| Answer: The question
whether the Shiite faction is Muslim or not must be understood in its proper
perspective. As the Holy Qur’ān explains it, a person legally enters the
folds of Islam when he renounces everything that is un-Islamic and
establishes the ritual prayer and pays Zakāh, if he fulfills the criterion
of Nisāb. As soon as he fulfills these conditions, he becomes a Muslim in
the eyes of law and he will be given equal rights as those of other Muslims.
Thus, the Book of Allah reads:
If they repent, establish
the prayer and pay Zakāh, they are your brethren in religion. (9:11)
If they repent, establish
the prayer and pay Zakāh, leave them alone. (9:5)
Establishing the obligatory
prayer and paying Zakāh is actually the practical demonstration that a
person maintains adherence to the religion of Islam. As far as the matter of
un-Islamic things is concerned, we must know that there are some established
facts of Islam that no Muslim ought to overrule. For instance, God is one
and alone or that the Day of Reckoning is bound to come or that the Prophet
(sws) is the Last Messenger of Allah etc. Every Muslim, in addition to
establishing the prayer and paying Zakāh, is required to affirm these
realities.
It is however worth
mentioning that the criteria elucidated above only make someone a Muslim in
the eyes of law. His true status is only known to Allah since no other
person can be aware of what is hidden in his heart. Allah, on the Last Day,
shall decide the matter on the basis of the sublime principles of perfect
justice.
Keeping the foregoing
discussion in perspective, every Shiite, who is not overruling the
established facts of Islam, and establishing the prayer, and paying Zakāh is
indeed a Muslim in the eyes of the law.
Of course, a Muslim lady
may marry a Shiite. The Sharī‘ah has stipulated two restrictions regarding
marriage. According to the first, a chaste Muslim gentleman/lady cannot
marry a convicted fornicator and the second puts forth that a marriage
contract must never be concluded with a polytheist. Obviously, in the
absence of these two circumstances, no one can object to such marriage in
legal terms.
However, it is of utmost
importance that other social factors be kept in view while deciding the
matter of marriage. The foremost factor is that there should be some harmony
between the families of both parties in terms of financial status and
religious setup. Obviously, aptitude, education, age, physical appearance
and other similar matters must also be considered. In short, both families
need to follow a thought out and reasonable strategy before culminating any
matrimonial contract. |