/lit/ - Literature

>>4361274

Shi'ite Islam is best Islam

>>4194162
>>4194162

Shi'ite here.

Shi'ism is a lot like Catholicism in that it focuses so much on the concept of redemptive suffering and its view of human nature can sometimes feel a bit more pessimistic than Sunnism. For example, you're probably aware of the death of Hussayn ibn Ali at Karbala. For Shi'ites, this is seen as a willing sacrifice on the part of the Imam for the sins of the Muslim community, which after Muhammad's death was led astray from the true path. Husayn goes willingly to his death, and when he dies, he becomes a chief intercessor for mankind. In Shi'ism, the intercession and veneration of saints is very important. Even people who are laxed in some of their normal religious practice can still perhaps achieve forgiveness by attending an Ashoura procession or visiting a shrine and asking the saint buried there for aid.

In regards to human history, Shi'ism sees man's history as being one in which God sends his messengers to help save man's soul, just for the majority of mankind to usually turn itself against that messenger or to take that person's message and distort while only a small minority preserve the true knowledge and wisdom. Sunnis kind of have a similar view but tend to see worldly power and success as symbols of God's favor to the Muslims. The success of the Islamic conquest and expansion in the first gen is seen as proof of the correctness and primacy of the Muhammadan generation and a symbol of the start of a new and better age. Shi'ites, being a mostly oppressed minority of the Muslims who associate themselves with the Caliph Ali, who faced a lot of extreme opposition, don't see things that way. Worldly success isn't seen as much of a symbol of correctness or divine confirmation. Shi'ites generally feel their religion's confirmation comes from virtue and reasoning. Their view of history is that darkness, ignorance and sin will continue to reign more or less until the return of the Hidden Imam. The Shi'ites' responsibility is to preserve the faith and survive within the world until that moment comes. There's no expectation that the majority of humanity can or will accept true religion.