Page 1 of 4

The Islamic Ruling on Shi`ites (Rawafid)

Abdullah ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that The Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: "There will be, at the end of the time, people who are called
Rawafid (rejecters). They will reject Islam and spit it out. Thus, KILL THEM for they
arepolytheist."

Ahl-ul-Bayt (the household of the Messenger)

It was reported that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to repeat the following statement:
"The best one after the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is Abu Bakr. And the best one after Abu Bakr
is Umar." He also whipped those who claimed that he is better than Abu Bakr and Umar. [Ibn
Majah]

Imaam Ali bin Abu-Talib (r.a.) said: "The Messenger of Allah called me and told me: 'You are
alike with Jesus, Jews hated him till they slandered his mother, and Christians loved him till they
put him in the position that is not for him.' 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. Verily, I am not a
prophet, and there is nothing revealed to me. But I work with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of
his Prophet (pbuh) as much as I can. So whatever I have asked you in regard of obeying Allah, it
is your duty to obey me whether you like it or not." [Ahmad]

Imaam Ali (r.a.) said: "There will appear, at the end of time, people claimed to be from our Shia
but they are not from our Shia. They have a nickname called Rawafid (rejecters). If you meet
them then KILL THEM for they are polytheist."

Imaam Ali (r.a.) said: "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." [Nahjul Balagha, sermon 126 about the
Kharijites]

In the that time, people who called them selves Muslims were three groups :
1- Kharijites who said that Imam Ali was a disbeliever and they send Ibn Muljim to kill him and he
did that.
2- Shia who said that he was infalleble Imam and Allah had chosen him for leading Muslims.
3- Sunnies ( Majority of Muslims ) who said that he was a great companion of the prophet and he
 Page 2 of 4

was a great leader to Muslims but Muslims had chosen him to be thier leader not Allah.
Who are the people of the middle course & the great majority (of Muslims) as Imam Ali said in his
sermon, Read Imam Ali's words and then look to the three groups and you will find the answer!

• Imaam Hasan bin Ali (r.a.)

'Aasim bin Damrah said to Hasan bin Ali that the Shi`ites claim that Ali will come back. Then
Imaam Hasan said: "Those liers lied. If we had known that, his wives would not have
married (other men) nor would we have shared his heritage."

Early Scholars
• Imaam Abu Hanifah

It was reported that often Abu Haneefah used to repeat the following statement about the
Shi`ites, "Whoever doubts whether they are disbelievers has himself committed disbelief."

• Imaam al-Shaafi`e

On one occasion al-Shaafi`i said concerning the Shi`ites, "I have not seen among the heretics a
people more famous for falsehood than the Raafidite Shi`ites." [Ibn Taymeeyah, Minhaaj as-
Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah, 1/39] On another occasion he said, "Narrate knowledge from everyone
you meet except the Raafidite Shi`ites, because they invent Hadeeths and adopt them as part of
their religion." [Ibid, p. 38]

• Imaam Maalik

Once Maalik was asked about them and he replied, "Do not speak to them nor narrate from them,
for surely they are liars." [Minhaaj as-Sunnah, 1/37] During a class of Imaam Maalik, it was
mentioned that the Raafidite Shi`ites curse the Sahaabah. In reply, he quoted the Quranic verse,
"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those with him are harsh with the
disbelievers and gentle among themselves. So that the disbelievers may become
enraged with them." He then said, "Whoever becomes enraged when the Sahaabah are
mentioned is one about whom the verse speaks." [Tafseeer al-Qurtubee, Soorah al-Fath; Editor’s
note: That is, anyone who is enraged by the mention of the Sahaabah is a dsibeliever,
because the verse says, "…the disbelievers may become enraged with them
(Sahaabah)."]

Imaam Ibn Hazm quoted a report with an isnad going back to Hishaam ibn ‘Ammaar, who said: "I
heard Maalik ibn Anas say: "Whoever curses Abu Bakr should be whipped, and whoever curses
‘Aa’ishah should be killed." He was asked, "Why do you say that concerning (the one who
curses) ‘Aa’ishah?" He said, Because Allah says concerning ‘Aa’ishah, (may Allah be pleased
with her): "Allah forbids you from it (slander her) and warns you not to repeat the
like of it forever, if you are believers." (al-Noor 24:17)’"

• Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi

Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: "Because the people who slandered ‘Aa’ishah accused a pure and
innocent person of immorality, then Allah exonerated her. So everyone who accuses her of that of
 Page 3 of 4

which Allah has stated she is innocent is rejecting what Allah says, and everyone
who rejects what Allah says is a kaafir. This is the opinion of Maalik, and the matter is very clear
to those who have insight."

• Ibn al-Mubaarak

Ibn al-Mubaarak was reported to have said, "Religion is gained from Ahl al-Hadeeth, scholastic
theology and crafty exemptions from religious ordinances of Ahl ar-Ray and lies from the
Raafidite Shi`ites." [Adh-Dhahabee, al Muntaqaa min Minhaaj al-I`tidaal, p. 480]

• Abu Zur`ah ar-Raazee

This great scholar was quoted as saying, "If you see someone degrade any of the companions of
the Prophet, (pbuh), know that he is a disbeliever. Because the Prophet, (pbuh), was real, what
he brought was the truth and all of it was conveyed to us by the way of the Sahaabah. What
those disbelievers wish to do is to cast doubt on the reliability of our narrators in order to
invalidate the Quraan and the Sunnah. Thus the disbelievers are the ones most deserving
defamation."

• Ibn Hazm al-Andaloosee

One day during the period of Muslim rule in Spain, Imaam Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm was having
a debate with some Spanish Catholic priests about their religious texts. He brought before them
evidence of textual distortions in the Bible and the loss of original manuscripts. When they replied
by pointing out to him Shi`ite claims also being distorted, Ibn Hazm informed them that "Shi`ite
could not be used as evidence against the Quraan or against Muslims because they
are not themselves Muslims." [Ibn Hazm, al-Fisaal fee al-Milal wa an-Nihal, 2/78 and 4/182]

Their claims have been rebutted by numerous other early scholars like Ibn
Taymeeyah in Minhaaj as-Sunnah, adh-Dhahabee inMuntaqaa min Minhaaj al-I`tidaal, Ibn
Katheer in his history book al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, Ibn al-Jawzee in Talbees Iblees, al-
Qaadee ibn al-`Arabee in al-`Awwaasim min al-Qawaasim, At-Tahaawee in al-`Aqeedah at-
Tahaawiyyah, and Al-Qaadee Abu Ya`laa.

Contemporary Scholars
• Abul-A'laa al-Maududi

This great Pakistani scholar and leader wrote an introduction to the book, Ar-Riddah bain al-Ams
wa al-Yaum (lit. Apostacy in the Past and the Present) by Muhammad KaadHim Habeeb
published in 1977. In it the author wrote of the Imaami Ja'fari Shi'ites, "In spite of their moderate
views (relative to other sects of Shi'ism), they are swimming in disbelief like white blood cells in
blood or like fish in water." Maududi supported these views by praising the author and
recommending that the book be done in hardback.

• Imaam al-Aloosee

He declared the Raafidite Shi'ites disbelievers because of their defamation of the Sahaabah. His
position was based on the rulings of Imam Malik and other scholars who were in agreement with
 Page 4 of 4

him. In reply to their claim to be Ahl Bayt (the Prophet's (pbuh) family), al-Aloosee said, "No, they
are really followers of the Devils and Ahl Bayt are innocent of them."

• Bahjat al-Baitaar

When this great Syrian scholar was asked if transactions were permissible with Shi'ites, he
replied in a book called Al-islam wa as-Sahaabah al-Kiraam bain as-Sunnah wa ash-Shee'ah in
which he said, "Political and economic dealings with them are allowed in the same way that they
are allowed with states and people with whom there are treaties in spite of differences between
their lands andreligions and ours. And help can only be sought from Allah."

• Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa

This scholar was among those who worked sincerely for rapproachment between the Sunnites
and the Shi'ites, and they in turn pretended moderation for his benefit. However, in the midst of
his efforts they caught him by surprise by presenting him with some of their books which
slandered islam. He then replied to them in a paper called As-Sunnah wa ash-Shee'ah in which
he exposed their doctrines and idolatrous practices.

• Dr. Hilaalee

After living closely to the Shi'ites for some years, the famous Morrocan scholar, Dr Hilaalee, wrote
a paper on them in which he declared them disbelievers.

• Al-Basheer al-Ibraaheemee

While visiting Iraq, this professor who is the leading religious scholar in Algeria saw with his own
eyes the Shi'ite book, Az-Zahraa, in which 'Umar ibn al-Khataab - may Allah be pleased with him
- is accused of homosexuality. On his return home to Algeria he exposed the Shi'ites and clearly
outlined their principle beliefs and practices.

• Mustafaa as-Sibaa'ee

This eminent Palestinian scholar was also among those who lived with the Shi'ites for a period
and worked for rapproachment with them; however, he soon discovered their real intentions and
noted them in the foreword of his classic, As-Sunnah wa Makaanatuhaa. He wrote, "Those
people continue to hold fast to their books in which slanderous attacks and false descriptions are
given of the incidents of disagreement among the Sahaabah. Hence their intention behing the call
to rapprochement seems to be bringing the Sunnites closer to the Shi'ite creed and not bringing
them closer to each other." On another occasion, he wrote, "A Muslim would almost be in a state
of total bewilderment and confusion at the audacity of these people towards Allah's Messenger
(pbuh) were it not for his knowledge that most of the Raafidites are Persians.
Some Persians feigned islam and used Shi'ism as a cover for the destruction of islam. There
were also among the Persians those who were unable to free themselves from the effects of their
former religions and thus they entered islam with a pagan mentality which did not mind telling lies
about the Prophet (pbuh)"

Among other contemporary scholars who have have made similar statements are: Shaikh Ibn
Baaz, 'Allaamah ash-Shanqeetee,al-Albaanee, Ahmad Ameen, Muhibbuddeen al-
Khateeb,an-Nashaasheebee and Dr. Rashaad Saalim.

http://www.islamawareness.net/Deviant/Shia/ruling_on_shia.html