2) Why don't you change your name and the name of your website as well to "whoarethetwelvershia". Shia is such broad spectrum i.e. from someone who prefered Ali over Uthman at one end to someone who regards Ali as God at the other end. I don't think you are trying to explain all those sects within Shi'ism except for Twelver Shia.
While there is no doubt there are nuances in the word, we need to look at what was and has become the most dominant understanding of the word. When someone wants to know about the Shia, 9.95 times out of 10 they will learn about the Jafferi's, otherwise known as the ithna-asheri. You also have to take into account that we are not discussing a sect within Islam that has various dominant groups with comparable literature and scholarly rigour. 85-90% of Shia's today believe in the twelve amirs/leaders after the Prophet [saw]. You might have five or six percent who are Zaydi's, one or two percent who might be another group. These groups have very little hadith literature compared to us, very little scholarship, and most of them are pretty much just cultural followers - and often rejoin us when educated.
If you look at Islam, you will find a divide between Sunni and Shia that is far more concrete. Both groups - the Sunni and the Shia, posses their own corpus of hadith literature, arguably just as powerful as the other in volume and as early sources, a host of influential classical scholars who have authored canonical works and fundamental treaties, and clear scholarly rigour.
Remember, within the Sunni world today, there are some major divisions spanning Fiqh and Aqeedah. Historically, the dominant group has been the Ashari and Maturidi. Salafi's will refer to them as 'innovators' and 'deviants' and not part of the 'Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaah'. The Ashari and Maturidi will often say the same about the Salafi's, claiming that they are the Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaah and that the Salafi's are misguided. Now, these are some pretty fundamental Aqeedah differences on issues like Tawheed among others. Yet you find scholars claiming 'We are the Ahlus-Sunnah' despite the fact they only comprise of 20-30% of Sunni Muslims today if they are Salafi.
The idea that Shia Islam is divided into multitudes of sects and groups, and that you need to start to examine and identify with each one individually is in my view, disingenuous. The vast majority are those who call themselves 'Jafferi's', and follow the twelve amirs/leaders after the Messenger of Allah [saw]. They are the only group to have any level of rigour as far as hadith compilations, classical scholarly works, and a near monopoly on almost all Shia Dawah efforts.
Just because one or two percent might be Ismaili, who generally are just cultural followers with very little academic basis to their faith, many of whom when educated affirm the true Shia creed, does not mean i have to distinguish myself by a particular name every single time. The only relevant Shia group are the one who believe in the twelve Amirs/Leaders after the Prophet [saw]. And this website has clearly identified that, which is why it centred on refuting us.
You claimed yours to be academic refutations. Those refutations, I believe, are only for Twelver Shia and not for Ismai'lis or Zaydis for example. The sources you used will definitely shows that. If it were meant to be academic, you should be frank of which version of Shia you are in the first place.
The majority of the refutations centre on Ghadeer, Thaqalayn, issues of Aqeedah such as the Sifat of Allah [swt], which is applicable for all.
Your claim of number of followers, level of hadith literature, tafseer, and scholarly rigour unmatched by any other, etc. mean nothing in academic discussion except for propaganda purpose and that's not your intention reading from what you said in your website.
I think having a website that reads as 'twelvershia.net' is misleading people and should have defined that it is refuting the aforementioned creed. That is what you would call propaganda.
As i have clarified, we have never had a need to distinguish ourselves, because almost every single Shia you will debate, or come across will be one who believes in the twelve. Almost every single classical hadith book, or scholarly work you will refute, comes from us. Almost every political establishment in the ME where the Shia have power and authority comes from us. Almost every youtube channel, television networks, websites, printed books, is all from us. When someone calls themselves a Shia, there is really almost little need to distinguish it any further on from there.
I hope inshAllah you see where i come from.
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March 17, 2015, 08:48:33 PM