But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue...

But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical, seeking to cause dissention by seeking to explain it (as they like). But no one knows its meaning except God and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge...." (Qur'an 3:6). So the true meaning and interpretation of the Holy Qur'an cannot be known except from those who are firmly grounded in knowledge and whose knowledge is from the knowledge of Prophet.

And the Prophet said 'I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate'. Also he said : "I am leaving behind among you, two most precious things The Book of Allah.......and My descendants who are my family; and they will not separate from each other until they come to me near Kauther in Quiyamat". Therefore, to understand the Qur'an, it is essential to seek guidance from Ahlul-Bait. Question : Do you also use the other six Books : Sahih of Bukhari ? Sahih of Muslim ? Kitab-us-Sunan of Abu Daud ?

Sahih of Tirmidhy ? Kitab-us-Sunan of Nasai ? Kitab-us-Sunan of Ibn Maja ? Answer: I must make it clear that no collection of the Traditions is free from falsified or weak traditions. Therefore, we, like the scholars of Sunni Sect, judge every tradition on its merit. We "use" (to use your own word !) the above-mentioned books of traditions edited by Sunni scholars as well as other books of Shia scholars, applying the same test everywhere without discrimination.

Question : Which scholar's books do you use for "Sheria ?" Answer: There are hundreds of books in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Gujarati, Turkish, Bengali, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindi, Kashmiri, (and recently in Swahili, English, German and French) and other languages, explaining the Shariat of Islam according to the Shia Ithna-asheri madhhab. There are books of Shariat right from the 2nd century of Hijra still extant.

Therefore, it is not possible to give you a list of the books of Fiqh (which is referred to in your letter as 'Shariat'). But currently the book most used by Shia scholars in East Africa is 'Minhaj-us- Saleheen' (2 parts) by the greatest Mujtahid of our time, Syed Mohsin-al-Hakeem (Najaf - Iraq). Question: Does your belief allow you to extend the books of Sharia more than your scholars did, to sweet the modern life ? Answer: I could not understand this question. Will you, please, elaborate it ?

Question : Why do you think that Seyyidina Ali should be the First Khalifa and not the Fourth as Sunnis believe ?