06-24-2007, 02:28 AM
My journey from the school of Ahl Al-Sunnah to school of AhlulBayt is a strange one and cant be necessarily pinned down to a single teaching or event.
The most important thing no doubt is the Shahada which shias and sunnis are united on. However the Shias say that after Tawhid and Nubuwwah comes Imamah which is necessary. Every nation must have a guide or a warner living amongst them so the people cannot complain to Allah that they did not have a leader to guide them. This role of Imamah is assigned to AhlulBayt.
<b> AhlulBayt:</b>
Although Sunnis no doubt love and respect AhlulBayt, Shias go further and assign to AhlulBayt the importance of being the ones responsible for the preservation of religion and the true interpreters of the Quran. I have already explained the concept of Thaqalayn according the hadith of the Prophet(saw)
Sahih Muslim
Book 031, Number 5920:
but I am leaving among you<b>two weighty things</b>: the one being the <b>Book of Allah</b> in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are to the <b>members of my family</b>. I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals...1.smt.html
Shias also describe AhlulBayt as Ma3soom or sinless according Surat Al-Ahzab:33
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
33:33 Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying
These beliefs are perhaps what makes me Shia rather than Sunni. I dont like to use sectarian terms because a true "Sunni" is a true "shia" and a true "Shia" is a true "sunni". We are all muslims and we must all strive to be "Momins" and even "Muttaqeen".