So was talking with a Sunni friend, and he was telling me that Iranians are not muslim. He was also saying this is a common belief in the middle east.

I couldn’t tell if this was some old prejudice thing, or I am just ignorant on the matter because from my understanding they are Shia muslims and have a religious head of state (even though maybe they are not following Islam in the same manner as other muslims would approve of).

When I asked him to clarify if he meant that Shia muslims are not true muslims or if he meant Iranians are not muslims it also got kind of confusing. He was talking about the history of the split over who would be the successor to Ali, and then something I’ve never heard before. He said a Jewish person created a new Shia’ism with “12 infallible imams”, which honestly sounds like some antisemetic conspiracy but Im just not knowledgeable on the matter. From what I searched I dont see any origin from a Jewish person in Shia’ism.

Anyways, curious to know more about how Iran is viewed by the rest of the middle east and how they view themselves. Also hope I didn’t say anything offensive.

  • Flyswat@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    5·
    17 days ago

    As your friend explained the birth of the Shia (which means “the group”) is when there was a disagreement regarding chosing who would be the head of the state; so at the start it had nothing to do with religion. Both candidates, Abu Bakr a companion of the prophet and Ali his cousin, were equally fit but the majority was for Abu Bakr. Then later, much later, some of the people ascribing to the Shia started considering themselves apart from the 80+% majority and they are not all the same. What makes them then not Muslims?

    First, “Muslim” is someone who submits to God, and God tells the faithful in the Quran to call themselves “Muslims”, not Shia nor Sunni or anything else.

    So to fall outside of the fold of Islam one has to hold beliefs which oppose what God ordained. In this regards many Shia and Sunni might associate something with God, which is the biggest sin. Some Shia sects (yes not all Shia hold the same beliefs) give characteristics to Ali or the 12 imams which only God has, like being all-hearing, omniscient, having the power to change destiny etc.

    It is not and should not be about race or being Arab (80% of Muslims are not Arab). In his famous last sermon the prophet, peace be upon him, said:

    “O people, verily your Lord is One and your father is one. Verily there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab or of a non-Arab over an Arab, or of a red man over a black man, or of a black man over a red man, except in terms of taqwa (mindfulness of God). Have I conveyed the message?” They said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has conveyed the message.