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There’s a conversation in my mind that sometimes plays out, between my dad and me, if he were ever to ask me about my religious beliefs. It’s something I think about because there are so many times I wish I could sit and discuss these things with him, but I don’t see how I could do so without igniting some type of hurt, sadness, or maybe even anger/resentment. So I’m going to write out the general points of the conversation, as I imagine it, with my responses, for anyone who would like to know how a Sunni girl, raised in Saudi Arabia, by two parents from different sects of Islam, who were not very strict relative to other strict Muslim parents, came to adore Ahlul Bayt.
My first thing I would say is that I would want my father to know that I truly can understand why he would generate any type of negative emotion from hearing this. But I want him to know that I love him, I have never stopped being who he knows me to be, and that I’m still the same identity I once had. My journey to Allah, however, is unique, as is everyone else’s. And as much as he believes me to be his, his daughter, his blood, his Salwa, I am more Allah’s. And with that I carry a responsibility as Allahs servant, to find my way to truth. It’s a journey that never ends and it’s a journey I experience through my heart and my brain and in the end, it has led me to being a more faithful Muslim, and that is the ultimate goal that I would love for my children. So I hope he can accept it and see that we are owned by no one but Allah and we each have our own journey to Him.
The most basic response I have to the reason I stand by Ahlul Bayt of my prophet is two fold. Number one, is history. Number two is common sense. I’m going to write my thoughts as I think them, because lately I forget even to take breaths. Five times a day we pray, and in these prayers we always ask Allah to send blessings on the Prophet and his family. Companions are not included. That’s very telling to me. Common sense that point. Two, history. The only person to ever be born in the Kaaba, the literal house of Allah, is Imam Ali. Number three, the Quran tells us that the prophet speaks not from himself, but speaks only revelation. Thus anything he says he is inspired by deep knowledge of Allah or direct messages from Allah to say. And many times the Prophet spoke about Imam Ali being to Him like Harun was to Moosa except that there’s not Prophet after him. Harun died before Moosa. So to me this means, also I’ve come across this, it means that in any absence of the Prophet, Imam Ali is in charge. Next, the prophet was raised by Imam Ali’s father, and Imam Ali was raised by the prophet. Imam Ali’s father performed the marriage contract between the Prophet and Khadeejah and it never had to be redone after Islam was announced. It was still valid. Meaning the person officiating, even after Islam was revealed, was considered fit to do so in the eyes of Allah. Thus he must have been a believer, ie follower of Abrahamic tradition (as there were many in Arabia) even before Islam. Thus he was fit for the Prophet to be raised by him. That’s the common sense to me.
After the Prophets death, imam Ali washed him. Sermon of Shaqshaqia about the first three khalifas gives so much insight into what these people were viewed as by Imam Ali. Also as we said that nothing the prophet said or did was from himself. It was from God. Thus the three khalifas adding things to our religion (like hands up while praying, Tara weeh, etc) was an invention of their own minds. They’re changing the religion after it was revealed. It seems harmless, but that’s huge. Would you, bearing the responsibility of the religion on your shoulders, have the guts to do so if you maintained your humility? I would be terrified to do anything that might displease Allah. I would never add or take away anything bc how would I know if it’s ok. You can’t change the rule book after the final prophet revealed it then passed away. Doesn’t matter how pretty you try to make it look. You are changing or adding something that was revealed by Allah. If He didn’t reveal it, it’s not bc He forgot. It’s because it wasn’t meant to be a part of our religion.
