Important points to bear in mind 1) We should bring the...

📌Important points to bear in mind 1) We should bring the Wahhabi 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, hadith , or even a single part of it, since a Wahhabi’s mind is unable to grasp all of the facts regarding the Imamiyyah 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 Wahhabi’s mind will be unable to grasp all facts and realities of the Shi‘ah, if we aim at extensive questions.

2.It will be a mistake if we begin with anything other than the thaqalayn hadith , because if you begin mentioning the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali ( ‘a ), they will also do the same for others. This will bring the discussion to a standstill.

The Wahhabis 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 Wahhabi interlocutor refers to the Qur’an, you should begin with the tathir verse and not with the issue of wilayah because there is a close connection between the tathir and the thaqalayn verses. You will see no Muslim raising the tathir and kasa points, unless he sees the two as interlinked. Also, there is no Muslim who will repudiate or ignore the link between the thaqalayn hadith and the hadith-e kasa .

The discussion on the tathir verse will lead to the kasa 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 hadith . 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 Wahhabi and converts him to Shi‘ism.

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