Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem,
The following is an e-book by Dr. Abdulrahman Dimashqiah, the renowned Sunni apologist. The book provides a dissection of many of the differences between the Sunni and Shia sects.
The author, may Allah preserve him, writes in his introduction:
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the most noble of the Messengers, Muhammad, and upon his family and Companions. I dedicate this paper to every Shia who is willing to listen to constructive criticism with an open heart and an enlightened mind. This research is, in fact, a survey of the literature about the rise and spread of Shiism and its fundamental principles. Much of what follows is taken directly from Shia sources. Details of all the sources I have used are recorded in footnotes where interested readers will find page and volume numbers of the works cited. Anyone who wishes may then refer to the original Shia works and check what I have said. I would like to stress that I do not intend to imply that every Shia must necessarily believe everything that I have reported about their beliefs and doctrines. My intention is simply to make clear to every Shia what the books of their religious leaders contain. These are things that many people still do not realize. My intention is to maintain an objective position, far from bigotry and blind allegiance to traditions. My only reason for writing it is to earn the pleasure of Allah and to clarify the truth to all who are interested to hear it. We should all free ourselves from prejudice and wild ideas, and avoid making inflammatory and insulting charges that fuel the emotions, block the path to truth, and widen the chasm between us. These things do nothing but dissipate the spirit of peace and harmony.
I am firmly convinced that we must begin with a sincere commitment to truth and believe that the struggle between truth and falsehood will continue until the Day of Resurrection. I am also convinced that truth must be presented without recourse to insults, curses or profanity. Allah has commanded us to observe the highest standards of dignity and self-respect when we argue with the “People of the Book.” Therefore, it is fitting for us to show even more respect to the people of our Book when we come to disagree with them and discuss these disagreements. I look forward to the day when Allah joins our two communities with His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger. May Allah hasten the day when He binds our hearts together again, after this long and bitter separation that has only benefited the enemies of the Muslims, and given them an ugly advantage from the beginning of our estrangement right up to today.
The author, may Allah preserve him, has organized his book into the following chapters:
1- Doctrines of the Sunnis and Shias Compared
2- The Sources of the Sunnah
3- Pilgrimage to Graves and to the Shrines of the Imams
4- On Infallibility
5- The Companions of the Prophet
6- The Imamate According to the Shias
7- The Mutual Love Between Ali and the Companions
8- Who Killed Al-Husayn?
9- Temporary Marriage
10- Taqiyyah (Dissimulation)
11- The Twelfth Imam: Al-Mahdi
12- The Doctrine of Manifest Knowledge and Other Innovations
13- The Shias in History
14- The Shias Today
The e-book can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:
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