October
29
Tags
Zehra Naqvi : Why I am Shia
Bismillah by Irfan Haider Mirza
Most of my peers think religion is backwards, a relic of more superstitious times, an ideology based on fairy tales.
I don’t deny I grew up with stories, but the stories of my faith shaped my understanding of social responsibility, justice, and purpose. I’m a professional in my thirties and although I never considered myself particularly devout, I realize that most of the people around me see me as a person of faith. One of the first things most people learn about me is that I’m Muslim. Shortly thereafter, they learn that I’m part of the Shia minority sect of the faith. Most people don’t know what to do with the latter information. I imagine the questions they have in mind but never ask out loud, are: Why are you Shia? What does being Shia mean to you?
Admittedly, it’s not a simple answer. Most Shias asked these questions feel compelled to start talking about events that unfolded in an Iraqi city called Karbala over a thousand years ago. For those born into a Shia family, it’s one of the first stories we hear growing up. It’s tough for us to articulate the story objectively because we’ve grown up with dramatic retellings about what happened in the battle of Karbala and heard about the people involved as if they were our own long lost family.
The simplest retelling of the story is that there was a corrupt political ruler trying to enhance his influence and control by having the religious and spiritual leaders of the time recognize his rule as legitimate. After Prophet Muhammad died, a power grab resulted. A caliphate was set up rather than permitting Prophet Muhammad’s son in law, Ali, to rise in his stead a leader of the people, as Shias believe the Prophet himself wanted. Over generations, although family members of the Prophet were included in the caliphate, the family was marginalized and seen as a continuing threat by political leaders who feared that the family would assert their own claims to power by virtue of their lineage to the Prophet. The Prophet’s son in law, Ali, was later assassinated while he prayed in a mosque. Ali’s son, Hasan, was poisoned. His brother, Hussein, was put to the test at Karbala.
The Prophet’s family was not interested in civil war and did not raise a rebellion to win political power but to preserve the integrity of the faith and its principles. Battle was undertaken only after all other nonviolent avenues had been exhausted. Things had come to a head and it all came down to whether the Prophet’s grandson, Hussein, would pledge loyalty to the corrupt political leader of the time, Yazid, and thus compromise his principles, his faith, and his family’s legacy. He refused, and so Yazid sought to make an example of him by cutting him and his supporters down.
The battle of Karbala was not a war between two equally matched sides, but a massacre of a small group of men and boys by an army that nearly entirely wiped out Prophet Muhammad’s family. The women and children that survived were taken as captives and marched over 500 miles from Karbala to Damascus. It was a stand made for the spiritual legacy of Islam. It was the ultimate statement that the faith was not something that could be compromised to fit the political aims of corrupt, power-hungry rulers but for the continued sanctity of the faith and protecting it from becoming a tool of purely political and immoral gains. There are many details of the battle and the events leading up to it that elicit a lot of sympathy and outrage. Hussein’s camp, which included women and children, was cut off from food and water. Even Hussein’s baby was murdered when Hussein offered him up to his enemies so that they may give the child water without fearing that Hussein or the others may drink the water themselves. Hussein was a leader that gave his companions one last chance to save their lives the night before the battle, offering them the opportunity to leave under the cover of darkness as he knew the battle he would embark on would be a massacre. Not one of his supporters left. There are literally hundreds of stories within the context of the battle and they remind me that, as Muslims, we are still expected to meet a certain standard of conduct, even while waging a war. It reminds me that I represent not only myself in any venture, but my faith. The stories have taught me about patience, standing up for what I believe, compassion, mercy, sacrifice, and devotion. As a student of history and war, the conduct of Hussein and his companions in Karbala is certainly one of the reasons that I am Shia.
Calligraphy Irfan Haider Mirza
After Yazid’s army won, the surviving women and children and one adult male were the only ones left to tell the tale of what had happened. The story of Karbala is alive today because of these few who became powerful storytellers that safeguarded the oral tradition and continued to stand up for the true legacy of Islam. The Prophet’s granddaughter, Zainab, faced the humiliation of her oppressors having torn her head covering from her and paraded her along the long, arduous march from Karbala to Damascus. Despite her treatment and the crippling grief of losing so many loved ones, Zainab boldly delivered a powerful and stirring speech in the Damascus court of Yazid, confronting him, reminding him of who she was, who he was, and of the Prophet’s and Hussein’s legacies. Before Karbala, Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter, stood up publicly for her inheritance rights before the governing caliph of the time. It was another instance where the family of the Prophet was being denied their rights. Before her, the Prophet’s wife, Khadija, the first convert to Islam and a successful businesswoman, used her devotion and wealth to help protect and perpetuate Islam. The legacy of strong women is another reason I’m Shia.
These stories, and countless others about the Prophet’s family, form the foundation of my understanding of Islam. I am not the type of person that can teach myself a subject through a textbook alone. So these stories are the lens through which I learned about and came to understand Islam. Before I could even read, I learned a lot about our value system from these stories. No matter what anyone’s age, gender, or position in life, there was a character in these stories that they would be able to relate to. As I grew older, I read about the events leading up to the battle and its aftermath. I read about people that died long before the battle and the heirs of the legacy that came long after the defeat in Karbala. Although we always start our answer with Karbala, being Shia is not just about one battle, but about a legacy of standing up for what’s right, safeguarding one’s integrity and beliefs, and setting an example. These were the people that guarded the Quran’s teachings and embodied the practice of Islam. Most Muslims agree that, when he was approaching death, the Prophet said that he was leaving his flock with two important things – the Quran and his family.
Qul by Irfan Haider Mirza
Those that think Shias worship these historical characters misunderstand us and misconstrue the truth: we are simply awed and humbled by the example the Prophet’s family provided of what true faith and honor mean. The lessons we inherited are not about martyrdom or death, but using our lives to serve as worthy representatives of a legacy of social justice, protection of minority rights, and community building. I reflect on these stories often, and I join millions of people around the world in mourning their loss and honoring their lives and legacies during Muharram. A shared sense of community, built around honoring the principles of the Quran and legacy of the Prophet’s family, is also why I’m Shia.
So, when I say I’m Shia, I’m stating that I’m committed to honoring the teachings of the Quran and also preserving the legacy of those that embody the spirit of the Quran and the Prophet’s teachings. Protecting this legacy is still such a threat over a thousand years later, that Shias continue to be persecuted worldwide – with thousands killed in Pakistan, an Anti-Shia Alliance Convention held in Indonesia, Malaysia banning Shias from spreading their faith, and apartheid-like practices in effect in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, to name a few. It is a frightening reality, but it also serves as a reminder that these stories have power and influence and can outlive persecution, defamation, and death, as they have before. The stories and characters give context and color so that I can gain a deeper understanding of the faith and my place in the bigger picture.
If the comparison is to fairy tales, then I suppose the best way to describe it is that we Shias feel our lives are enriched by knowing these historical tales and the characters within them, commemorating them every year, and reminding ourselves through them that we have the social responsibility to battle dragons – the ones within, amongst our own, and in the world at large.
———————————
Zehra Naqvi was born in Karachi and raised in New York. She is a lawyer by day and storyteller by soul. If you would like to read more of Zehra’s work, please visit theobserveum.blogspot.com.
The art work in this post was provided by Irfan Haider Mirza. Please follow his work here : Irfan Haider Mirza
Muharram In Manhattan 
Reblogged this on Little Muslim Learners and commented:
As we begin the New Year of the Islamic Calendar, we try to also rejuvenate our spirits and our goals yet again. We continue to instill the values we learn from the lessons of Karbala into our kids. It’s not a month of mourning, it is so much more!
Thank you for reblogging! Ramadan and Muharram are two very special periods of the year that can absolutely help refocus and rejuvenate our faith. For the sake of this generation and future generations, it’s also very important to relate how what happened 1400 years ago relates to our responsibilities as Muslims today.
Hello Sister,
All my love and admiration for this outstanding letter of honor.
Feeling proud to read your thoughts and the spirit of your words.
I couldn’t express it better.. Thanks for that piece of honesty and pride. I can feel that humanity is going back to its source “AHL AL BAYT” from my country Morocco to Indonesia. Shia, lovers of Ali will never die.. Love always blossoms 🙂
Salaams from France
Imam Nassreddine
Paris Inclusive Mosque
a.o.a sister ! 110
i Need Your Help , for some article, if possible then please reply me asap. i shall be very grateful .
Very well explained. Good work Zehra.
Excellent article written with complete clarity and understanding of ‘why we are Shia’-thankyou
Fantastic article. Well written and represents my thoughts too, as well as many others im sure. Ive shared this with my non muslim friends to help them understand me and my faith better. Thank you for writing this. May Allah reward you.
Im not really sure why you think that any particular sect of islam respects the family of the prophet (pbuh) more than the other. As a sunnii I say the durood on the
prophet (pbuh) and his family 5 times a day.
you need to go a bit deeper as to why certain brands of shiism are controversial amongst mainstream Muslims.
A very well written article! You have tried to keep it simple and factual!
@FADZ – An excellent point – All along the article i was thinking exactly the same. The respect for the family of our prophet , the value system, the mourning are all there in sunnis too! If this article is all about how the shia beliefs operate , then there is literally no difference in both of our thinkings and facts ?! what causes the divide then i often wonder?!
@ Fadz…Good point brother and well taken. Zehra, very well written. Every year, we are reminded of what Hussein ( PBUH ) and his family went through. And now my son also goes through the same. This was not about having power and wealth. It was about showing the world to stand up and setting an example against all wrong, even if it means sacrificing your life.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this piece. I have definitely known some Sunnis who greatly respect the Prophet’s family and what they endured. That said, many in my circle don’t know about the history of what happened and ask questions of me, but shyly and hesitatingly. Many more, I suspect, held back on asking for fear of offending me. Many Sunni friends posted my piece and thanked me for sharing my perspective and shedding some light about what happened and why I connect to my faith. A good friend commented yesterday that it gave her an appreciation for the tragedy of what happened to my people. Her sentiment was lovely but what jarred me was that they are seen as “my people” when I think they actually are part of all Muslim folks’ legacy. One day iA, we can all find a common ground of our understanding but, for now, I wanted to share some of my more fundamental understandings of what makes me identify as Shia, particularly for the Sunni and nonMuslim folks around me who haven’t been exposed to the basic history. I also wrote this for Shia folks who wanted to give voice to some of the reasons they commemorate what happened. To address your last point, this was meant to be a personal narrative, not a researched ideological piece, which is why I didn’t go down the road of exploring or elaborating on ritual differences, etc. Far more interesting to me than the minute differences are the personal reasons people connect to faith, and this faith in particular, so I wanted to share some of my own perspective.
It is so important for Shias to have Sunni friends and Sunnis to have Shia friends…..For starters they will both realize very quickly that they are both Muslims and that is what we need to be really…Muslims first….I come from a sunni family and had a lot of misconceptions about shias until i became friends with a shia neighbor of mine. We had very healthy discussions around both sunni and shia schools of thoughts and while I did not agree with everything he told me I did find more tolerance and respect for him and his beliefs. May Allah guide us all and make us true believing Muslims
Very well written article Zehra. You clarified a lot of misconceptions. Thank you for that. I can completely relate to this growing up in a Shia family and holding dear these legacies. Keep writing 🙂
Thank you for this.
A well written article. However, everything that Shias gain from the details of the events in Karbala like patience, compassion, mercy, devotion, etc is very much the core of the holy Quran. And the Quran IS Allah’s word and the source of ultimate guidance. There’s no doubt that post our beloved Prophet (saw), events took place which have lessons in them. But there were numerous events during his (saw) lifetime, as well as events going on every single day now in our lives and in the world, that have many lessons in them too.
So in addition to a couple of points highlighted in previous comments (e.g. ‘Other’ Muslims respecting and loving our Prophet (saw) and his family equally) why are Shias such a distinct group of Muslims?
Thanks for reading and commenting. Please see above for my response to @Fadz. My article wasn’t meant to be an academic exploration of the topic, but a personal narrative. There are plenty of scholars that have written plenty about the ideological and ritual differences between Sunnis and Shias. I wouldn’t presume try to limit that exploration to a couple of pages, particularly when there are variations within Shia thought.
Separate and apart from any doctrinal differences, I think there is value for all of us discussing how we all connect with our faith and what draws us to it and how we use it as a guiding force everyday. I think that can be very inspiring and positive rather than divisive. I would really love to hear from all of you (Shia, Sunni, and all others) about what brings to this faith and what you relate to.
After Prophet Muhammad died, a power grab resulted. A caliphate was set up rather than permitting Prophet Muhammad’s son in law, Ali, to rise in his stead a leader of the people, as Shias believe the Prophet himself wanted.
So shia’s are followers of Prophet (as) & supporters of his vali H,Ali (as)
Well written Ms. Zehra Naqvi, two thumbs up.
Keep up the good work (y)
Excellent article. Very well put together and explains so eloquently in a nutshell ‘why we are shia’. Would love to read more of your work.
Well written Ms. Zehra Naqvi, very well done.
I’m a Sunni myself & despite that, I believe we all are one and we are part of the same faith. What you have narrated and explained here are some of they very things of our faith we follow and must follow. you have nicely explained the what had happened in Karbala, very deeply narrated. we must remember these things, the stories from our faith which we were told when we were kids not only led to the creation of ‘Fairy Tales’ and other stories of the medieval and early modern times but also the stories of our Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his caliphs are the very basis of the foundation of our moral values. This is not about gaining material, power or wealth but rather standing up for the good of mankind against evil, even at the expense of our lives.
May Allah Bless us all, and May Allah Taalaa bless you too Ms. Zehra Naqvi 🙂
“A caliphate was set up rather than permitting Prophet Muhammad’s son in law, Ali, to rise in his stead a leader of the people, as Shias believe the Prophet himself wanted.”
Can you please provide an authentic reference to this statement? Also they way you have articulated this statement; does it means that the caliphate that was set up was somehow against Islam and / or the guidance of Allah?
I’m sure some learned scholar can provide plenty of historical documented references. I can recommend the series on Imam Ali which amongst other things delves into the issue of saqifah politics of the time that resulted in the caliphate system. Here’s some Muslims on BBC debating the Caliphate system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZzrPtGTYu4
This was excellent and very well written. Thank you for sharing your insight Zehra on being Shia. The future generation needs to see the importance of continuing in this direction. Excellent piece, thanks for sharing.
Excellent !!
Zehra, Brilliant piece of contribution! Dispelling the common misconceptions and allowing people to connect the dots, putting together the fragments of information scattered here and there so it allows them a better insight into the notion of ‘Being a Shia’ – I think you’ve done a great job. Crisp and clear. A fantastic read.
SubhanAllah! Well done!
Beautifully written, Beautifully explained topic/question “Why am I a Shia”.
Enjoyed reading every bit of your “text”.
May you continue to write such besitiful articles dear Zehra n may we continue to enligjten ourselves n enjoy your writings. GOD bless you n may the “Ahlulbait” shower their “Blessings” upon you. Ameen.
Well done Zehra Naqvi for writing such an excellent article. I would appreciate if you could do some research and write an article on Imamat, which is the basic difference between shias and other sects of Islam and the main reason of us being shias.
Me being a Muslim Shia appreciate the work you have put forward..I would have preferred if you would have identified yourself as a Muslim first and than a Shia. I am afraid that we Mislims are identifying ourselves as a sect first therefore leading to divisions.
Brilliantly written, very clear and “as is where is” sharing of thoughts and belief of the writer by the writer which can be understood well by any reader.
@MUDASSAR – the Quranic verses such as [38:26] and [2:124] guides us that only Allah has the prerogative to appoint the successor to his prophet and Allah has assigned his successor on the earth. History of successors to earlier prophets of Allah also support this as they never made “shura” to select successors. The Shia refer to three verses from sura Al-Ma’ida to make their argument on Qur’anic grounds: 5:55, 5:3, 5:67. They say that the verses refer to Ali, and the last two verses were revealed at Ghadir Khumm. There are numerous confirmed traditions that support the fact that Prophet Mohammad wanted Ali to rise in his stead a leader of the people and be his successor. Few of them, chronologically, are: (1) Hadith of Da‘wat dhul-‘Ashīrah (summoning the family at Quranic directive) in which eventually Prophet said that “Verily Ali is my brother, my successor, and my caliph amongst you; therefore, listen to him and obey him” (at-Tabari, Ibn-al Athir, Abu al-Fida, Al-Behyqi, Al-Sayuti, etc.), (2) Hadith of Position “Will you Ali not be pleased that you will be to me like Haroon to Musa? But there will be no prophet after me” in which Muhammad appoints Ali as his successor, and draws a parallel between himself and Musa (Moses) and Ali to Haroun (Aaron) – (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, etc.); (3) Hadith of the Twelve Successors “”Islam shall neither pass away nor be deviated while there are my 12 Sucessors (Imams/Caliphs/Khalifahs) from my nation in it, all of them will be from Quraysh. When the last of them passes away, the Hour will be established and the earth will be destroyed (swallowed) with all its inhabitants.” – (Sahih Muslim, Sahih Tirmidi, etc.) – Shias see the ‘Hadith of the Twelve Successors’ as a basis for their belief in a succession of Imams after the departure of Prophet; (4) Hadith of pond of Khumm that narrates that “Of whomsoever I had been Master (Mawla), Ali here is to be his Master” (Tafsir ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Suyuti, Ibn Asakir, Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Abi Hatim, etc.) – On the way back to Medina from Mecca after Hajj, Prophet ordered his companions to stop at Ghadir Khumm and e delivered an important sermon that culminated to above mentioned Hadith; (5) Hadith of Pen & Paper – On his death-bed, the prophet expressed a wish to write something down – the Prophet said, “Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray” – (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, etc.). Unfortunately, the very last desire of the Prophet never materialized due to obvious reasons. Shias refer to it as “The Calamity of Thursday” (Raziyat Yawm al-Khamis) as they believe that Prophet wanted to clearly nominate Ali as his Successor referring back to the events of Ghadir Khumm and Da‘wat dhul-‘Ashīrah which show that Muhammad had already nominated Ali as his successor.
Dear Zehra , i am a sunni and was raised with the narration of waqaya karbala every year during the first week of moharram and my family fasted the 9th and 10th of moharram. What i dont understand is how are shia’s different from sunni’s? We respect Prophet PBUH him as much as u do but i know very well that Maatum/soag is not allowed in Islam or food being cooked or served with any name other then ALLAH, even not with Prophet SAW name but ONLY ALLAH but i have seen people taking Hazrat Ali (as) name can you please explain me the reason behind that? Or the stone that is used for Sajda from karbela? Or breaking the fast after a few minutes of maghrib? Why the difference?
Thank you for this Article. I grew up in a family, whose members were both Shia and Sunni, and the story of Imam Hussain was narrated to us children, ever since.
This is wonderful article insofar that it answers most historical questions in a crisp and a concise way. The standard refrain amongst the Sunni majority in Pakistan is that “well whats so special about Muharram” in addition to the ignoble practice of wishing people a happy new year on the first of Muharram, a practice that obviously has its roots in modern day Saudi Arabia. Also, I would invite you to write a second piece and perhaps discuss the fallacies of innovations and bid dat that is associated with the Shia faith, whereas in reality most innovations in Islam occurred soon after the Prophet. Finally, the heart wrenching tragedy of our Prophet’s family and kin as Edward Gibbon points out is enough to melt the stoniest of hearts, a fact that is generally missed by the majority of the Muslim Ummah. Thank you for this.
Thanks for the ‘courageous conversation’ that has been started. We may not be able to deal with all the historical baggage in this forum, given the limits that are obviously placed by space and time. Suffice it to say that the family of the Prophet SAW were the ultimate and the best models for humanity and the best representatives of message of Islam and understanding their lives will help us to emulate their humanity. There is no conflict about this fact about them. If the goal of life is to reach perfection as a human being, then we must look up to them as our role models, as Sunnies, Shias and all.
Our conscience should shake us at least during Muharram when we hear and read about their impeccable character on the one hand and the despicable treatment by the so called Muslims on the other side. All Muslims can unite on this protest at least for a few days.
Let us leave the details of the actual split for some other time and mourn together the grief and pain felt by our Prophet over this event. After all, as Muslims, we are supposed to place our Prophet above ourselves. So, if he is grieving, we should grieve with him. I cannot understand how anyone will not be moved by this tragedy. I have lived with my Sunni friends for over forty years, but have yet to see some of them show that they really care about it. Fasting for two days is the best they can do, even when they are told that it has nothing to do with the events in Karbala.
When my non muslim friends ask me about this event during the days of Muharram, I cringe and feel guilty telling them that it was the Muslims themselves who stooped so LOW to deny this honoured household the basic human dignity and not too long after the demise of the Prophet SAW. Let us stand together and disassociate ourselves from those ‘ animals’.
Reblogged this on Qalam and commented:
Beautifully expresses how I also feel about being Shia. (The author of the post also happens to have the same name as me.)
Reblogged this on Veen'sManifesto.
Reblogged this on shahidzaidi555 and commented:
Very nice article by Zehra Naqvi,thanks to my friend, classmate in boarding school,Lawrence College, Murree, I shall also share.
On advise of ‘Blessing for the Worlds’, patience, cooperation shown by Ameer ul Momineen for Religion of Islam to flourish is lesson in history for mankind. In his own words, I quote “I have never denied ALLAH since I knew Him” unquote.
Islam as Religion prohibits division among the followers, my observation; Prevalent among majority of Muslims that Imam Ali(a.s.)is closest associate.
Conclusion, ‘Shia introduced by ALLAH to shun sectionalism (sects).
Pingback: Zehra Naqvi : What Disunity Costs Our Ummah | Muharram In Manhattan
YA ALI MADAD
NO WORDS FOR COMMENT
MAY MOULA ALI BLESS US WITh MORE ZAINAB NAQVI