From the Beliefs of the Imami Shi'ah
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Your Eminence! Who are the Shi'ah, and are they the Rafidah? How do we distinguish between them?
The Rafidah are the Shi'ah, indeed the term Shi'ah is broader than Rafidah; because the term Shi'ah is applied to anyone who exalts the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the Prophet) more than is required for them, whereas the Rafidah are those who rejected Zayd ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) when they came to him and asked him about Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and he spoke well of them,And he said: saying they were the two ministers of my grandfather, so they rejected him; because the Rafidah, out of their ignorance, think that whoever praises Abu Bakr and 'Umar has spoken ill of 'Ali, and whoever loves Abu Bakr and 'Umar has hated 'Ali, and this is part of their ignorance, and this is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib himself (may Allah be pleased with him) who acknowledged the truth for its people,So he used to say openly: [The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar] he said this openly,But some of the Rafidah say: [The worst of this Ummah is Abu Bakr and 'Umar] we ask Allah for safety, and they claim to be the awliya (close friends of Allah) of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl al-Bayt, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl al-Bayt are innocent of their way, especially since some of these Rafidah claim that among their Imams who say: they are our Imams, there is one who is in a rank that no close angel or sent prophet can attain,Meaning: that their Imams are better than the prophets and better than the angels,Indeed, some of them say: that the Imams are those who manage the universe, and they take Allah (Mighty and Majestic) out of managing the universe, we ask Allah for safety, and this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion, whoever claims that the universe has a manager other than its Creator (Mighty and Majestic) is a disbeliever who has apostatized from Islam, even if he prays, fasts, supplicates, performs Hajj, and performs 'Umrah, that will not benefit him,Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Furqan: 23] .
And the Rafidah are multiple sects, but whoever holds the path I described to you,Meaning: that he believes there is a manager of the universe from the Imams other than the Lord of the universe, he is a disbeliever and there is no doubt in his disbelief.
The questioner: Regarding greeting them with peace?The Shaykh: This is a matter that relates to: whenever we rule that one of them is a disbeliever, it is not permissible to greet him with peace.
The questioner: Or return his greeting?The Shaykh: You return his greeting with (upon you) , this is if we rule that he is a disbeliever, but some of the Rafidah are not disbelievers, such as if one is an ignorant commoner who does not know, so we cannot rule that he is a disbeliever unless the truth reaches him and he persists in his major shirk (associating partners with Allah) innovation, then he becomes a disbeliever.
The Rafidah are the Shi'ah, indeed the term Shi'ah is broader than Rafidah; because the term Shi'ah is applied to anyone who exalts the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the Prophet) more than is required for them, whereas the Rafidah are those who rejected Zayd ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) when they came to him and asked him about Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and he spoke well of them,And he said: saying they were the two ministers of my grandfather, so they rejected him; because the Rafidah, out of their ignorance, think that whoever praises Abu Bakr and 'Umar has spoken ill of 'Ali, and whoever loves Abu Bakr and 'Umar has hated 'Ali, and this is part of their ignorance, and this is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib himself (may Allah be pleased with him) who acknowledged the truth for its people,So he used to say openly: [The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar] he said this openly,But some of the Rafidah say: [The worst of this Ummah is Abu Bakr and 'Umar] we ask Allah for safety, and they claim to be the awliya (close friends of Allah) of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl al-Bayt, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl al-Bayt are innocent of their way, especially since some of these Rafidah claim that among their Imams who say: they are our Imams, there is one who is in a rank that no close angel or sent prophet can attain,Meaning: that their Imams are better than the prophets and better than the angels,Indeed, some of them say: that the Imams are those who manage the universe, and they take Allah (Mighty and Majestic) out of managing the universe, we ask Allah for safety, and this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion, whoever claims that the universe has a manager other than its Creator (Mighty and Majestic) is a disbeliever who has apostatized from Islam, even if he prays, fasts, supplicates, performs Hajj, and performs 'Umrah, that will not benefit him,Allah the Exalted said:
And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.
وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُوراًAnd the Rafidah are multiple sects, but whoever holds the path I described to you,Meaning: that he believes there is a manager of the universe from the Imams other than the Lord of the universe, he is a disbeliever and there is no doubt in his disbelief.
The questioner: Regarding greeting them with peace?The Shaykh: This is a matter that relates to: whenever we rule that one of them is a disbeliever, it is not permissible to greet him with peace.
The questioner: Or return his greeting?The Shaykh: You return his greeting with (upon you) , this is if we rule that he is a disbeliever, but some of the Rafidah are not disbelievers, such as if one is an ignorant commoner who does not know, so we cannot rule that he is a disbeliever unless the truth reaches him and he persists in his major shirk (associating partners with Allah) innovation, then he becomes a disbeliever.