In the name of Allah , the beneficent, the merciful.All praise belongs to Allah. There is none worthy or worship save Allah. To him is our final return, and our ultimate goal. May Allah (azwj) send his blessing on the seal of the prophets, the greatest man to have ever walked this earth, Muhammed s.a.w, and his Ahlulbayt a.s., who are the second of the two weighty things, and those who preserved his sunnah.
Shia Islam , due to a plethora of factors, from political to secterian, has been distorted in many circles, and there are absolutely profound misconceptions about it. As a shia muslim, i believe it is the truth, the path closest to the Sunnah of Muhammed s.a.w, the path most firm in its understanding on Tawheed. Having said that, i have love for my brothers in the ahlus-sunnah. I have family members who are sunni's, and i have love for them. Unity between shia's and sunni's is essential, and the need to foster harmony, mercy, and tolerance between the groups.
In order to give people a very brief, and basic introduction to Shia Islam [so the muslim and non-muslim can appreciate]:1.
Shia muslims[and sunni Muslims] believe in One God. The principles of Tawheed is the first and most important principle in shia Islam. Shirk and Polytheism is considered the most abhorrent of sins. 2. Shia muslims believe that Muhammed s.a.w, the greatest creation, the greatest man to walk this earth, was the last and final prophet of God, the seal. We believe his Sunnah, and his example is what we absolutely strive to follow. We believe Rasullah s.a.w clearly stated, in both sunni and shia books, that in order to follow his Sunnah, one must hold onto the Quran AND the Ahlulbayt:
3. Shia muslims believe that the Quran is the last and final revelation of God. The Quran we have in content is the preserved Quran with no alteration in its verses and the Quran has not undergone corruption. Any ahadith in shia and sunni works which give that impression are often weak, or wrongly interpreted. And this is the Ijma of shia scholars.
4. Shia muslims respect many companions of Muhammed s.a.w. However, we view the companions of Muhammed s.a.w in the same way and light as the Quran views them. There are those loyal, those of varying levels of belief, those who do not possess true belief in their hearts, as some examples. We do not regard the sahaba in the view that they were all good and righteous. Rather, we look at them as any large body and group of human beings. Similar to all the other Prophets of God, From Jesus a.s to Moses a.s, in any large body or group of people, there are those who are loyal, those who have faith in varying levels, those who change, those who turn back, those who are not sincere.
We revere the matyrs of the Holy Wars, such as the matyr's of Badr r.a, among the others. We revere many notable companions - four of whom are in the top ten narrators of sunni hadith books. They are, Jabir ibn Abdullah r.a, Abu said al khudri r.a, Ibn Abbas r.a, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud r.a. vWe revere many more notable companions.
5. The vast majorty of shia's do not engage in acts of taking knives and swords and cutting themselves. Many shia ulema, past and present, from the likes of Imam Khomeini, to Imam Khamanei have been against it. Those who allow it do so on conditions. Join me in prayer that we see this relatively recent cultural infiltration, as it is done, dissapears and is eradicated. [CLICK ON SPOILER FOR ABSOLUTE CONDEMNATION OF CUTTING FROM ULEMA].
Read above brother