Others say that He can be seen in the life hereafter only.
On the other hand, we, the Shia, say," That He cannot be seen anywhere, because He has no body, and because Allah says in Qur'an:" Sight cannot reach Him." Surra 6 Verse 301
The Sunni brothers use the following verse as their proof:
" Some faces on that day) of judgement (will be fresh, looking towards their Lord." Surah 57 Verse 22- 32
But in Arabic language the word" Nadhr" does not imply 'seeing'. Often it is said:
" Nadhartu Ilal hilal falam arahu."
I looked towards the new moon but I did not see it?
Therefore, the verse cannot imply that they will see God. According to our interpretation, it means that they will be looking forward for the blessings of Allah) swt (.
ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH
According to the Shia, Attributes of Allah) swt (can be put in two distinct groups: First, those Attributes which denote His Person; Second, those Attributes which denote His actions:
ShaykhAl- Sadiqsays:
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" For example, we say that Allah was for ever Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Having power, Living, Self-Existent, One and Eternal. And these are His personal Attributes.
" And we do not say that He was from ever Creating, Doing, Intending, pleased, displeased, Giving sustenance, Speaking; because those Virtues describe His actions; and they are not eternal; it is not allowed to say that Allah was doing all these actions from Eternity. The reason for this distinction is obvious. Actions need an object. If, for example, we say that Allah was giving sustenance from ever, we will have to admit the existence of sustained things from ever. In other words, we will have to admit that the world was from ever. But it is against our belief that nothing except God is Eternal".
It appears that the Sunni brothers have no clear view of this distinction. And they say that all His attributes are Eternal. And that was the actual cause of their belief that Qur'an, being the kalfim) speech (of God, is Eternal, not created. Because they said that He was ' Mutakallim') speaking (from ever.
The Hanbalitesso far as said that, ' Not only were the words and sounds of the Qur'an eternal, so that even its recital was uncreated, but its parchment and binding shared the same qualities ....... In the so-called ' Testament of Abu Hanifa' ....... a more moderate view is expressed:
We confess that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah, uncreated, His inspiration, and revelation, not He, yet not other than He, but His real quality, written in the copies, recited by the tongues, The ink, the paper, the writing are created, for they are the work of man.") A. J. Arberry, 'Revelations and in Reason Islam', pp. 62- 72 (
But, as we, the Shia, distinguish between His personal Virtues and His actions. And we say:" Our belief about the Qur'an is that it is The Speech of God, and His Revelation Sent by Him, and His Word and His Book ........ And that Allah is its Creator and its Sender and its Guardian ........") I'tiqadat (
The bitter quarrels, among two groups of Sunnis i. e. the Mu'tazilitesand the Ashiaritesonon this subject are well-known, and there is no need to relive them.
PLACE OF REASON IN RELIGION
This is one of the most important distinctions between Sunnis on one side, and the
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Shiaon another. To be more exact, I should have used the word Ash'arites, in place of Sunnis. But all Sunnis nowadays are Ash'arites. Muitaziliteshave become extinct long ago, though some of the great scholars of the recent times like Justice Amir Ali were Muitazilites.
Anyhow, the Shiassay:" That irrespective of religious commandments, there is real merit or demerit in different courses of actions, and it is because a certain thing is good that God orders it, and because the other is bad that He forbids it." Sunnis deny this conception. They say that nothing is good or evil in itself. Only what God has commanded us is good and what He has forbidden us is evil. If a thing is forbidden by God it is bad; then if God cancels the first order, and allows it, it will become good, after being bad.
In other words, Shiassay that God has forbidden us to tell lie because it is bad; Sunnis say that lie has become bad because God has forbidden it. Shias recognisethe relation of cause with effect. Sunnis deny it. They say that there is no cause except Allah. And it is just a habit of Allah that whenever, for example, we drink water He quenches our thirst. Based upon the above difference of attitude about the position of reason in religion are the following differences:
The Shiassay," That God never acts without purpose or aimlessly. All His actions are based on wisdom and intelligent purpose. Proof: Because it is not commendable, rationally, to act without purpose. Sunnis on the other hand, because of their denouncement of rational merit or demerit, say that it is quite possible for God to act aimlessly."
It follows that, according to the Shias, God does nothing which has inherent demerit in it. Sunnis deny it. The Shiassay," That all actions of Allah are intended for the benefit of His creatures. Because He Himself has no need; and if His actions become devoid of benefits for His creation also, they will become aimless, which is rationally not commendable. Sunnis deny it, because of their stand about rational merit or demerit."
LUTF: GRACE
Based upon the above differences, is the difference about their attitude towards Grace of Allah. The Shiassay," That Grace is incumbent morally upon Allah. By Grace is understood that action on the part of God which would help to bring His creatures nearer to His devotion and obedience and facilitate their moral correction,) which is (morally incumbent on Him."
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" Allah Has commanded us to be just, while He Himself treats us with something better, namely Grace Tafaddul."
Sunnis, on the other hand, say," God leads astray whom He wills and guides aright whom He wills, and it is not incumbent upon God Most High to do that which may be best for the creature".) Creed of al-Nasafi (