The followers of the Ahlulbayt, or Shias as they are commonly referred to, have always stood with the oppressed people of Palestine and helped them in their resistance. However, the ideological differences and the crimes some Sunnis have committed against the Shias throughout history have raised questions about such strong support. Some have openly questioned: what is the opinion of leading Shia scholars regarding Sunnis and providing support to them? More importantly, what’s the Quran and Ahlulbayt’s guidance on this matter?
Quranic Principle On Supporting The Oppressed
Allah says in the Quran in Surah Ma’idah Verse number 8:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”
[Surah Ma’idah, Verse 8]
The Quran instructs us to avoid being unjust, even when it involves someone we ‘hate’. Therefore, when a tragedy is unfolding before us, if our indifference would amount to being unjust, it is our duty to set aside our differences and support the oppressed to the best of our ability. It doesn’t matter if the oppressed person is Sunni, non-Muslim, or a sworn enemy; the Quran commands us to ensure that we are just towards them.
But Don’t Sunnis Hate The Ahlulbayt?
A common concern, when it comes to supporting the Palestinians, stems from the assumption that Sunnis praise those who oppressed the Ahlulbayt, so they must inevitably hate the Prophetic household. Hence, it is necessary to understand the ideological factions within Sunni Islam before making any claims.
It is important to note that while the Sunnis do not consider the Imams of Ahlulbayt to be divinely appointed leaders, the majority of them still respect the Ahlulbayt. Sunni scholars have written books praising them, and Sufi Sunnis even consider Imam Ali to be the spiritual successor of the Prophet. On the other hand, Palestinian Shafi’i Sunnis also hold the Ahlulbayt in high regard and unanimously love them.
However, having said that, there are a few Sunnis who are considered ‘Nasibi’. These people openly express their hatred for the Ahlulbayt and are considered Kafir. But they do not represent the entirety of the Sunni sect.
This distinction between mainstream Sunnis and extremist Sunnis was beautifully expressed by the great Mujtahid of this era, H.E Ayatollah Sistani, when ISIS and other groups of extremist Wahabis attacked Imam Hasan Askari’s shrine in Samarra. Despite the provocation, the Ayatollah insisted that mainstream Sunnis should not be blamed for the attack and ensured that their lives and properties were protected, preventing potential retaliation from the Shia population.
Do Shias Consider Ahl al-Sunnah As Muslims?
In Ramadan 1431, a website claiming to be under the patronage of H.E Ayatollah Sistani published a verdict that ‘anyone who does not believe in Imamate is a Kafir’. When the office of the Marje was consulted on this matter, it shared a lengthy response, the excerpt of which is below:
“[…] Given that our brothers from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, who deny the Imamate of the twelve Imams (peace be upon them), believe that Imamate is not part of what the Prophet (sallalahu alaihe wa’alihi) brought, their denial of it does not harm their Islam according to the view of His Eminence,
Whoever is familiar with the fatawa of the Honourable Sayyid Sistani knows that he considers the majority of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah as Muslims whose lives and properties are sacrosanct, and all other laws regarding the Muslims apply upon them.”
[https://www.najaf.org/arabic/123]
Similarly, when H.E. Ayatollah Wahid Khurasani – the top Marje in Qom at the moment – was consulted about our responsibility towards Sunnis in our communities, especially if they consider us to be infidels (Kafir), he gave a comprehensive answer. In his reply, which is still available on his website, the Ayatollah quoted verse 94 of Surah Nisa and took inspiration from the will of Imam Hasan Askari (shared in the later part of this Guide). He concluded that:
“Anyone who bears witness to the oneness of Almighty God and the prophethood of the Seal of Prophets, peace be upon him and his family, is a Muslim. His life, honour, and property are as sacred as the life, honour, and property of someone who follows the Ja’fari school of thought.
Your religious duty is to behave with good manners towards anyone who bears the testimony of faith, even if they consider you infidels. If they unjustly mistreat you, do not deviate from the straight path of truth and justice.”
[https://valiasr-aj.com/persian/shownews.php?idnews=4503]
Guidelines From Imam Askari Regarding The Ahl al-Sunnah
In his final days, Imam Hasan Askari expressed his last will, which focused on the status of the divinely appointed Imams and the overall code of conduct for the Shias. He gave a lengthy set of instructions to his followers on how to interact with people from different schools, sects, and ideologies in society. He says:
صَلُّوا فى عَشائِرِهِمْ وَ اشْهَدُوا جَنائِزَهُمْ وَ عُودُوا مَرْضاهُمْ وَ أَدُّوا حُقُوقَهُمْ، فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْکُمْ إِذا وَرَعَ فى دینِهِ وَ صَدَقَ فى حَدیثِهِ وَ أَدَّى الاَْمانَةَ وَ حَسَّنَ خُلْقَهُ مَعَ النّاسِ قیلَ: هذا شیعِىٌ فَیَسُرُّنى ذلِکَ
“[I also advise you to] Pray with the people (of other schools), attend their funerals, visit their sick and fulfil their rights. When a man among you is pious, truthful, trustworthy, and treats others well, he will be known as our Shia and that pleases us….”
[Tohfal Uqool, Pg. 487]
But Why The Support for Palestinians?
When it comes to supporting Palestine, some critics claim that the Shia support for Palestine is politically motivated. But that is far from the truth, and the reason followers of Ahlulbayt support the Palestinian cause has nothing to do with regional politics or political entities.
In reality, the Shia are hard-wired not to ignore human suffering, like the plight of the civilians in Palestine. The men, women and children over there are suffering from all aspects. They are victims of what is known as ‘collective punishment’, inflicted upon them by the State of Israel, for what a small minority of people have done. In such a situation, it is according to Qist and Adl to pray for them that may Allah relieve them from their suffering and to support them in whatever way that we can according to the laws of the land.
Conclusion
The support of Ahlulbayt’s followers for the Palestinians is not dependent on their sect. Whether they are Shia, Shafi’is, Hanbalis or even Wahabis, we have to maintain the ethics taught to us by the Ahlulbayt. Even if they say bad things to us, or consider Shias as Kafir, our morals are different, our responsibilities are different.
To sympathize with the oppressed is our way of life.
It is the way of the Shia.
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