Important points to bear in mind
1) We should bring the Wahhābī interlocutor around to understand that the point being discussed is not the whole religious system, but merely one verse of the Qur’an, one tradition, hadīth, or even a single part of it, since a Wahhābī’s mind is unable to grasp all of the facts regarding the Imāmiyyah School of thought at one time. We should, therefore, take gradual steps and move from one Qur’anic verse and tradition to the next. We should also clarify the need to observe a systematic procedure.
The systematic approach mentioned above is applied to university discussions in which a limited point, not a general one, is raised and scrutinized. A Wahhābī’s mind will be unable to grasp all facts and realities of the Shī‘ah, if we aim at extensive questions.
2) It will be a mistake if we begin with anything other than the thaqalayn hadīth, because if you begin mentioning the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Alī (‘a), they will also do the same for others. This will bring the discussion to a standstill.
The Wahhābīs should come to understand that when they mention virtues for people other than the Commander of the Faithful (‘a), they themselves do not consider these virtues as something that compels them to stick to the words and follow the deeds of those people, but the thaqalayn tradition indicates the need to follow the Commander of the Faithful (‘a).
If the Wahhābī interlocutor refers to the Qur’an, you should begin with the tathīr verse and not with the issue of wilāyah because there is a close connection between the tathīr and the thaqalayn verses. You will see no Muslim raising the tathīr and kasā points, unless he sees the two as interlinked. Also, there is no Muslim who will repudiate or ignore the link between the thaqalayn hadīth and the hadīth-e kasā. The discussion on the tathīr verse will lead to the kasā and thaqalayn traditions respectively.
I insist that the dialogue should begin with the thaqalayn verse before attempting anything else because the Holy Prophet (s) himself greatly emphasised this hadīth. He (s) himself said that if you hold onto the thaqalayn you will not be misguided; this is the point he (s) stressed until the last moments of his life, a trust he (s) placed with his ummah before he departed.
I have recognized through experience that the thaqalayn tradition is the fundamental factor that brings the change in the mind of a Wahhābī and converts him to Shī‘ism. This is why I believe it is a good starting point, since any other conversation will be fruitless, if it does not follow this trend. Our aim in these dialogues is nothing except bringing Wahhābīs round to follow the Ahl al-Bayt’s (‘a) law. There is no doubt Wahhābīs will do so once they have recognized the truth.
In my discussions I have never viewed the Wahhābī interlocutor with distrust, and I never consider him as hostile, but as one in need of a doctor. I always remember my own case when I was a Wahhābī, but became a follower of truth when I came to know it. The present book is also based on a sense of trust in Wahhābīs, a presupposition quite effective in bringing the dialogue to a desired conclusion.
During the twelve years of debate with Wahhābīs, I have always felt an unprecedented sharpness prevailing in the discussions. There have always been differences (of opinion) between the Shī‘ahs and Sunnīs, but these have never been as extensive as the disagreements between the Shī‘ahs and Wahhābīs. These disagreements have been so vehemently intensified by the advent of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhāb, that we feel we are put in a fire of sedition by the extremist hands of Wahhābīs, who became the cause of this tension which had initially been instigated by non-Muslim foreigners. The resulting disorder, the lack of understanding and the tension within the Muslim society are, of course, all grist to the enemies’ mill. We should, therefore, base our discussions on a scientific and logical basis in order to reduce the bleak mood prevailing in the discussions and bring the barren arguments to fruition.
3) In your discussions you should try to unveil the role which the Umayyads and the Hypocrites played in creating divisions among Muslims so the interlocutors will understand how distant Wahhābīs are from the thaqalayn, the two precious constituents.
Ever since I deserted Wahhābism and adhered to Ithnā ‘Ashariyyah Shī‘ism, I have been doing my best to establish a correct manner for conducting discussions with the Islamic sects, and I believe that talks will not be productive unless they are based on a proper foundation.
Based on the fundamentals of sociology and psychology, I have proposed a three-stage scheme that ought to be followed as it is ordered.
One of the problems arising during religious discussions is a different and even dissimilar word connotation that each of the interlocutors has in mind. For example, a Wahhābī’s interpretation of the words ‘ismah [infallibility] or taqiyyah [dissimulation] is quite different from that of an Imāmiyyah. I believe that proper interpretation and explication of the sense of religious words plays an important part in advancing the dialogues.
Also, the Wahhābī interlocutor should certainly recognize the Imāmiyyah as one of the Islamic sects, just as the Sunnīs have done, and remember that they is two Muslim schools that are exchanging ideas. However, if the interlocutor calls the Shī‘ah apostates, and insists on this application, he should then be made to understand that he is not following the usual Sunnī approach in dealing with the Shī‘ah. It is useless to talk to such a person.
“I entrust my affair to Allah, surely Allah sees the servants.”
