Why is the Shia a small minority if it is rightful, and why do not the generality of the world Muslims believe in it?
The answer :
One cannot distinguish between the wrong and the right
way via the scant or large number of their followers. In the
world today, the number of Muslims in proportion to the
non-Muslims is one fifth or sixth, and the majority of the
Far East inhabitants are idolators, cattle-worshippers, etc.
China with more than one billion population is considered
as the center of atheist communism, and the idolators and
cattle- worshippers cover the major parts of India, which
consists of nearly one billion people.
As a consequence, the majority is not always right. The
holy Quran often blames the generality and, on the contrary,
praises the minority. For instance,
والتجد اكثرهم شاكرين
*
(You will not find in most of them any gratitude.)
ان اوليائه اال المتقون ولكن اكثرهم ال يعلمون
**
(No man can be its custodians, except the pious, but most of
them do not understand.)
وقليل من عبادي الشكور
***
(But very few of my worshippers are greatful.)
Therefore, the scant or large number of one‟s followers
makes the realistic man neither afraid nor proud. This calls
for one to refer to his mind and rensoning.
*
Araf Sura, verse no. 18
**
Anfal Sura, verse no. 34
***
Saba Sura, verse no. 13
Once upon a time, someone addressed Imam Ali (a.s) and asked
him, “How is it possible that your opponents in Jamal battle be wrong
while they are in majority”? And Imam replied,
ان الحق و الباطل اليعرفان باقدار الرجال ، اعرؾ الحق تعرؾ اهله، اعرؾ الباطل
تعرؾ اهله
(The right and wrong are not recognized with the mumber of
their followers; you will know who is right if you recognize the
truth, vice versa.)
It is obligatory for a Muslim to analyze this issue via research and
reasoning and applies this Quran verse, which goes
* والتقؾ ما ليس لك به علم
(And do not involve yourself with that which you have no
knowledge of) that in order to enlighten his way.
From another angle, it is clearly evident that the Shia is less than the
Sunnite in number, i.e., if any precise census is taken, it will be
revealed that one fourth of the world Muslims are Shia, and they have
settled in different regions throughout the world.**
Besides, there have been some famous scientists, writers, poets, etc.
counted among the Shia. Worthy to mention that the founders of the
Islamic sciences have been mostly from the Shia, for instance,
Abul Asvad Dueli, the founder of „Syntax‟
Khalil Ibn Ahmad, the founder of „Prosody‟
Maaz Ibn Moslem Ibn Abi Sare Kufi, the founder of „Arabic
Grammar‟
Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ibn Imran, Katib Khorasani
(Marzbani), one of the heralds in „Rhetoric and Elequency‟ *
, to
name just a few. For further study on the abundant works of the
Shia scientists and learned, refer to the worthy book „Al-Zariah
Ela Tasanif El-Shia (A study on the Shia writings); also for further
information on the great Shia figures, refer to „Ayan Ul-Shia‟. The
history of Shiism can be referred to in „the history of the Shia‟.
*
Asra Sura, verse no. 36
** For further study, refer to Ayan Ul-Shia, vol. 1, p.194
* Refer to „Tasis Ul-Shia ( the Shia oundation ), Seyed Hasan Nasr.
