Based upon our stand on Justice and Grace is our view that:
" Whatever God has promised as reward for a good work, He will fulfilit; but whatever He has threatened as punishment for a bad work it is upon His discretion: If He meted out the punishment, it will be by His Justice; if He forgives it, it will be by His Grace."
) Shaykllal- Saduq, 'I'tiqadat' (
We are confronted both by Kharijitesand Mu'taziliteson one side and Ash'ariteson other side. Mu'tazilitesand Kharijitessay," That it is incumbent upon God to fulfilHis threats also. He has no power to forgive."
Ashiarites, on the other hand say," That it is not incumbent upon Him even to fulfilHis promises of rewards." They go so far as to say," Even if Allah was to send the prophets into Hell, and Satan in Paradise, it is not against virtue, because there is no inherent demerit in any action".
WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?
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Shiassay:" Man is obliged by his reason to know God, and to obey His commands. In other words, necessity of religion is proved, first of all, by reason."
Sunnis say: Reason has nothing to do with anything. Of course, it is necessary to believe in Allah, but not on account of reason. It is necessary because Allah has ordered us to know Him. According to Shiaview, this type of proof creates a vicious circle. Believe in God. Why? Because God has ordered it. But we do not know who is God. Why should we obey Him?
LIMIT OF LAW
The Shiassay:" God cannot give us a command beyond our strength, because it is wrong rationally." The Sunni brothers do not agree with it.
OUR ACTIONS: TAQDIR
Are our actions really ours? Or are we just a tool in the hands of Allah? The Shiassay:" Taqdirmeans that Allah possesses foreknowledge of human actions. But He does not compel any man to act in any particular way." To make it clear, it should be explained here, that Man's conditions or actions are of two kinds actions:
1 (Those actions about which he can be advised, ordered, praised or blamed. Such actions are within his power and are independent upon his will.
2 (Such conditions about which he cannot be praised or blamed, like life, death, etc. Such conditions are outside his sphere of will or power. For example, we can advise a patient to consult this or that doctor and remain under his treatment; but we cannot advise him to become cured.
Why this difference? Because getting treatment is under his power, but getting cured is not in his power. itis something which comes from Allah.
But even our freedom of action is a gift of Allah. He has given us the power, the freedom, the strength, the limbs, the wisdom and every thingwith which we do any work.
Therefore, we are not independent of Allah, because our freedom is not only given but even sustained by Him. But our actions are not compelled by God, because He,
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after showing us the right and wrong ways, and after enjoining us to do right, has left us to our own free will. If we go wrong, it is our own choice. Shaykhal- daduqsays:" Our belief in this respect is what has been taught by Imam Ja'faral- Sadiq, 'There is no compulsion) by God (and no relinquishing the authority) of God (; but a condition between these two conditions'. Then Imam was asked. 'How is it? ' He said. 'Suppose you see a man intending to commit a sin; and you forbade him; but he did not listen to you; and you left him; and he did commit that sin. Now when he did not heed to you and you left him, it cannot be said that you ordered him or allowed him to sin." I'tiqadat
In other words, we believe that God has given us power and will and then has left us free to do what we like. At the same time, He has taught us, through the Prophets, what is right and what is wrong. Now, as He is Omniscient, He knows what will be our actions in different times of our life. But this knowledge does not make Him responsible for our actions more that a meteorologist can be responsible for cyclones and storms, if his forecasts come true. True forecasts are the result, not the cause, of the impending event.
The Sunnis on the other hand say that Allah is the creator of all our acts." No act of any individual, even though it be done purely for his benefit is independent of the will of Allah for its existence; and there does not occur in either in physical or extra-terrestrial world the wink of an eye, the hint of a thought, or the most sudden glance, except by the degree of Allah .......... Of His power, desire and will. This includes evil and good, benefit and hurt, success and failure, sin and righteousness, obedience and disobedience, polytheism and belief.") al-Ghazali: as quoted in 'Shiaof Irldia' p. 34 (
PROPHETHOOD
Based upon their belief of lutf) Grace (, the Shiasbelieve that it is incumbent upon Allah to send Prophets or their successors in this world to put people on right path. Sunnis say that it is not incumbent upon Allah, because they do not accept necessity of lutf. Shiasand Sunnis in first instance, and then Sunnis among themselves, disagree about the theory of ' ismah) sinlessness (of the prophets.
SINLESNESS
What is our conception of Ismah? It is lutf) Grace (of Allah which helps a person to refrain from sins, without effecting in any way his will and power. A Ma'sum) sinless (person as power to commit sins; but he does not even think about sins; because his spiritual standard is so high that such inferior things do not enter his mind. However Sunnis do not speak with one voice upon this subject:
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The First difference: Is about the point when Ismahbegins. Some say it is after the declaration of Prophethood; and others say that it is since childhood. Second Difference: Scope of Ismahbefore declaration of Prophethood: Some say that it covers all sins; majority says that they are protected from kufr) infidelity (only.
Third Difference: Scope of Ismahafter declaration of Prophethood; it is agreed that the Prophets could not tell a lie after Prophethood. But what about other sins? Some say that they could commit other sins either intentionally or unintentionally; but the majority says that they could commit it unintentionally, but not intentionally.
The Fourth Difference: About minor sins: They say it was possible for the prophets to commit minor sins, even intentionally. But that they were protected from such minor sins which might have degraded them in the esteem of people.
The Shiastand about Ismahis that all the prophets were sinless and infallible; they could not commit any sin, whether capital or minor, and whether intentionally or unintentionally; and that they were ma'sumfrom the beginning of their life till their last breath.
The Prophets:
Shaykhal- Saduqsays about the prophets that:" Their word is the word of God, their order is the order of God, their forbidding is the forbidding by God And that the Chiefs of the prophet are five and they are) called (Ulul'azm- and they are:
- Noah
- Abraham
- Moses
- Jesus
- Mohammad
Be the Blessings of Allah upon them all! And that The Holy Prophet Mohammad) pbuh hf (is their Chief and the best of them all."
Imams:
The Shiassay," That Imam must be appointed by God; that appointment may be known through the declaration of The Prophet or the proceeding Imam." Sunnis say that Imam) or Caliph, as they prefer to say (can be either elected, or nominated by the proceeding Caliph, or selected by a committee, or may acquire power through a military coup. If he is elected, it is enough that one man should do bay'ah) allegiance (to him.
The Shiassay:" That Imam must be Ma'sum) sinless (." Sunnis say) including Muitazilites (that Ismahis not a condition for caliphate. Even if he is tyrant and sunk in sins, Hanbalites, Shafi'itesand Malikitesforbid people to rise against that Caliph. They say that they should persevere.
The Shiassay," That Imam must possess above all such qualities as knowledge, bravery, justice, wisdom, piety, love of God etc." Sunnis say it is not necessary. A person inferior in these qualities may be elected in preference to a person having all these qualities of superior degree.
The Shiassay," That Ali IbinAbe Taleb) as (was appointed by Allah) swt (to be the successor of The Prophet) pbuh hf (, and that The Prophet) pbuh hf (had declared it on several occasions. The Sunni brothers say that The Prophet did not appoint anybody to be his successor.
THE END