SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Society Religion & Philosophy
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Sallam

I can see a lot of learned people around, and I really anticipate your participation in this thread…

I have very simple question:

Should be explore the Commonalities between Shia and Sunni in order to bring both these communities together (for a mutual respect and understanding)

or

Exploiting Difference is Worth Doing…

Your Comments Please

Regards

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Wsalam,

I have many shia friends, and you know what? We NEVER discuss our differences. The only time we talk about each other's beliefs are when they need to clarify something they heard regarding sunnis, and when I have to clarify something I heard regarding Shias. (mostly from this forum).

The only time I discuss anything is on this forum, even then I try to limit it to the views of the Sunnis.

Out of 99% commonalities in religion alone, the differences deal mostly with historiography of both sects. Focus on the commonalities is the only way to move forward, the rest keeps you moving laterally.

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

I agree wholeheartedly with Crescent. We should open a clarification thread where we should discuss commonalities rather than differences. It will be a positive start

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Nice i like the idea,

I have alot of sunni friends, we do discuss religion at times. At times we pray together, at times we open in ramzan together. We talk abt Enimies of Islam and Enimies of Pakistan. We Discuss stories of Prophet together.

We do have debates but they r rather about general islam... not abt shiaism or sunnism ! and the good thing is when we r in debate **its not **like all shias r on one side and all sunnis on other.

wasalam Aqeel

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Sallam

Atleast I can see that shia and sunni both have super tendices of "Muslim Brotherhood".

Regards

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Good thread. My thoughts here:

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-scripture/245219-humble-request-shias-sunnis.html

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Salaam all,

I have learned a great deal during my time on this forum as there are many learned minds that participate. Knowledge is food for faith and i feel both the Shias and Sunnis have a lot to learn and gain from being close to eachother. For that we would need mutual respect and a learning environment. Attributes that have made the Western Acadameia progress so far ahead of us!

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

So can we close this chapter of 'silly' level of Shea Sunni debates based on history from certain books written by certain people, for future? Hoping.

I know I don't have to read those but my mind goes on roller coaster when I read those so called debates with no sensible end/conclusion.

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Sallam

Well brother the sole purpose of unity (Muslim Brotherhood) is mutual respect and co-operation amongst Muslims... .

And it is not going to happen that one entire school of thought may shift around the views of other school of thought (its not unity, amalgamation)... and we should not be ill-informed regarding the sensitive issues, standpoints and distinct elements of other school of thought... so a healthy discourse is always welcomed... .

But as you said debate (i take it as a pseudo-intellectual attempt that brings undue fury and ferocity) should come to an end, but those we don't have disease in their hearts will never indulge in it, and those who have, will live with it... (we should discourage them on all levels)

Regards

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

sorry to burst this bubble but this attempt will only be superficial
if however both sunnis and 12ers look back at their predecessors ( or atleast whom they claim to follow) they will realize that they did not have that many doctrinal differences amongst themselves as we do today

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Well you have all the right to burst it. Since sole purpose of this thread is to know your views….

Well as far as the simple rule of geometry is concerned if a ray is missed one degree to its target degree, the more it goes forward the more difference it will make…. So if things went wrong somewhere, somehow in history (and missed the true manifestations), with the time wrong will diverge and it will evolve and enlarge its difference…

Regards

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

^ yes but this divergence is well over 100 yrs after the death of the Prophet

question is when did doctrinal ( not political ) differences arose amongst muslims

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

^ That is true ... The attempt should be to shed away the misconceptions about one another and ease closer to each other so that we better emulate each our own predecessors.

The way I look at it is I see where the shi'a are coming from because in their books there are reasons for it. I have reason to differ because of a different set of books. But most importantly I don't think what I believe about the Sahabah should affect my dealings with Muslims today and feel that Shi'a Sunni debates are like football team debates - pointless.

I have been a member of interfaith forums where the collective effort is to route out the solutions for today not to dwell in the past.

We should ask ourselves okay so and so did/did not do this but:

a) How will this help with my prayers?
b) How will this help with my social life?
c) How will this help with the political situation?
d) How will this help with the global financial problems?
e) or the global environmental problems?
f) or the global war problems?
g) or the global food, water and disease problems?

All of these topics do not restrict us to become one with, we can ignore our differences in the history subject. In fact many people of the west differ with one another about the history of the world, they don't make it a reason to slander each other for kingdom come. There are so many bases we can be on a single platform whereas the one platform that we not the same we choose to grow and allow it to fester.

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

it would be nice if you elaborate on it

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^ bro
intra-sahaba conflicts in reality HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH 12ers main argument which is imamate thats the reason which makes them seperate from rest of muslim community

we keep wasting time defending what ali did , umar did , abu bakr did or ( some people do that i dont i hate muawiyah ) what muawiyah did ....
or the causes and consequences of 1st and 2nd civil wars

these are just distracters from the main debate which is about the concept of imamate

~AV Lassi and Paraatha break April 2013~
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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Peace Elegant Thinker

The prophet Muhammad (SAW) said Muslims bretheren are like mirrors for each other ...

So this difference as it has increased as it diverged in time we are still capable of changing the course. If we stand closer then perhaps we can start to be a mirror for each other and then those rays can be reflected back to a better angle.

2500 posts: GS Café Flooder of the week challeng
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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

Or justifications for imamate. Either way there are still things on local levels that we can do to help each other. Even the imamate issue does not concern me too much to emphasise difference. I know that there is the difference, so lets move on.

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

another reason why we arent close is because points of differences have become major pillars of faith
for 12ers infallibilty of their imams
for sunnis the adl of ALL sahaba

in both their predecessors there is ample evidence to suggest that neither of these 2 concepts existed as articles of faith

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

absolutely at local level a lot can be done and in the questions u asked above their is a lot of similarity in views between 12ers and sunnis
however big hearted people who think at a supra-sectarian level cud see this , most people will see this as a "selling out" or "political correctness"

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Re: SHIA - SUNNI UNITY !!!

well the sole purpose of this thread was to know the differences, diffuse it if we can with whatever capacity we have or try to live with it for a larger interest of Muslim Brotherhood...

yes Imamat or the issue of Wilayat (imamat is part of it) is most conspicuous one, but as far the dialog is concerned there are a number of shia books present on net one can read it, if agreed its good if not then leave it... . i guess its not a big deal

Regards