“With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority of Muslims because Allah’s hand of protection is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the one isolated from the group is a prey to Satan just as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is a prey to the wolf. Beware! Whoever calls to this course [of sectarianism], kill him, even though he may be under this headband of mine.”
Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 126
Let us examine some of the current beliefs of the 12rs Shia's:
1. The belief that Imams are superior to Prophets except Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The belief that they are superior to Prophets such as Isa (as), Abraham (as), Dawud (as), Yunus (as), Musa (as), Noah (as) who are all mentioned in the Quran explicitly.
“And that was Our [conclusive] argument which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise by degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And We gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good. And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - and all were of the righteous. And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot - and all [of them] We preferred over the worlds. (al-An‘aam: 83-86)
Look at what Allamah Majlisi has said regarding this matter:
"To our knowledge there is no reason not to describe the Imams as Prophets except consideration to the status of the Final Prophet. Our intellect too, cannot perceive a distinction between Nabuwwah (prophethood) and Imamah." -Bihar Al-Anwar
2. The Doctrine of Wilayat-Takwini refers to the Imams having control of all the atoms of the universe. Really not much for me to say regarding this...I mean for goodness sake.
"Say: Call upon those whom you assert besides Allah; they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He among them any one to back (Him) up. " Quran 34:22
3. Divine Imamate-The belief of 12 divinely appointed Imams AFTER the Prophet (pbuh). When you ask the shia's to provide a clear cut, explicit verse regarding this concept, they can't. They claim that the station of Imamate is higher than Prophethood, but how come Allah (swt) has not mentioned a single verse regarding it, but at the same time, mentions the station of Prophethood in clear explicit verses? The Quran clearly states that the Prophet (pbuh) is the divinely appointed Messenger of Allah (swt). Now let me ask you, if there was suppose to be another divinely appointed person for us to follow after him (pbuh), shouldn't they be also mentioned in the Quran? Forget the names, how about the very concept in itself? Where does it say in the Quran for us to follow 12 divinely appointed Imams after the Prophet (pbuh)?
"Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if ye do turn back, know ye that it is Our Messenger’s duty to proclaim (the Message) in the clearest manner. "(5: 92).
"O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that is best, and most suitable for final determination." (4: 59)
"And whoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has won a great success." (33:71)
"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds."-47:33
"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." 2:177
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." (2:285)
"O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray."(4:136)
"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding."(3:7)
Narrated `Aisha (ra): Allah’s Apostle recited the Verse:– “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundation of the Book, others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the Truth ). follow thereof that is not entirely clear seeking affliction and searching for its hidden meanings; but no one knows its hidden meanings but Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it (i.e. in the Qur’an) the whole of it (i.e. its clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding.” (3.7) Then Allah’s Apostle said, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)] ‘So beware of them.”-Bukhari
"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds."-47:33
"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." 2:177
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." (2:285)
"O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray."(4:136)
"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding."(3:7)
Narrated `Aisha (ra): Allah’s Apostle recited the Verse:– “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundation of the Book, others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the Truth ). follow thereof that is not entirely clear seeking affliction and searching for its hidden meanings; but no one knows its hidden meanings but Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it (i.e. in the Qur’an) the whole of it (i.e. its clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding.” (3.7) Then Allah’s Apostle said, “If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)] ‘So beware of them.”-Bukhari
4. Rajat-The belief that the 12 Imams (as) will come back to life and rule over the people. Lets see a hadith by the Ahl Al Bayt (as) regarding this:
"Asim bin Dumrah said: I told al-Hassan Bin Ali: The Shia claim that Ali may Allah be pleased with him will return, He said: Those Liars! They have lied because if we knew this then his wives wouldn't remarry and we wouldn't have divided his inheritance.
-Musnad Ahmed; "Sahih"
5. Imams possessing the knowledge of the unseen- Shia's claim that their Imams possess knowledge of Al Ghaib (unseen).
"Imam Abu Abdullah said: “I have a knowledge about what in the heavens and what is in the earth,what in the paradise and what is in the fire, and I know what was (before) and what is going to happen" Al-Kafi/Bihar Al Anwar
The Quran states:
"He is the Knower of the unseen, does not divulge His unseen to anyone- except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him." (Surat al-Jinn, 26-27)
"Allah has not given you access to the unseen. But Allah chooses those of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. If you believe and fear [and respect Allah] you will have an immense reward." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 179)
Now, I want to ask the Shia's a question. Is this the moderation that Imam Ali (as) was talking about? Is this the middle course that he was referring to? Who were the great majority at the time of this sermon? People who saw him as a 4th caliph and a great ruler, or people who saw him as some sort of divinely appointed Imam with supernatural powers? The latter were known as the ghulat, and unfortunately, remnants of their beliefs have crept into 12r Shiaism.
Alhumdillah, it's the Ahl Al Sunnah Wal Jammah who have stayed on the middle/moderate path that Imam Ali (as) had commanded us to do so by not attributing such exaggerated beliefs.
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