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WHO IS A SHIA?

If a person claims to be a scientist but does not know a word about science, or if a person calls himself to be a cricketer but does not know anything about cricket, then definitely nobody would accept him neither a scientist nor a cricketer. Similarly, if someone claims to be a Shia but does not know what entails to be a Shia, then undoubtedly no one would respect him as a Shia. Therefore, who so ever claims to be Shia, must know what this word actually means, he should know what this religion preaches, its basic beliefs, the ways of praying according to Shia beliefs, what ethical values and religious practices make you a Shia and those acts and doctrine that would disqualify you from this religious circle. Thus concluding, its obvious that if one only claims to be Shia, or has a Shia name or is born in a Shia family, it does not make him a Shia, unless he recognised and comply completely to the fundamental nature of this religion.

There are two types of religions. Religion by birth and Religion by choice. In religion by birth, one has no choice and just follows the ways he has been taught religion during his upbringing. Such religious upbringing has no meaning and is no more than a mere label which one gets automatically. In our society majority of the people belong to this very category and their practices worth less as they commit religious acts without understanding and merely because that is part of their customs. However, the real religion is the religion by choice. Meaning, that when a person accepts a religion and undertakes it, he must know all the fundamental and authentic facts about it, and it is only possible when he learns the true spirit of the religion he follows.

DEFINITION OF A SHIA

If you look up in a dictionary, you may find a lot of meanings to the word Shia. For instance, a follower, a group, a party, a supporter, etc. Accordingly, whenever one may hear this word so the question will arise that whose Shia is it? Meaning whose supporter? Whose follower? And until you find the answer to these questions, this word has no meaning.

In the time of Hazrat Alisws, there were two types of Shias found, Shias of Hazrat Alisws and Shias of Muawiyala. Later Shias of Muawiyala changed their names and only Shias of Hazrat Alisws existed. Because the word Shia is very dear to Allah, He made sure that Alisws and his Shias remained together and bonded forever. Thus whoever would be called Shia these days would only be Hazrat Alisws’s Shia. It is Allah’s blessing over us that Hazrat Alisws’s enemies retain so much hatred towards this word that they would never want themselves to be called a Shia. Thus, whenever this word would be used, it would only and always mean Hazrat Alisws’s Shia.

Hence we may know that as we call ourselves Shias, so we are only Ali’s Shias, His supporters, His followers, belonging to hissws group and hissws party and therefore, with Godswt’s grace, no part of our religion is without Hazrat Alisws. Be it our Kalima, Azaan, Aqamat or be it our Namaz. And if someone leaves Hazrat Alisws out in any kind of worship, then he is not a Shia anymore but a disbeliever. Thus being a Shia means that one stays attached with Hazrat Alisws’s name and would not separate from his Molasws even for a split of a second.