What is the difference between the people of the Sunnah and the Shi'ah?
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Question:
We heard, O honorable Shaykh, that you said there is no difference between the people of the Sunnah and the Shi'ah except in some branches. Is this true or not? Is there actually a difference between the people of the Sunnah and the Shi'ah?
Answer:
This is one of the wonders. This is a lie and a fabrication—may Allah grant us well-being. This is a lie, and I did not utter this statement, nor anything close to it. Rather, the difference between us and them is like the difference between the sky and the earth, especially between them and the Rafidah, the Rafidah, the Nusayriyyah, and their like, who are esoteric sects.
The Shi'ah are divided into categories; they are not one single category. There are many categories and many sects, to the extent that the Shaykh al-Islam mentioned twenty-two sects among them. They are divided; some are misguided, some prefer 'Ali only over 'Uthman, and some prefer him over al-Siddiq and 'Umar, but they do not curse, they do not worship 'Ali, and they do not exaggerate in his praise. These are Shi'ah, but their matter is easy; it does not harm them from the perspective of religion, even though they erred in opposing the people of the Sunnah in preference. However, it does not harm them like the harm of the other sects.
Among them are those who curse Mu'awiyah, and these people have also erred and made a mistake, and they bear the sin of that. Among them are those who curse 'A'ishah as well. But among them are esoteric sects who worship 'Ali, worship the People of the House, call upon them for aid, make vows to them, and believe that they know the unseen. They curse the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and declare them disbelievers, saying: "They wronged 'Ali and took the authority from him," except for a small number of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) whom they do not curse, such as 'Ammar, Salman, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, and a few others.
So the conclusion is that the Shi'ah are divided, and there is a great difference between them and the people of the Sunnah, especially the esoteric ones among them:
The people of the Sunnah show loyalty to the Companions, love them, are pleased with them, and believe that they are the best of the nation and the best of the nation. The Rafidah, the Nusayriyyah, and their like are the opposite of that.
The people of the Sunnah worship Allah alone and say: The unseen belongs to Allah; no one knows it except Allah. The Rafidah and the esoteric ones are the opposite of that.
So the difference is very great. Whoever wants to know that should review what people have written on this, such as "Minhaj al-Sunnah" by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and such as "Waja'a Dawr al-Majus" by 'Abdullah Muhammad Gharib, and other books: the books of Shaykh Hafiz Ihsan, and others who have written in this field. There are many writings on this.
We heard, O honorable Shaykh, that you said there is no difference between the people of the Sunnah and the Shi'ah except in some branches. Is this true or not? Is there actually a difference between the people of the Sunnah and the Shi'ah?
Answer:
This is one of the wonders. This is a lie and a fabrication—may Allah grant us well-being. This is a lie, and I did not utter this statement, nor anything close to it. Rather, the difference between us and them is like the difference between the sky and the earth, especially between them and the Rafidah, the Rafidah, the Nusayriyyah, and their like, who are esoteric sects.
The Shi'ah are divided into categories; they are not one single category. There are many categories and many sects, to the extent that the Shaykh al-Islam mentioned twenty-two sects among them. They are divided; some are misguided, some prefer 'Ali only over 'Uthman, and some prefer him over al-Siddiq and 'Umar, but they do not curse, they do not worship 'Ali, and they do not exaggerate in his praise. These are Shi'ah, but their matter is easy; it does not harm them from the perspective of religion, even though they erred in opposing the people of the Sunnah in preference. However, it does not harm them like the harm of the other sects.
Among them are those who curse Mu'awiyah, and these people have also erred and made a mistake, and they bear the sin of that. Among them are those who curse 'A'ishah as well. But among them are esoteric sects who worship 'Ali, worship the People of the House, call upon them for aid, make vows to them, and believe that they know the unseen. They curse the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and declare them disbelievers, saying: "They wronged 'Ali and took the authority from him," except for a small number of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) whom they do not curse, such as 'Ammar, Salman, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, and a few others.
So the conclusion is that the Shi'ah are divided, and there is a great difference between them and the people of the Sunnah, especially the esoteric ones among them:
The people of the Sunnah show loyalty to the Companions, love them, are pleased with them, and believe that they are the best of the nation and the best of the nation. The Rafidah, the Nusayriyyah, and their like are the opposite of that.
The people of the Sunnah worship Allah alone and say: The unseen belongs to Allah; no one knows it except Allah. The Rafidah and the esoteric ones are the opposite of that.
So the difference is very great. Whoever wants to know that should review what people have written on this, such as "Minhaj al-Sunnah" by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and such as "Waja'a Dawr al-Majus" by 'Abdullah Muhammad Gharib, and other books: the books of Shaykh Hafiz Ihsan, and others who have written in this field. There are many writings on this.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.