Why I converted from sunni to shia islam

[hilmy83]

Not until about a year ago, I decided to study shia islam out of curiosity.

I just learned quite a bit last few months, and I just have a lot of stuff in my mind that make me kind of distrust sunni version of Islamic practice.


when I started learning about:

1. karbala- this is never talked about during Friday prayers? why? too controversial?
2. how the messenger used to combine prayers even in time of ease-sunnis do not follow this authentic sunnah
3. how taraweeh prayer is a bidaah. and every Friday prayer the imam says the famous line "every bidaah leads to fire.." so why do you people do it?
4. how there was a war between Aisha and ali- we shy away from talking about controversial events in Islamic history
5. how shias make ablution is in line with the quranic instructions then what sunnis do. I mean I don't believe that a religion that was conveyed to desert dwellers would waste so much water
6. I find it odd that every prominent male descendant (shia imams) of the holy family is killed off. If this doesn't scream conspiracy to you, then I don't know what will..
7. I believe Ali was the rightful ruler of the Islamic world following the death of the messenger and this is supported in sunni sources of how he was elected by the messenger himself. But I will choose to keep quiet rather than condemn the companions of the messenger. Only God knows and only God can judge...


I'm still learning about it, although I have made the "conversion". however, there are things that I will never do that some shias do:
1. curse the companions or some of the messenger's wives
2. self mutilation commemorating karbala

just have a lot of stuff on my mind lol

 

[Godobeyer]

Salam !
since i believe both are Muslims in end , it's not big deal .

 

[hilmy83]

Salam !
since i believe both are Muslims in end , it's not big deal .

yes of course it's no big deal now..

but put yourself in the time when karbala took place. there were clearly two camps of muslims. both believed in god and in the messenger. But one accused the other of being apostates and they were from the holy family. The accusers belong to the majority and those that are in power.

Today, who is the majority. I'm not saying the sunnis are in any way shape or form misguided now, but you cannot just disregard this issue because, "well we're both muslims so who cares..". There will come a time where you must make a choice as to where your allegiance is. I decided to make mine towards the rightly guided family of the messenger..not the publicly elected by the muslims that may or may not fit the role...

my point is, i was curious about this religion and the differences between these two major groups. And after learning about the shia, i felt as if i grew up all this time with misinformation (or lack thereof).

 

[Godobeyer]

yes of course it's no big deal now..

but put yourself in the time when karbala took place. there were clearly two camps of muslims. both believed in god and in the messenger. But one accused the other of being apostates and they were from the holy family. The accusers belong to the majority and those that are in power.

Today, who is the majority. I'm not saying the sunnis are in any way shape or form misguided now, but you cannot just disregard this issue because, "well we're both muslims so who cares..". There will come a time where you must make a choice as to where your allegiance is. I decided to make mine towards the rightly guided family of the messenger..not the publicly elected by the muslims that may or may not fit the role...

my point is, i was curious about this religion and the differences between these two major groups. And after learning about the shia, i felt as if i grew up all this time with misinformation (or lack thereof).

i am not sure what you talking about

but my advise is don't take the speech of some scholars are deity , or stories from past are facts about that fitna , that's God who will judge them .

We are all Muslims , our history or our present don't make the different , since we will discribe our selfs to God as Muslim , not Sunni or Shia .

Sunni and Shia ...etc are just addition labels , to make the destinction and problems between Muslims .

 

[Shia Islam]

Not until about a year ago, I decided to study shia islam out of curiosity.

I just learned quite a bit last few months, and I just have a lot of stuff in my mind that make me kind of distrust sunni version of Islamic practice.


when I started learning about:

1. karbala- this is never talked about during Friday prayers? why? too controversial?
2. how the messenger used to combine prayers even in time of ease-sunnis do not follow this authentic sunnah
3. how taraweeh prayer is a bidaah. and every Friday prayer the imam says the famous line "every bidaah leads to fire.." so why do you people do it?
4. how there was a war between Aisha and ali- we shy away from talking about controversial events in Islamic history
5. how shias make ablution is in line with the quranic instructions then what sunnis do. I mean I don't believe that a religion that was conveyed to desert dwellers would waste so much water
6. I find it odd that every prominent male descendant (shia imams) of the holy family is killed off. If this doesn't scream conspiracy to you, then I don't know what will..
7. I believe Ali was the rightful ruler of the Islamic world following the death of the messenger and this is supported in sunni sources of how he was elected by the messenger himself. But I will choose to keep quiet rather than condemn the companions of the messenger. Only God knows and only God can judge...


I'm still learning about it, although I have made the "conversion". however, there are things that I will never do that some shias do:
1. curse the companions or some of the messenger's wives
2. self mutilation commemorating karbala

just have a lot of stuff on my mind lol

Dear brother,

I congratulate you for your brave choice and for following the steps of AhlulBayt a.s.

You are not the only one who have taken this step…

Indeed most of the Shiites today are descending from Sunnis ancestors…

This include Iran, parts of Iraq, Pakistan etc…

Many of the great Shia scholars today, are relatively new converts…

Including the famous Tijani Samawi of Tunisia , Issam Al Imad of Yemen…etc.


You will be faced with strong trials by some Sunni sectarians, trying to convince you to change your mind…However those who tasted the sweetness of the pure faith won't leave it, whatsoever…


As someone who have studied Shia Islam officially for many years, I am ready to respond to any request of information that I may be able to provide…

Good luck brother…

 

[MARCELLO]

How did you do this? Are the sunni mosques different than shias?

 

[hilmy83]

actually, never been to a shia mosque yet. They still pray the 5 prayers, but they combine it as it is recorded in authentic sunni traditions

But there are other insignificant diffferences like how htye place their hands..

one thing that i haven't fully accept is praying on turbah (circular block of earth). I can understand that the messenger prayed on the dirt itself during his lifetime, but that was more because of the condition of the living space at the time. I believe you should not create any barrier between you and the place of prostration; whether it be dirt, wooden floor, cement, etc.

So i think if anything, you shouldn't be using praying mat, just pray right on whatever surface is available. Ease comes from taking away an action, bringing a turbah around doesn't seem to fit the practice the messenger would do as sunnah in my opinion.

 

[hilmy83]

How did you do this? Are the sunni mosques different than shias?

there is no special ritual if that's what you're asking.

the creed of the shia (follower) is simple.
Believe in God
Beilieve in the messenger Muhammad
Honor and protect his family

that's it..everything else is propaganda...

 

[MARCELLO]

there is no special ritual if that's what you're asking.

the creed of the shia (follower) is simple.
Believe in God
Beilieve in the messenger Muhammad
Honor and protect his family

that's it..everything else is propaganda...

So where is the conversion?

 

[hilmy83]

So where is the conversion?

there's no ritual in this conversion, that is why I quoted it "conversion". it's just a difference in practice of the religion but the core beliefs remain the same.

it's like if you have a hanafi who "converted" to shafii school of thought. Still a muslim, but some practices are different. It's just mental acknowledgement...

 

[Smart_Guy]

I honestly don't see the reasons convincing, but Muslims are Muslims in the end and we do what we think right and good then the rest is for God to help us with. I hope everything goes well with you, brother

 

[FearGod]

Not until about a year ago, I decided to study shia islam out of curiosity.

I just learned quite a bit last few months, and I just have a lot of stuff in my mind that make me kind of distrust sunni version of Islamic practice.


when I started learning about:

1. karbala- this is never talked about during Friday prayers? why? too controversial?
2. how the messenger used to combine prayers even in time of ease-sunnis do not follow this authentic sunnah
3. how taraweeh prayer is a bidaah. and every Friday prayer the imam says the famous line "every bidaah leads to fire.." so why do you people do it?
4. how there was a war between Aisha and ali- we shy away from talking about controversial events in Islamic history
5. how shias make ablution is in line with the quranic instructions then what sunnis do. I mean I don't believe that a religion that was conveyed to desert dwellers would waste so much water
6. I find it odd that every prominent male descendant (shia imams) of the holy family is killed off. If this doesn't scream conspiracy to you, then I don't know what will..
7. I believe Ali was the rightful ruler of the Islamic world following the death of the messenger and this is supported in sunni sources of how he was elected by the messenger himself. But I will choose to keep quiet rather than condemn the companions of the messenger. Only God knows and only God can judge...


I'm still learning about it, although I have made the "conversion". however, there are things that I will never do that some shias do:
1. curse the companions or some of the messenger's wives
2. self mutilation commemorating karbala

just have a lot of stuff on my mind lol

Nothing to debate, you're free for which path you think is right for you, as for me i don't make any labels, i believe in God and his message, thats all

 

[Mohammad Nur Syamsu]

Not until about a year ago, I decided to study shia islam out of curiosity.

I just learned quite a bit last few months, and I just have a lot of stuff in my mind that make me kind of distrust sunni version of Islamic practice.


when I started learning about:

1. karbala- this is never talked about during Friday prayers? why? too controversial?
2. how the messenger used to combine prayers even in time of ease-sunnis do not follow this authentic sunnah
3. how taraweeh prayer is a bidaah. and every Friday prayer the imam says the famous line "every bidaah leads to fire.." so why do you people do it?
4. how there was a war between Aisha and ali- we shy away from talking about controversial events in Islamic history
5. how shias make ablution is in line with the quranic instructions then what sunnis do. I mean I don't believe that a religion that was conveyed to desert dwellers would waste so much water
6. I find it odd that every prominent male descendant (shia imams) of the holy family is killed off. If this doesn't scream conspiracy to you, then I don't know what will..
7. I believe Ali was the rightful ruler of the Islamic world following the death of the messenger and this is supported in sunni sources of how he was elected by the messenger himself. But I will choose to keep quiet rather than condemn the companions of the messenger. Only God knows and only God can judge...


I'm still learning about it, although I have made the "conversion". however, there are things that I will never do that some shias do:
1. curse the companions or some of the messenger's wives
2. self mutilation commemorating karbala

just have a lot of stuff on my mind lol

Those are tiny issues, which make it seem like the Shia-Sunni split is only there for the sake of competition and keeping each other in check.

If we would devise a split between muslims who had exactly the same religion, make 2 groups out of them, then we would end up with Sunni and Shia all the same.

 

[Sara.r]

Really congrats on that, I am very happy for you.
Well there are definitely differences bigger than how to pray and when to, but shias and sunnis shouldn't fight on that, but I do think that it's better for any Shia or sunni to study the other sect's thoughts, like you did. And compare the two.
However, we shouldn't accuse each another of being very bad and wrong, there are people much worse than that. We should stay as one Muslim community, for there are many enemies waiting for the time that we split up and get weak, to attack us and destroy us.
So I am ready to tell you the important difference between these two but for now, just congrats!!