Sulaiman: Indeed the Ahle Bayt (a.s.) are the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). I know that to love them and to respect their rights is the sunnat of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.). It our religious duty to have regard for them.

Ja’far: Yes, it is correct. Moreover the Namaz (salaat/prayers) of a Muslim is not valid if he does not recite salawaat for these noble personages. It is obligatory to recite Allaahumma S’alle a’laa Muh’ammadinw wa aale Muh’ammad…(Ref: Ibne Hajar, Sawaiqul Mohreqa Pg. 88) however the Shias in addition to this also believe that the Ahle Bayt (a.s.) are the guardians of the believers and it is obligatory to follow their commands in all matters of faith. A believer is obliged to follow their path. The Ahle Bayt (a.s.) also have a duty, they have to defend the Islamic religion from every type of attack, be it doubt, cheating, instigation, deviation or disbelief; and evil deeds in every period and under all circumstances. The Ahle Bayt (a.s.) have fulfilled their duty even in the most difficult of the circumstances and shall continue to do so till the day of Qiyamat (the Day of Judgement). The Muslims have always believed in the reappearance of Mahdi, who will fill this earth with equity and justice as it had been filled with injustice and oppression. This Mahdi shall be the last member of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) to appear on the Earth.

Sulaiman: O, Brother! The Sunnis do not harbour enmity towards any of the members of Ahle Bayt (a.s.), but love them instead. Then why do you label the Ahle Sunnat as disbelievers (Kafir)?

Ja’far: By Allah! No one makes such an allegation. It is only the propaganda of those who want to sow discord between the sects. Actually both the Shias and Sunnis are Muslims. They believe in the basic principles of religion. They believe in the oneness of Allah (Ash hado an’lla ilaaha illallaah) and in the prophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) — (Ash hado anna Muh’ammaddar rasoolollaah).

Sulaiman: But these allegations of infidelity create enmity, hatred and disunity between different groups.

Ja’far: We Shias are usually blamed for all this. Actually the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said,

"A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. It is not permitted to abuse him, hurt him or usurp his property."

(Al Kafi Pg. 286)

So whatever discord has been created between the Shias and the Sunnis, it has been a great loss to the Muslim nation as a whole.

Sulaiman: Then why have you breached the subject when you know that everyone has convictions towards his own belief?

Ja’far: Certainly, the Almighty Allah has ordered us to hold open discussions with all the people, and to promote the study of heavenly religions. So why should the Sunnis and Shias not have open discussion on these topics? It is very important if we wish to remove misunderstandings. Ignorance is our common enemy. We all wish to study and know about all the Islamic sects so that we can avoid lying, making false allegations, backbiting and accusing each other of polytheism and disbelief…O brother!

Why do we not try to understand each other’s point of view? After all, there are more points of similarity than differences between us.

Sulaiman: But your books contain things that hurt the sentiments of the Sunnis and disparage their beliefs. And your own people perform actions that you are trying to dissociate from.

Ja’far: We must admit that every religious group has some people who innovate and perform evil (deeds). It is upon us to restrain them and avoid paying attention to their utterances. Proper training, in the course of time will eradicate the influence of such people from history.

Sulaiman: Very well. Now I recall your attention to the fact that you Shias imagine that Ali ibne Abi Talib was the first Caliph. And you people call him as the first Imam. It is also a known fact that all the Righteous Caliph (Kholafa Rashedeen) had cordial relations amongst them. Ali ibne Abi Talib was helpful to the other Caliphs. He solved their problems and gave his judgements on important issues. He was so indispensable that one of them said, ‘I dread for the time when I am confronted with a problem and Abul Hasan (Ali ibne Abi Talib) is not amongst us.’

Ja’far: Certainly, Imam Ali (a.s.) was an example to follow and he clearly indicated his opinion about the caliphate when he said he had found Islam in danger and decided to do that which was more appropriate. Let us see what he has to say in this regard:

"Allah, glorified be He, sent His Prophet (s.a.w.s.) as a warner for the people and a witness upon the other prophets. When he left the world the Muslims differed among themselves. By Allah I never could imagine that Arabs will remove the household of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) from the affairs of leadership. After him I was taken away from it. I had no doubt that people were running to pledge allegiance to a certain person. I pulled my hand until I saw that people have turned away from the faith and bent to destroy the religion of Allah. I feared that if I did not help the Muslims and Islam it would break and fall down. And its consequences would be more serious than the worldly caliphate that is just for a few days and would soon come to an end. Like a mirage. Like the clearing away of the clouds. I stood up in those circumstances and the evil was defeated and religion got a fresh lease of life."

(Sharhe Nahjul Balagha- Ibne Abil Hadeed)

Sulaiman: Very well! So why don’t we give up arguments and leave the differences for the scholars? Why can’t we just concentrate on mutual co-operation and progress?

Ja’far: You are right. But the reality of circumstances has rendered us helpless. Had all the people agreed upon one thing there would have been no need for this discussion. Leave alone agreement, people do not even think of it. They make fun of each other and call one another kafir (disbeliever). The Muslims possess many useful qualities but they are all misused to create this type of propaganda.

Moreover, what we have presented is just for information. The various religious sciences have become a part and parcel of modern life.

But it is a pity that there is no time for research into religious subjects for finding the true facts regarding Islamic beliefs. The various mass media have failed to depict the true meaning of Shiaism. Ignorance has perpetrated difficulties. What we are doing at present is actually battling against ignorance. We invite all the people to come and have friendly discussions so that Shias and Sunnis may come together on one platform.

Sulaiman: Don’t you think that unity among Shias and Sunnis will require one of them to forgo their original beliefs?

Ja’far: Coming closer does not mean that one person has to forcibly leave his belief. It is between him and his Lord. It denotes an exchange of views, and learning about each other. It helps in building bridges of friendship, co-operation and love.