Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Islam has only one reality, other denominations are false
The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Wednesday, the 23rd of Rabi’ul-Thani. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudence issues.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi cited verse 19 of Surah Al-Imran [Indeed, the (favored) religion before God is Islam,] and said: “Religion represents the path; if you imagine a street with alleys, the street can be compared to religion, and the alleys can be compared to denominations. Now, because some people have built alleys in this street of Islam, denominations have emerged and assumed these names.
His Eminence went on to say: In fact, Islam is one, and all denominations are invalid, and Shiism is referred to as the denomination of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) as distinguished from other schools of thought that emerged. The founders of all these so-called denominations, from Abu Hanifa to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, to Muhammad ibn Idris Shafi’i, to Malik, were direct or indirect students of Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him. So, ‘Jafari denomination’ is a conventional term, not a reality.
He emphasized that the ruling of God on all subjects is one and the difference or contradiction in existing rulings should not be attributed to Almighty God. He further said: Such differences have been explained by Shia scholars in detail. So, if two jurists, such as Sheikh al-Mofid or Sheikh al-Tusi, issue two differing fatwas on the same issue, this does not mean that the ruling of God can be different. There is no such thing as two variations of God’s ruling.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi further said: Since God’s ruling is one, it is said that the fatwa of faqih is “Munajjiz” and “Mu’azzir”. This means when a jurist who is pious and has worked hard on this path for many years issues a fatwa on a matter making the observance obligatory, and in the reality of Sharia it is obligatory, then it is “Munajjiz”, that is, the jurist’s reaching this opinion is a confirmation of its actual obligation, making it definite and unquestionable for that jurist and his followers. But if the opinion of that jurist does not actually coincide the reality of Sharia, considering that the jurist is knowledgeable and pious, and has achieved this position through practice and hard work, this ruling is “Mu’azzir”, meaning he and his followers are excused by God Almighty until the Day of Judgement.
