Are the Rafidah among the sects of the Muslims?
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The questioner : Regarding the Rafidah, meaning the Shi'ah in Iraq, my Shaykh, are they considered Rafidah among the sects of the Muslims, or are they among the sects that have exited Islam, especially after we read in the book *Al-Tashayyu' wa al-Tasdeeq* by Dr. Musa Musawi, in which he spoke about their distortion of the Qur'an and similar matters?
The Shaykh : My brother, I have a detailed answer regarding this issue.
The questioner : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to declare the Shi'ah disbelievers, nor any of the misguided, deviant Islamic sects that have strayed from the Book and the Sunnah. It is not permissible to issue a general ruling that includes the old and the young, the knowledgeable and the ignorant. Rather, the ruling is given to each individual according to his own reality. I personally distinguish between the knowledgeable Shi'ite who explicitly states his belief, which is disbelief itself. In that case, we say he is a disbeliever, like those who speak of the Mushaf of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), or those who say, like Khomeini, who declared that the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt are with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a station that is below the station of the angels, the messengers, and the prophets, and so on. Those from whom such statements of disbelief issue are, without a doubt, disbelievers. As for the individuals, in my opinion, many of the individual Shi'ites do not hold these beliefs that are disbelief itself, as we mentioned earlier. We do not attribute them to their leaders. However, if we hear from them something of what we know from those leaders, we attribute them to them; otherwise, we do not. This is because the testimony that there is no god but Allah must be preserved in its proper value. We all know the story of that polytheist who declared his Islam under the blow of the sword. When the Companion thought he had not said it except out of fear of being killed, he killed him. Nevertheless, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him, as you know.
The Shaykh : My brother, I have a detailed answer regarding this issue.
The questioner : Yes, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to declare the Shi'ah disbelievers, nor any of the misguided, deviant Islamic sects that have strayed from the Book and the Sunnah. It is not permissible to issue a general ruling that includes the old and the young, the knowledgeable and the ignorant. Rather, the ruling is given to each individual according to his own reality. I personally distinguish between the knowledgeable Shi'ite who explicitly states his belief, which is disbelief itself. In that case, we say he is a disbeliever, like those who speak of the Mushaf of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), or those who say, like Khomeini, who declared that the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt are with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a station that is below the station of the angels, the messengers, and the prophets, and so on. Those from whom such statements of disbelief issue are, without a doubt, disbelievers. As for the individuals, in my opinion, many of the individual Shi'ites do not hold these beliefs that are disbelief itself, as we mentioned earlier. We do not attribute them to their leaders. However, if we hear from them something of what we know from those leaders, we attribute them to them; otherwise, we do not. This is because the testimony that there is no god but Allah must be preserved in its proper value. We all know the story of that polytheist who declared his Islam under the blow of the sword. When the Companion thought he had not said it except out of fear of being killed, he killed him. Nevertheless, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him, as you know.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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