My Story - from Shia to Sunni

[hassan-h97]

Salam O alykom va rahmatollahi va barakato.

Dear respected brothers and sisters, May Allah have mercy on you and increase you all in wisdom and knowledge.

I was born in Iran, and lived there for 9 years. My parents are both from Afghanistan but they had to leave Afghanistan, 10 years before I was born because of the war and due to the fact that Iran had better life opportunities. They lived in Iran a great deal of their time and that's why shiasim become the norm in their hearts. My Father left us, when I was 5 years old, to go to United Kingdom, where life opportunities were greater, so he sold everything he had to come to this country. 4 years later, when I was at the age of 9 my father got his visa and was granted permission to bring his family to the UK. At that time, we couldn't come from Iran to the UK, they did not give Afghanis any visa and permission, so we had to go to Pakistan to get visa and travel to UK. And that's what happened, we travelled to Pakistan via Afghanistan and we finally arrived to UK and I was around 9 years old.
 
My story, starts when I was 14 years old. I had always seen my family hitting themselves in the time of ashura, either with light touches on the chest to buying small chains and hitting their top of their backs, and always say phrases ( to this day ), "ya Ali Madad" or "Ya Hussain" or "Ya fatimah Zahra" and I always see them having objects around the home that is supposedly protecting us from the devil. I always heard them swear at the companions of the prophet saw.

Based on the religion of my father, I did not ever think this is the true path. How can Gods religion who is so perfect have a religion where filthy language is used, and why would God want us to hit ourselves, or ask these silly objects around the home (evil eye castings) protect us when he is supposed to be all powerful? This caused me to become an atheist, I did not believe in God for a space of 2 years.

Around this time, I was in college, and that's when I started to debate theists about the existence of God, the evidence for God, suffering and the modern world as we speak.  "People are just following their fathers and they followed their fathers and etc", is what I used to say.

I started to listen to lecture debates on professor Lawrence Krauss,Richard Dawkins, Christian Missionaries, Jew Rabbi, Muslim Shiekhs, Buddist/Indian representatives etc . And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

I bought books on this topic and found out that a French Surgeon by the name of Maurice Bucaille had done a scientific research, using the scientific method in comparing the "The Bible, The Quran, and Science" or in French as he put it, "La Bible, Le Coran et La Science" . I was amazed! Verses from "we have made you from water" to "mountain as pegs" to "and it is we who keeps expanding it" to many many more. This got me really interested. Then I found Nouman Ali Khan, where he showed me the linguistic Miracle of the Quran and I remember wallahi to this day, I had goose bumps all over my body as I could not believe the amazing linguistics contained in the Quran. From linguistics, I moved on to historical miracles of the Quran, to future miracles of the Quran, and to various other Miracles, which now included the ahadeeth where the prophet saw said what will happen to the end of time from "bare footed Arab men competing in construction of tall buildings" to "music on their heads" to various others! Subhana Rabbil A'ala . My love for Islam grew and that's when I started to talk to my family about Sunni Islam as all of these superstitions were now clear as glass and gone! and that true Islam resonated in my heart.

However, this did not go well.

I had several heated debates with my father in which he hit me ,abused me verbally and physically. My Father and Mother in which I love the most in this world, whom I want guidance for the most, did not accept what I came with. I had so many arguments and I have learned from my mistakes as I was naive when I was a kid. Now I try to give them dawah with the up most respect and honour, and I am guilty as I did not do that as a kid and this is one of my many regrets.

Today, at the age of 21, alhamdolliah, I am learning the Arabic Language, I am learning my own Native Language ( Dari and Persian) and I am trying to Memorise the Quran and become a hafiz. I am planning to travel abroad to Egypt or Saudi to study hadith, so I can break the misconceptions that our shia fellow men have and that Allah uses me as a source of guidance for the people. Family is the most important and it is the hardest to deal with. I am so alone in my journey as every single person in my entire lineage that I am aware of were all shias and to this day, Im the only Sunni in my family and wallahi its very lonely. I sometimes get jealous of individuals where Allah granted them a true Muslim Family.

If you read this far, I ask you to make sincere dua for my parents, that Allah guides every parent, and that Allah guides my parents to the truth, that Allah places noor and iman in their hearts and mine and that Allah forgives their sins, as they don't know better.

Jazakallo Khairan for reading this.

Your brother in humanity and Islam
Hasan

Admin note: Thread title improved. 

[Farid]

Wa alaykum alsalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Mashallah. Thank you for sharing. May Allah keep you steadfast upon the truth.

Those that were born as Sunnis have no idea how easy they have it. Thank you for the reminder.

[Link]

I have told this to Atheists before in paraphrased way:

The only way to justify Atheism, would be, to say they have either proven that clear reasoning doesn't affirm God nor are we connected to him. As for the latter, in reality, they would have to prove God doesn't exist to do that since if God exists, it's irrational to think we are not connected to him.  And reasoning that is clear and manifest,  doesn't mean it has to be what Academia thinks is the best arguments for God. It can be as simple as we require a perfect vision and witness and judge to be defined as human beings. And that can be sufficient proof (and in fact is, one that Quran repeats).

The problem with taking a stance that others haven't provided enough proofs, which is a stance of denial of evidence, is that it takes constant research and reinvestigation - and one can never be certain they haven't digested the arguments well enough nor can they be certain of there not being arguments out there that do prove what they are saying they have no reason.

Now if they sincerely seek the truth and don't find it, and do their best, than yes, they are justified. But all three are questionable. Are they seeking the truth (what proof do they have?), did they not find it (again, perhaps they did but are ignoring the proofs of that truth), and did their best (what proof, are they constantly looking, are they seeking, and they reinvestigating, making notes, brainstorming etc).

So to relate it with Sunni-Shia issue, I think the stance of lack of evidence of something is not a stance God would want any human to take.

Because really - the Quran which is a guidance to all things needed by humanity - what limit can we put on it in the first place?

Second going down this - it could been more clearer route, is dangerous. What is clear enough should be sufficient because God always sent signs after one another, on bigger than the other, but people didn't believe, they kept raising the bar.

They made a demand "If you show this and that, we will know you are a Messenger", but when shown, kept raising the bar.

They may really rightfully ask why doesn't God just decisively prove it, and that is true, God can, but there is a trial in all this, and there is the reality of faith and disbelief....and honesty and deceiving oneself, and seeing by love of God and seeing by desires towards the false world.

If Quran was repeating "There are no divinely chosen leaders after Mohammad" or something like that, and Sunnis had clear decisive proof for their case, than they would not be hypocritical by demanding proofs whence they themselves have none.

But the truth is Quran has everything pertaining to guidance and there is wisdom in the structure of it, Surah to Surah, verse to verse, theme interlinking with other themes, and verses connecting themes to one another.

The Quran proves Ali and the Leaders appointed by God for guidance to me, without a shadow of a doubt.

Relying on doubt and skepticisim as opposed to clear proofs from God has never been the way to God in the past so as to be the way now.

Sunnism is taking a skeptic stance towards Ghadeer declaration, thaqalain hadith, hadithal Kisaa etc, but at the end, it has no proofs of it's own from God.

It denies proofs that contradict it, I understand that, but it has none for itself. And the path of God always has proofs upon proofs and so much reasoning to confirm it, that all it requires is reflection. The latter statement is found in Quran and itself is enough to prove the path and in fact, is one of the arguments of Quran for the proper religion, that at least Islam hypothetically has evidence, people may say Quran doesn't prove Mohammad but no other religion has evidence that is to be analyzed,  they are saying walk the path and you will see, but Quran is saying,  the path before you walk it, make sure it has ample evidence and proofs.

And the Quran provides proofs upon proofs, majestic eloquent themes interlocking with others, and in all this, proves the proper religion through reasoning.

The argument of Quran doesn't come down to he sent Messengers in the past therefore believe in Mohammad, as any human can say the same thing. It has structural argument and reasoning and philosophy, and there is no wasted space in Quran, all verses are important.

The philosophy of chosen families, the number emphasized by Moses covenant, the rejection of clergy class and the Jibt and Taghut,  the tautologies of Quran, etc, etc,  they are all vitally important.

All I suggest before going into all out rebellion to the family of the reminder, is to reflect on Quran and ahadith of Ahlulbayt (as) regarding Quranic verses.

You should at least give Ahlulbayt (as) a chance to prove themselves in Quran by reading their ahadith and giving them reflection.

[Optimus Prime]

Salam O alykom va rahmatollahi va barakato.

Dear respected brothers and sisters, May Allah have mercy on you and increase you all in wisdom and knowledge.

I was born in Iran, and lived there for 9 years. My parents are both from Afghanistan but they had to leave Afghanistan, 10 years before I was born because of the war and due to the fact that Iran had better life opportunities. They lived in Iran a great deal of their time and that's why shiasim become the norm in their hearts. My Father left us, when I was 5 years old, to go to United Kingdom, where life opportunities were greater, so he sold everything he had to come to this country. 4 years later, when I was at the age of 9 my father got his visa and was granted permission to bring his family to the UK. At that time, we couldn't come from Iran to the UK, they did not give Afghanis any visa and permission, so we had to go to Pakistan to get visa and travel to UK. And that's what happened, we travelled to Pakistan via Afghanistan and we finally arrived to UK and I was around 9 years old.
 
My story, starts when I was 14 years old. I had always seen my family hitting themselves in the time of ashura, either with light touches on the chest to buying small chains and hitting their top of their backs, and always say phrases ( to this day ), "ya Ali Madad" or "Ya Hussain" or "Ya fatimah Zahra" and I always see them having objects around the home that is supposedly protecting us from the devil. I always heard them swear at the companions of the prophet saw.

Based on the religion of my father, I did not ever think this is the true path. How can Gods religion who is so perfect have a religion where filthy language is used, and why would God want us to hit ourselves, or ask these silly objects around the home (evil eye castings) protect us when he is supposed to be all powerful? This caused me to become an atheist, I did not believe in God for a space of 2 years.

Around this time, I was in college, and that's when I started to debate theists about the existence of God, the evidence for God, suffering and the modern world as we speak.  "People are just following their fathers and they followed their fathers and etc", is what I used to say.

I started to listen to lecture debates on professor Lawrence Krauss,Richard Dawkins, Christian Missionaries, Jew Rabbi, Muslim Shiekhs, Buddist/Indian representatives etc . And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

I bought books on this topic and found out that a French Surgeon by the name of Maurice Bucaille had done a scientific research, using the scientific method in comparing the "The Bible, The Quran, and Science" or in French as he put it, "La Bible, Le Coran et La Science" . I was amazed! Verses from "we have made you from water" to "mountain as pegs" to "and it is we who keeps expanding it" to many many more. This got me really interested. Then I found Nouman Ali Khan, where he showed me the linguistic Miracle of the Quran and I remember wallahi to this day, I had goose bumps all over my body as I could not believe the amazing linguistics contained in the Quran. From linguistics, I moved on to historical miracles of the Quran, to future miracles of the Quran, and to various other Miracles, which now included the ahadeeth where the prophet saw said what will happen to the end of time from "bare footed Arab men competing in construction of tall buildings" to "music on their heads" to various others! Subhana Rabbil A'ala . My love for Islam grew and that's when I started to talk to my family about Sunni Islam as all of these superstitions were now clear as glass and gone! and that true Islam resonated in my heart.

However, this did not go well.

I had several heated debates with my father in which he hit me ,abused me verbally and physically. My Father and Mother in which I love the most in this world, whom I want guidance for the most, did not accept what I came with. I had so many arguments and I have learned from my mistakes as I was naive when I was a kid. Now I try to give them dawah with the up most respect and honour, and I am guilty as I did not do that as a kid and this is one of my many regrets.

Today, at the age of 21, alhamdolliah, I am learning the Arabic Language, I am learning my own Native Language ( Dari and Persian) and I am trying to Memorise the Quran and become a hafiz. I am planning to travel abroad to Egypt or Saudi to study hadith, so I can break the misconceptions that our shia fellow men have and that Allah uses me as a source of guidance for the people. Family is the most important and it is the hardest to deal with. I am so alone in my journey as every single person in my entire lineage that I am aware of were all shias and to this day, Im the only Sunni in my family and wallahi its very lonely. I sometimes get jealous of individuals where Allah granted them a true Muslim Family.

If you read this far, I ask you to make sincere dua for my parents, that Allah guides every parent, and that Allah guides my parents to the truth, that Allah places noor and iman in their hearts and mine and that Allah forgives their sins, as they don't know better.

Jazakallo Khairan for reading this.

Your brother in humanity and Islam
Hasan

W/S bro.

Welcome to the religion if light and Haq. Undoubtedly, Shiaism is the religion of falsehood.

May Allah (SWT) keep you steadfast on deen.

[Mythbuster1]

Salam O alykom va rahmatollahi va barakato.

Dear respected brothers and sisters, May Allah have mercy on you and increase you all in wisdom and knowledge.

I was born in Iran, and lived there for 9 years. My parents are both from Afghanistan but they had to leave Afghanistan, 10 years before I was born because of the war and due to the fact that Iran had better life opportunities. They lived in Iran a great deal of their time and that's why shiasim become the norm in their hearts. My Father left us, when I was 5 years old, to go to United Kingdom, where life opportunities were greater, so he sold everything he had to come to this country. 4 years later, when I was at the age of 9 my father got his visa and was granted permission to bring his family to the UK. At that time, we couldn't come from Iran to the UK, they did not give Afghanis any visa and permission, so we had to go to Pakistan to get visa and travel to UK. And that's what happened, we travelled to Pakistan via Afghanistan and we finally arrived to UK and I was around 9 years old.
 
My story, starts when I was 14 years old. I had always seen my family hitting themselves in the time of ashura, either with light touches on the chest to buying small chains and hitting their top of their backs, and always say phrases ( to this day ), "ya Ali Madad" or "Ya Hussain" or "Ya fatimah Zahra" and I always see them having objects around the home that is supposedly protecting us from the devil. I always heard them swear at the companions of the prophet saw.

Based on the religion of my father, I did not ever think this is the true path. How can Gods religion who is so perfect have a religion where filthy language is used, and why would God want us to hit ourselves, or ask these silly objects around the home (evil eye castings) protect us when he is supposed to be all powerful? This caused me to become an atheist, I did not believe in God for a space of 2 years.

Around this time, I was in college, and that's when I started to debate theists about the existence of God, the evidence for God, suffering and the modern world as we speak.  "People are just following their fathers and they followed their fathers and etc", is what I used to say.

I started to listen to lecture debates on professor Lawrence Krauss,Richard Dawkins, Christian Missionaries, Jew Rabbi, Muslim Shiekhs, Buddist/Indian representatives etc . And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

I bought books on this topic and found out that a French Surgeon by the name of Maurice Bucaille had done a scientific research, using the scientific method in comparing the "The Bible, The Quran, and Science" or in French as he put it, "La Bible, Le Coran et La Science" . I was amazed! Verses from "we have made you from water" to "mountain as pegs" to "and it is we who keeps expanding it" to many many more. This got me really interested. Then I found Nouman Ali Khan, where he showed me the linguistic Miracle of the Quran and I remember wallahi to this day, I had goose bumps all over my body as I could not believe the amazing linguistics contained in the Quran. From linguistics, I moved on to historical miracles of the Quran, to future miracles of the Quran, and to various other Miracles, which now included the ahadeeth where the prophet saw said what will happen to the end of time from "bare footed Arab men competing in construction of tall buildings" to "music on their heads" to various others! Subhana Rabbil A'ala . My love for Islam grew and that's when I started to talk to my family about Sunni Islam as all of these superstitions were now clear as glass and gone! and that true Islam resonated in my heart.

However, this did not go well.

I had several heated debates with my father in which he hit me ,abused me verbally and physically. My Father and Mother in which I love the most in this world, whom I want guidance for the most, did not accept what I came with. I had so many arguments and I have learned from my mistakes as I was naive when I was a kid. Now I try to give them dawah with the up most respect and honour, and I am guilty as I did not do that as a kid and this is one of my many regrets.

Today, at the age of 21, alhamdolliah, I am learning the Arabic Language, I am learning my own Native Language ( Dari and Persian) and I am trying to Memorise the Quran and become a hafiz. I am planning to travel abroad to Egypt or Saudi to study hadith, so I can break the misconceptions that our shia fellow men have and that Allah uses me as a source of guidance for the people. Family is the most important and it is the hardest to deal with. I am so alone in my journey as every single person in my entire lineage that I am aware of were all shias and to this day, Im the only Sunni in my family and wallahi its very lonely. I sometimes get jealous of individuals where Allah granted them a true Muslim Family.

If you read this far, I ask you to make sincere dua for my parents, that Allah guides every parent, and that Allah guides my parents to the truth, that Allah places noor and iman in their hearts and mine and that Allah forgives their sins, as they don't know better.

Jazakallo Khairan for reading this.

Your brother in humanity and Islam
Hasan

Walaikum asalam

Alhamdulillah

Welcome brother to the light/nur of Islam true Islam where you feel at ease within and a true bond with brotherhood and a true ummati of the prophet saw without hate for anything of the prophet saw's friends and wives ra. Free from such depraved thoughts. Welcome to peace.

may Allah swt make the rest of your journey in learning and to spread true dawah easy for you and may He Allah swt help in reverting your parents to the truth.

Welcome to the truth brother.

[MuslimK]

Walaikum salam wr wb

Welcome to the forum brother Hassan.

Praise be to Allah. You have chosen the path of truth.

May Allah guide your parents, grant you strenght & patience and success in your journey.

[Ijtaba]

... And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

Brother Mohammed Hijab has recently uploaded a video on his channel. It is regarding Dr. Zakir Naik's claim of scientific miracles in the Holy Quran. Very informative video.

Reacting to Dr. Zakir Naik's Scientific Miracles #1

[Hani]

Salam,

God grant you success!

My personal choice, I stay away from "scientific miracles" but whatever works for you bro!

[Hadrami]

wa alaykumsalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh bro, happy you find Islam. I agree with Hani, don't get to much into the scientific miracles genre. It feels like we try too hard to find or interpret an ayat to match a new scientific findings. What if today's scientific findings which supposedly match an ayat was later found to be wrong? al-Qur'an is already a miracle even if we cant find an ayat in it which explains modern science.

[hassan-h97]

wa alaykumsalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh bro, happy you find Islam. I agree with Hani, don't get to much into the scientific miracles genre. It feels like we try too hard to find or interpret an ayat to match a new scientific findings. What if today's scientific findings which supposedly match an ayat was later found to be wrong? al-Qur'an is already a miracle even if we cant find an ayat in it which explains modern science.

Yes I totally agree. I only used it at the beginning of my research, that’s the reason in which I mentioned that I looked into other miracles of the Quran apart from science. I am follower of Hamza And brother Mohammed Hijab, and as well as other brothers who have talked about this issue. I am fully aware that the Quran should not be used as a yard stick for the scientific world, but rather it should be a very small part of dawah but not a great deal. It’s important to focus on the other aspects of the Quran, like linguistic, historic, prophetic miracles of Quran .

Just as a side note , have a look at the mathematical miracle of the Quran that has came about recently in a study done by Shabir Ally.

السلام عليكم

[Ijtaba]

Yes I totally agree. I only used it at the beginning of my research, that’s the reason in which I mentioned that I looked into other miracles of the Quran apart from science. I am follower of Hamza And brother Mohammed Hijab, and as well as other brothers who have talked about this issue. I am fully aware that the Quran should not be used as a yard stick for the scientific world, but rather it should be a very small part of dawah but not a great deal. It’s important to focus on the other aspects of the Quran, like linguistic, historic, prophetic miracles of Quran .

Just as a side note , have a look at the mathematical miracle of the Quran that has came about recently in a study done by Shabir Ally.

My advice would be to stay out of all such miracles not known to Saḥābah, Tabi‘un nor Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in. Below I am giving a link related to the topic.

Discussion of numerical miracles in the Qur’aan and use of the solar calendar
https://islamqa.info/en/69741

Shaykh Dr. Khaalid al-Sabt said: 

Dr. Ashraf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq Qatanah presented a “study of the numerical miracles in the Holy Qur’aan” which he published in a book entitled: “The Qur’aan and the Numerical Miracles, a critical study of the numerical miracles of the Holy Qur’aan.” In the conclusion to this book he reviews three other books: (1) I’jaaz al-Raqm 19 (The miracle of the number 19) by Baasim Jaraar; (2) al-I’jaaz al-‘Adadi fi’l-Qur’aan (the numerical miracle in the Qur’aan) by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq Nawfal; and (3) al-Mu’jizah (the miracle) by ‘Adnaan al-Rifaa’i. The author reached a conclusion which he describes as follows:

As the result of my study I reached the idea that the “numerical miracle” as presented in these books is not real at all, and these books are based on conditions that are sometimes selective , in order to prove the validity of this view in a way that will make the reader accept these preconceived results referred to above.  These selective conditions sometimes lead the author to go against that which is proven according to the consensus of the ummah, such as going against the spelling of the ‘Uthmaani Mus-haf, which is not permissible at all; or adopting the spelling of some words which appears in some Mus-hafs and without paying attention to the spellings in other Mus-hafs. It also goes against basic principles of the Arabic language with regard to synonyms and antonyms.   

p. 197, Damascus, Manaar li’l-Nashr wa’l-Tawzee’, first edition, 1420 AH/1999 CE.

[MuslimK]

My advice would be to stay out of all such miracles not known to Saḥābah, Tabi‘un nor Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in. Below I am giving a link related to the topic.

You forgot the "infallible" Imams

Anyways, your comment is a funny one brother. How can the Sahaba or the next generation after them know about scientific and mathematical signs during their time when humanity was not advanced in science especially their society in Hijaz?

P.S. The brother talked about the study done by Shaikh Shabir Ally. If you think there is something wrong with his research do point out.

[iceman]

Alaykum Asalam. Nice to hear your story. very interesting and what ever you're comfortable and happy with. I have read some posts in response to yours and I just wish that the same would have been said if it was the other way around.

It is your religious and civil right to believe in what ever you want and feel like. What ever you're comfortable and happy with and what ever you think is right and reasonable for you.

This is how Shiaism and the majority of the Shia feel and believe not just about themselves but also about and for the others. It is unfortunate that we are not thought of and felt in the same way.

I am a Shia born, raised and bread as a Shia. My experience is as similar as yours to some extent. I wasn't happy and comfortable with certain ways and things just as you. So what exactly did I do?

I went in to research and started to look at things as well as other schools of thought in depth and in great detail. I also started to look at historical incidents and events along with political issues and matters concerning Islam and Islamic history.

And this is exactly what I'm doing till this very day. I was a Shia and still am a Shia. I used to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein and his companions in this particular way, fashion and manner but now I do it in that...... So commemorating the incident of Karbalaa in a particular way, fashion and manner has to do with the area and region the Shias are from and is cultural as well as traditional. But before my research I thought it was part of the Shia belief and faith.

Will continue this.

[Ijtaba]

You forgot the "infallible" Imams

I did not forget the "infallible" Imams

As the brother is now Sunni (and ex-Shia) I listed those important people according to Ahlul Sunnah from whom the Knowledge of al-Quran and Sunnah of Prophet (s.a.w.w) is to be taken.

Anyways, your comment is a funny one brother. How can the Sahaba or the next generation after them know about scientific and mathematical signs during their time when humanity was not advanced in science especially their society in Hijaz?

So you think Science and Mathematics are authority and that Al-Quran should be interpreted according to scientific and mathematical signs?

P.S. The brother talked about the study done by Shaikh Shabir Ally. If you think there is something wrong with his research do point out.

I did not believe in al-Quran as Book from GOD because of such study.

Nor did Sahabas bring Imaan on Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and al-Quran based on such scientific and mathematical signs. If such was the case then we did find evidence of this in books of Seerah, Tarikh and Ahadith.

[iceman]

Salam O alykom va rahmatollahi va barakato.

Dear respected brothers and sisters, May Allah have mercy on you and increase you all in wisdom and knowledge.

I was born in Iran, and lived there for 9 years. My parents are both from Afghanistan but they had to leave Afghanistan, 10 years before I was born because of the war and due to the fact that Iran had better life opportunities. They lived in Iran a great deal of their time and that's why shiasim become the norm in their hearts. My Father left us, when I was 5 years old, to go to United Kingdom, where life opportunities were greater, so he sold everything he had to come to this country. 4 years later, when I was at the age of 9 my father got his visa and was granted permission to bring his family to the UK. At that time, we couldn't come from Iran to the UK, they did not give Afghanis any visa and permission, so we had to go to Pakistan to get visa and travel to UK. And that's what happened, we travelled to Pakistan via Afghanistan and we finally arrived to UK and I was around 9 years old.
 
My story, starts when I was 14 years old. I had always seen my family hitting themselves in the time of ashura, either with light touches on the chest to buying small chains and hitting their top of their backs, and always say phrases ( to this day ), "ya Ali Madad" or "Ya Hussain" or "Ya fatimah Zahra" and I always see them having objects around the home that is supposedly protecting us from the devil. I always heard them swear at the companions of the prophet saw.

Based on the religion of my father, I did not ever think this is the true path. How can Gods religion who is so perfect have a religion where filthy language is used, and why would God want us to hit ourselves, or ask these silly objects around the home (evil eye castings) protect us when he is supposed to be all powerful? This caused me to become an atheist, I did not believe in God for a space of 2 years.

Around this time, I was in college, and that's when I started to debate theists about the existence of God, the evidence for God, suffering and the modern world as we speak.  "People are just following their fathers and they followed their fathers and etc", is what I used to say.

I started to listen to lecture debates on professor Lawrence Krauss,Richard Dawkins, Christian Missionaries, Jew Rabbi, Muslim Shiekhs, Buddist/Indian representatives etc . And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

I bought books on this topic and found out that a French Surgeon by the name of Maurice Bucaille had done a scientific research, using the scientific method in comparing the "The Bible, The Quran, and Science" or in French as he put it, "La Bible, Le Coran et La Science" . I was amazed! Verses from "we have made you from water" to "mountain as pegs" to "and it is we who keeps expanding it" to many many more. This got me really interested. Then I found Nouman Ali Khan, where he showed me the linguistic Miracle of the Quran and I remember wallahi to this day, I had goose bumps all over my body as I could not believe the amazing linguistics contained in the Quran. From linguistics, I moved on to historical miracles of the Quran, to future miracles of the Quran, and to various other Miracles, which now included the ahadeeth where the prophet saw said what will happen to the end of time from "bare footed Arab men competing in construction of tall buildings" to "music on their heads" to various others! Subhana Rabbil A'ala . My love for Islam grew and that's when I started to talk to my family about Sunni Islam as all of these superstitions were now clear as glass and gone! and that true Islam resonated in my heart.

However, this did not go well.

I had several heated debates with my father in which he hit me ,abused me verbally and physically. My Father and Mother in which I love the most in this world, whom I want guidance for the most, did not accept what I came with. I had so many arguments and I have learned from my mistakes as I was naive when I was a kid. Now I try to give them dawah with the up most respect and honour, and I am guilty as I did not do that as a kid and this is one of my many regrets.

Today, at the age of 21, alhamdolliah, I am learning the Arabic Language, I am learning my own Native Language ( Dari and Persian) and I am trying to Memorise the Quran and become a hafiz. I am planning to travel abroad to Egypt or Saudi to study hadith, so I can break the misconceptions that our shia fellow men have and that Allah uses me as a source of guidance for the people. Family is the most important and it is the hardest to deal with. I am so alone in my journey as every single person in my entire lineage that I am aware of were all shias and to this day, Im the only Sunni in my family and wallahi its very lonely. I sometimes get jealous of individuals where Allah granted them a true Muslim Family.

If you read this far, I ask you to make sincere dua for my parents, that Allah guides every parent, and that Allah guides my parents to the truth, that Allah places noor and iman in their hearts and mine and that Allah forgives their sins, as they don't know better.

Jazakallo Khairan for reading this.

Your brother in humanity and Islam
Hasan

Admin note: Thread title improved. 

You've said four things here;

Hitting themselves with hands on their chests or with chains on their upper back.

Saying phrases such as, 'Ya Ali Madad, Ya Hussein, Ya Zahra etc.

Having objects around the house to protect themselves from the devil.

And swearing and cursing the companions etc.

Is this Shiaism according to you? Or have you limited Shiaism to this?

[MuslimK]

So you think Science and Mathematics are authority and that Al-Quran should be interpreted according to scientific and mathematical signs?

I did not believe in al-Quran as Book from GOD because of such study.

Nor did Sahabas bring Imaan on Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and al-Quran based on such scientific and mathematical signs. If such was the case then we did find evidence of this in books of Seerah, Tarikh and Ahadith.

I and nobody else here made such a claim.

[Ijtaba]

So you think Science and Mathematics are authority and that Al-Quran should be interpreted according to scientific and mathematical signs?

I did not believe in al-Quran as Book from GOD because of such study.

Nor did Sahabas bring Imaan on Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and al-Quran based on such scientific and mathematical signs. If such was the case then we did find evidence of this in books of Seerah, Tarikh and Ahadith.

I and nobody else here made such a claim.

Good.

I believe no one should interpret al-Quran according to his desires i.e. to claim he found scientific and mathematical miracles in the verses of al-Quran but al-Quran should be interpreted as Prophet (s.a.w.w) interpreted. And Ahlul Sunnah believe that Prophet (s.a.w.w) taught the interpretation of al-Quran to his Sahabas.

So its better (according to Ahlul Sunnah) to interpret verses of al-Quran as given by Prophet (s.a.w.w) through his Sahabas and avoid interpreting verses of al-Quran according to Science & Mathematics.

[iceman]

Salam O alykom va rahmatollahi va barakato.

Dear respected brothers and sisters, May Allah have mercy on you and increase you all in wisdom and knowledge.

I was born in Iran, and lived there for 9 years. My parents are both from Afghanistan but they had to leave Afghanistan, 10 years before I was born because of the war and due to the fact that Iran had better life opportunities. They lived in Iran a great deal of their time and that's why shiasim become the norm in their hearts. My Father left us, when I was 5 years old, to go to United Kingdom, where life opportunities were greater, so he sold everything he had to come to this country. 4 years later, when I was at the age of 9 my father got his visa and was granted permission to bring his family to the UK. At that time, we couldn't come from Iran to the UK, they did not give Afghanis any visa and permission, so we had to go to Pakistan to get visa and travel to UK. And that's what happened, we travelled to Pakistan via Afghanistan and we finally arrived to UK and I was around 9 years old.
 
My story, starts when I was 14 years old. I had always seen my family hitting themselves in the time of ashura, either with light touches on the chest to buying small chains and hitting their top of their backs, and always say phrases ( to this day ), "ya Ali Madad" or "Ya Hussain" or "Ya fatimah Zahra" and I always see them having objects around the home that is supposedly protecting us from the devil. I always heard them swear at the companions of the prophet saw.

Based on the religion of my father, I did not ever think this is the true path. How can Gods religion who is so perfect have a religion where filthy language is used, and why would God want us to hit ourselves, or ask these silly objects around the home (evil eye castings) protect us when he is supposed to be all powerful? This caused me to become an atheist, I did not believe in God for a space of 2 years.

Around this time, I was in college, and that's when I started to debate theists about the existence of God, the evidence for God, suffering and the modern world as we speak.  "People are just following their fathers and they followed their fathers and etc", is what I used to say.

I started to listen to lecture debates on professor Lawrence Krauss,Richard Dawkins, Christian Missionaries, Jew Rabbi, Muslim Shiekhs, Buddist/Indian representatives etc . And my heart started to melt when I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer, so I have taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathametics modules in College and then attended University to complete my Bachelors of science as well as my Masters, so I knew a thing or two about science. When I started to listen to Dr.Zakir Naik, he said evidence of science in Quran and that everything is correct in Quran and that its perfect....

I bought books on this topic and found out that a French Surgeon by the name of Maurice Bucaille had done a scientific research, using the scientific method in comparing the "The Bible, The Quran, and Science" or in French as he put it, "La Bible, Le Coran et La Science" . I was amazed! Verses from "we have made you from water" to "mountain as pegs" to "and it is we who keeps expanding it" to many many more. This got me really interested. Then I found Nouman Ali Khan, where he showed me the linguistic Miracle of the Quran and I remember wallahi to this day, I had goose bumps all over my body as I could not believe the amazing linguistics contained in the Quran. From linguistics, I moved on to historical miracles of the Quran, to future miracles of the Quran, and to various other Miracles, which now included the ahadeeth where the prophet saw said what will happen to the end of time from "bare footed Arab men competing in construction of tall buildings" to "music on their heads" to various others! Subhana Rabbil A'ala . My love for Islam grew and that's when I started to talk to my family about Sunni Islam as all of these superstitions were now clear as glass and gone! and that true Islam resonated in my heart.

However, this did not go well.

I had several heated debates with my father in which he hit me ,abused me verbally and physically. My Father and Mother in which I love the most in this world, whom I want guidance for the most, did not accept what I came with. I had so many arguments and I have learned from my mistakes as I was naive when I was a kid. Now I try to give them dawah with the up most respect and honour, and I am guilty as I did not do that as a kid and this is one of my many regrets.

Today, at the age of 21, alhamdolliah, I am learning the Arabic Language, I am learning my own Native Language ( Dari and Persian) and I am trying to Memorise the Quran and become a hafiz. I am planning to travel abroad to Egypt or Saudi to study hadith, so I can break the misconceptions that our shia fellow men have and that Allah uses me as a source of guidance for the people. Family is the most important and it is the hardest to deal with. I am so alone in my journey as every single person in my entire lineage that I am aware of were all shias and to this day, Im the only Sunni in my family and wallahi its very lonely. I sometimes get jealous of individuals where Allah granted them a true Muslim Family.

If you read this far, I ask you to make sincere dua for my parents, that Allah guides every parent, and that Allah guides my parents to the truth, that Allah places noor and iman in their hearts and mine and that Allah forgives their sins, as they don't know better.

Jazakallo Khairan for reading this.

Your brother in humanity and Islam
Hasan

Admin note: Thread title improved. 

You've said four things here;

Hitting themselves with hands on their chests or with chains on their upper back.

Saying phrases such as, 'Ya Ali Madad, Ya Hussein, Ya Zahra etc.

Having objects around the house to protect themselves from the devil.

And swearing and cursing the companions etc.

Is this Shiaism according to you? Or have you limited Shiaism to this?

I don't think you exactly know what Shiaism is about and what the principles of its faith/belief are.

Hitting yourself either with your hands on your chest till it turns red and blue or hitting your upper back with either chains or small knives attached to chains in some places, who said that you have to or must do this? I don't do it so does that throw me out of Shiaism or am I no longer a shia? Who said you have to do this otherwise you're not a Shia?

Some people who happen to be from the Shia community commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein in this particular way. In Iran they use chains and hit their upper back. In Pakistan you have small knives attached to the end of chains and they hit the upper back with that. In other countries or parts of the world where Shias exist and live such as Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon etc you probably would have a different practice based on tradition or custom.

But what does this have to do with the Shia belief and faith or the entire Shia community globally? What seems to be the problem with saying Ya Ali Madad or Ya Hussein or Ya Abbas or Ya Zahra? Don't say it if you don't want to or if you're not comfortable with it. But what seems to be the issue with it if you can let me know that would be nice.

What kind of objects did your parents keep in the house to keep demons, devils or probably bad spirits away if you don't mind me asking?

And now you've become a Suni, which one have you become and why? Do you know about being a Suni? Do you know they have four different school of thought? Apart from this they are categorised or divided such as Deobandi, Barelvi, Wahabi, Salafi, Ahle Hadees etc. It's getting a bit too long and much for you so I'll leave it here. 

[iceman]

So you think Science and Mathematics are authority and that Al-Quran should be interpreted according to scientific and mathematical signs?

I did not believe in al-Quran as Book from GOD because of such study.

Nor did Sahabas bring Imaan on Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and al-Quran based on such scientific and mathematical signs. If such was the case then we did find evidence of this in books of Seerah, Tarikh and Ahadith.

I and nobody else here made such a claim.

Good.

I believe no one should interpret al-Quran according to his desires i.e. to claim he found scientific and mathematical miracles in the verses of al-Quran but al-Quran should be interpreted as Prophet (s.a.w.w) interpreted. And Ahlul Sunnah believe that Prophet (s.a.w.w) taught the interpretation of al-Quran to his Sahabas.

So its better (according to Ahlul Sunnah) to interpret verses of al-Quran as given by Prophet (s.a.w.w) through his Sahabas and avoid interpreting verses of al-Quran according to Science & Mathematics.

And instead of the Sahaba we choose and prefer the Ahle Bayth. That's the only difference and that is probably our crime. You have your choice and reasons to that choice and we the same. You have a right to your belief and choice and we should be given and seen the same. That is all and it shouldn't be too difficult to understand.

[hassan-h97]

So you think Science and Mathematics are authority and that Al-Quran should be interpreted according to scientific and mathematical signs?

I did not believe in al-Quran as Book from GOD because of such study.

Nor did Sahabas bring Imaan on Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and al-Quran based on such scientific and mathematical signs. If such was the case then we did find evidence of this in books of Seerah, Tarikh and Ahadith.

I and nobody else here made such a claim.

Good.

I believe no one should interpret al-Quran according to his desires i.e. to claim he found scientific and mathematical miracles in the verses of al-Quran but al-Quran should be interpreted as Prophet (s.a.w.w) interpreted. And Ahlul Sunnah believe that Prophet (s.a.w.w) taught the interpretation of al-Quran to his Sahabas.

So its better (according to Ahlul Sunnah) to interpret verses of al-Quran as given by Prophet (s.a.w.w) through his Sahabas and avoid interpreting verses of al-Quran according to Science & Mathematics.

On the point that you have mentioned, I think you are completely wrong to limit the understanding of the Quran to purely the prophet saw and his companions. Allah saw says to ponder over his verses, this is an action which is done since the time of the prophet saw to this day.

A verse could have various meaning, one may mean a hint of science for furthering your iman, and one may mean something else which the prophet may or not have mentioned.

What is your evidence to say that every single verse in the Quran must be understood in the exact same way as the prophet and the companions and NO other way these verses could be looked at?

Again to beat down my case, You should not use science as your ultimate judgement on the Quran but rather it should be a very small part of it. For example, if you compare the Bible to the Quran, like in the video mentioned by Mohamed Hijab, the Bible has clear clear contractions in terms of scientific, historical etc. facts whilst the Quran stands on the other side of the room.

To conclude, The deep pondering over the Quran, and an individuals discipline such as science, is actually increasing the iman of the individual, and for you to come around and to just claim no other understanding of the verses of the Quran can be taken, only shows you are actually ignorant.  Are you aware there are surahs in the Quran e.g An Nazi'at , where literally there are 50 completely different tafsirs put forward from the greatest scholars of Islam with regards to its initial verses? Do we have hadith where the prophet saw explained the entire Quran and all of these different tafsirs? No we do not. The interpretation of the Quran was done majorly by the scholars of Islam who pondered over the verses and who understood the Arabic language to a great extent.